Found a never-ending (no mag limit) double-barrel shotgun early in my survival game and it carried me for a very very long time.

My current run just happened to get the spray and pray at level 13. Then shortly after, I picked up a 10mm with exploding ammo. By level 20 I picked up a assault rifle with exploding ammo. By level 25 I could wipe out Quincy ruins with a set of power armor and a companion. I normally don’t play OP but, you play the hand you’re dealt, and it’s almost hard NOT to wind up OP eventually, so I rolled with it. I’m now 59 with explosives, non auto pistols, and auto rifles all maxed. I usually go for strength for looting but have largely ignored it for combat perks. My stealth had suffered as well but I’m up to a level were it’s getting close to maxed now. Which works because I’m running a character modeled off of a psychopathic Max headroom. All of my guns are silenced. I sneak up, unleash hell, disappear, then unleash more hell. It’s not my normal style but it’s been fun as hell. I haven’t been to nuka world or far harbour yet and am only just finishing up the start to the institute. I hate the institute, but I need to finally finish that for the platinum trophy.

Usually I finish the game at 65-70ish but this playthrough I’m having so much fun that I probably won’t finish until 85+. Unfortunately I drunkenly added a new mod and I’m not sure if it affects trophies. So I may have to do another institute run which exhausts me, honestly.

Any automatic high rate of fire gun with "explosive* is absolutely broken, but a crippling ripper is also very fun in how brutal it is. I actually think Far Harbor has a guaranteed legendary like that.