Couso Model 1897 — Call of the Wild Guide: Ammo, Classes, Best Animals & Where to Use It

The Couso Model 1897 is a shotgun chambered in 16 GA in theHunter: Call of the Wild, from the Rancho del Arroyo. Its ammo covers classes 1–7, so it can legally take 116 species, from Woolly Hare up to American Alligator. This guide covers every load and what it is for, the animals and reserves it suits best, how to use it, and how it compares with similar weapons.

The Couso Model 1897 in the Game

Couso Model 1897 pump shotgun

1 official image from the game's store page. Tap it to enlarge.

Ammo and Class Ranges

In Call of the Wild the ammo, not the gun, decides what you can take: each load is rated for a band of animal classes. Use a load inside the animal’s class to pass the harvest check and keep the trophy.

Notes: Pump-action, 5-shell tube.

What It Can Hunt

All 116 species inside the Couso Model 1897’s class range, heaviest first. Animals with their own guide are linked.

Where it shines: the top of its range, class 7: American Alligator, Black Bear, Black Caiman, Eurasian Brown Bear. It is also legal on the Great One species Black Bear, Gray Wolf, Jaguar, Red Deer, Mule Deer, Wild Boar, Fallow Deer, Tahr, Whitetail Deer, Roe Deer, Red Fox, Ring-Necked Pheasant.

Best Reserves for the Couso Model 1897

The reserves where the biggest share of animals falls inside this weapon’s class range, so you can carry it all day:

• Tòrr nan Sìthean: 18 of 18 species in range.
• Salzwiesen Park: 15 of 15 species in range.
• Intisuyu: 14 of 14 species in range.
• Cuatro Colinas Game Reserve: 11 of 11 species in range.
• Mississippi Acres Preserve: 10 of 10 species in range.
• Te Awaroa National Park: 10 of 10 species in range.

18 of 18 speciesTòrr nan SìtheanIn range for the Couso Model 1897

15 of 15 speciesSalzwiesen ParkIn range for the Couso Model 1897

14 of 14 speciesIntisuyuIn range for the Couso Model 1897

How to Use the Couso Model 1897

• Switch shells to fit the animal: birdshot for birds and small game, buckshot for close medium game, slugs for bigger animals at short to medium range.
• With birdshot, swing through the bird and keep the gun moving as you fire; most misses are behind.
• Keep slug and buckshot shots close. Shotgun loads lose energy fast past their effective range.
• Carry two shell types so you can take whatever walks into a zone.
• Big game: it reaches class 7, so it can stop dangerous animals. Keep a follow-up shot ready on bears, big cats and buffalo.
• Small game: its lightest load covers class 1, so it doubles as a small-game gun without ruining pelts.

Similar Weapons

Other shotguns that overlap its class range:

Where to Get It

The Couso Model 1897 comes with the Rancho del Arroyo. Buying the DLC adds it to your store and outposts.

Class ranges from our weapons database (checked against store pages and community guides; they can change with patches). Images are official store screenshots and artwork. Compiled October 2026.