The Hydra, when upgraded in its attack range, it can triple or even quadruple its damage at close range. For comparison, the M3, which doesn't have the attack range upgrade, can only double its damage. It has a starting firepower of 280, reload speed of 3.67, a capacity of 4, and an attack range of 0. Fully upgraded, it has a firepower of 550, reload speed of 3.30, a capacity of 10, and an attack range of 2. Note that attack range works by increasing the number of pellets fired. It's only major downside is its very slow reload time, the slowest of all shotguns in RE5, but consider that you can reload via your inventory, which would bypass the reloading animation.