The hunting shotgun was built for greater range and power over similar shotguns. Using the less common but more powerful 12 gauge shells, the hunting shotgun is designed to be the mid-to-end game shotgun class weapon, only outclassed by the riot shotgun.
It is pump-action, which means there is a slightly longer delay between shots. It also loads through the bottom, so expect longer reload times, even with the Rapid Reload perk. Due to the gun having a tubular magazine, it is reloaded by hand one shell at a time, as such it can be interrupted mid-way through reloading and fired if needed. Because of this, it gives the gun the advantage of being quickly available to fire again if only a single or few rounds are needed.