Updated 25 October 2026. Facts on this page come from minecraft.wiki, community sites named in the text and the live Artemis PvP server; sources are listed at the bottom.
Shotgun Cannons
A shotgun is the simplest kind of TNT cannon: the projectiles usually reach the target first and then all explode at the same moment. It is easy to build and aim, but minecraft.wiki notes it is almost never worth firing more than 4 projectiles in one shotgun shot.
What is a shotgun cannon?
In a shotgun every projectile is lit together, flies to the target and explodes together. The blast is one big hit in one place. It is the first cannon most players build, and minecraft.wiki calls it the easiest cannon type.
Its short name in cannon naming is S; so an Up-Shotgun is written US. See cannon terminology.
What are its strengths and weaknesses?
- Strength: few limits on shifting (shooting sideways) and often no delay adjustment, because all projectiles explode at once.
- Strength: minecraft.wiki calls it the easiest cannon type.
- Weakness: minecraft.wiki says it is almost never worth using more than 4 projectiles per shot.
- Weakness: the ratio of propellants to projectiles can get poor. Builders want it low.
When a target is thick, a tunneler does better: it lights projectiles so each explosion makes room for the next one.
What is a scraper?
A shotgun that hits the enemy from the side or back instead of the front is sometimes called a scraper. minecraft.wiki's special-purposes page adds that the most common anti-cannon is a shotgun that scrapes the side or back of the enemy, and that scrapers aim at any cannon left exposed rather than one specific design.
How do you start building one?
- Learn the fuse: TNT explodes 80 ticks after being lit; see how TNT works.
- Learn how the boosters throw the projectile: booster TNT explodes at the launch point and pushes the projectile toward the target; see explosion mechanics.
- Push the projectile into a wall before firing so prime motion cannot drift it; see accuracy.
- Use the names on cannon terminology when you follow a design.
Basic cannon steps and redstone timing are on TNT cannons explained and redstone basics.
Frequently asked questions
How many TNT should a shotgun cannon fire?
minecraft.wiki says it is almost never worth using more than 4 projectiles per shotgun shot.
What is a scraper cannon?
A shotgun that hits the enemy from the side or back instead of the front.
Sources
Every fact on this page was checked against these pages; the wording is ours.