The Code of Good Shooting Practice
The standard every responsible Gun, gamekeeper and shoot manager should know — and live by.
Driven shooting is one of Britain's most cherished field sports traditions. It connects us to the land, the seasons, and a way of rural life that has shaped this country's countryside for generations. But with that privilege comes responsibility. The Code of Good Shooting Practice is the benchmark that holds our sport to the standards it deserves — and protects its future.
WHY THE CODE MATTERS
Our sport is under scrutiny. Let's make sure it earns respect.
Shooting contributes £2 billion to the UK economy every year. Over a million people are involved — as Guns, beaters, pickers-up, gamekeepers, and countryside managers. Wildlife thrives on land managed for shooting. Game covers create habitat. Conservation and field sports are not in conflict — they are inseparable.
But shooting has opponents. And the reputation of our sport — its future, its very right to exist — depends entirely on how every one of us conducts ourselves. On the peg. In the field. Around others.
The Code of Good Shooting Practice is the framework that unites every responsible participant. It was developed and is endorsed by the leading organisations in British shooting: BASC, the Countryside Alliance, the GWCT, the NGO, the CLA, the Scottish Gamekeepers' Association, and more. When you follow the Code, you stand with all of them.
Whether you're a seasoned Gun on a grouse moor or stepping onto your first driven peg, the Code applies to you. Read it. Know it. Live it.
THE FIVE GOLDEN RULES
At the heart of the Code are five principles that every participant must understand. These are not suggestions — they are the foundation of responsible shooting.
🔒
RULE 1 — SAFE CONDUCT
Safe shooting must meet the standards set by this Code, show respect for the countryside, proper regard for health and safety, and consideration for everyone around you — Guns, beaters, pickers-up, walkers, and horses alike.
🌿
RULE 2 — WILDLIFE & CONSERVATION
Shoot managers must actively work to enhance wildlife conservation and the countryside. Shooting and conservation are one. Where game is managed well, wildlife flourishes.
🐦
RULE 3 — RESPECT FOR QUARRY
Respect for quarry is paramount. Every shot bird must be marked, retrieved, and treated as food. Leaving game unrecovered is unacceptable — it is wasteful, disrespectful, and harmful to the reputation of our sport.
📋
RULE 4 — RESPONSIBLE RELEASING
Where birds are released, shoots must comply with the guidelines for sustainable release. Release densities, timings, pen siting, and welfare standards are all part of the obligation.
🚫
RULE 5 — NO REPLENISHMENT
Birds must never be released mid-season to replace birds already shot. This practice is explicitly prohibited. Season-end is season-end.
Before You Arrive
The unwritten rules every Gun should know — written down.
-
Hold a valid Shotgun Certificate — it is a legal requirement, not optional.
-
Know your quarry. Be able to identify every species you may encounter and understand which are in season.
-
Match your cartridges and shot size to the quarry and the ground — ask your host or keeper if uncertain.
-
Practise on clays before the season starts. A shoot day is not the place to find out your eye has gone.
-
Confirm what the day involves: species, expected bag, dress code, dogs, whether lunch is included.
-
Arrive on time. There are few things worse than a line of Guns waiting at the gunbus for a late arrival.
The Safety Briefing
Every shoot day starts with a safety briefing. Listen to every word of it. The shoot captain is not reciting it for his own benefit — he is telling you where the beaters are, where the stops are, what quarry is expected, and what the signals mean. This briefing could save a life. Pay attention, ask questions if anything is unclear, and remind your neighbouring Gun of anything important once you're on your peg.
On Your Peg
-
Keep your gun broken until you're loaded and standing on your peg ready to shoot.
-
Never walk between drives with a closed gun unless it is in a slip.
-
Before a drive begins, survey your surroundings — where are the pickers-up? Where are the beaters coming from? Where are the stops and flankers? Wave to your neighbouring Guns.
-
Hold barrels directly upward or broken over the arm when waiting. Never rest closed barrels on your shoulder — a picker-up on the bank behind you is looking straight at them.
-
Only take a shot when you have clear sky around the bird. Never shoot low, into a wood, or through a hedge line.
-
Never swing through the line. Never. There is no bird worth it.
-
Shoot birds within your capability. A wounded runner that can't be retrieved is a failure, not a score.
-
Do not shoot your neighbours' birds before they have had a chance — unless they are reloading and the bird is running away. Know the difference between sporting awareness and greed.
-
When the horn or whistle blows — stop shooting immediately. No exceptions.
-
Open, unload, and slip your gun the moment the drive ends.
After the Drive
-
Mark every bird you shoot. Count them. Help pickers-up locate them — point, describe, do whatever it takes to ensure every bird is recovered.
-
Pick up your cartridge cases and take them to the game cart or a bucket. Leave the peg as you found it.
-
Wounded birds must be despatched quickly and humanely. This is not negotiable.
-
Never brag about your bag. Nobody is impressed and you will not be invited back.
FOR SHOOT MANAGERS & KEEPERS
Running a shoot carries real responsibility. The Code makes that clear.
The Code places specific obligations on those who manage and organise shooting days. A shoot manager is responsible not just for the birds, but for the safety, conduct, and compliance of everyone on their ground.
-
Brief every Gun thoroughly before the first drive — safety, quarry, signals, and peg etiquette.
-
Ensure public liability insurance is in place. Always.
-
Present birds within the capability of the Guns invited — not to impress, but to ensure clean, ethical shooting.
-
Manage release densities in line with GWCT guidelines. Habitat comes before numbers.
-
Ensure all shot game can and will be retrieved. Adequate pickers-up and well-worked dogs are not a luxury — they are a requirement.
-
Stop shooting if weather conditions mean birds cannot be presented or retrieved safely.
-
Avoid nuisance to neighbours — noise, straying birds, proximity to rights of way, and road safety near drives all fall within your remit.
-
Keep accurate records. Be prepared to demonstrate Code compliance.
GAME IS FOOD
Every bird you shoot is food. Treat it accordingly.
One of the strongest arguments in defence of shooting is that game is wild, free-range food — arguably the most ethical meat you can put on a table. But that argument only holds if every Gun treats shot game with the same respect they'd give any food product.
-
All shot game must enter the food chain — it is not a target to be discarded.
-
Accept your brace of birds at the end of the day. Cook it, share it, gift it. But take it.
-
Game must be handled hygienically from the moment it hits the ground — body heat must be allowed to dissipate quickly.
-
Where game is sold, correct chilling and food hygiene regulations apply.
-
Shoots should aim to produce fully mature, healthy, marketable birds. Partridges should be at least 15–16 weeks old before shooting begins.
THE LAW
Ignorance is not a defence. Know the laws that govern our sport.
The Code summarises the key legal obligations that apply to shooting in the UK. These are not technicalities — they are the legal framework within which every shoot must operate. The principal Acts and Regulations include:
-
Firearms Act 1968 — shotgun certificates are legally required; comply with all firearms law.
-
Highways Act 1980 (s.161) — discharging a firearm within 50ft of the centre of a vehicular road is an offence if it endangers, injures or interrupts a road user.
-
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 — close seasons, protected species, and habitat conservation requirements.
-
Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 — shoot managers must conduct risk assessments and brief participants accordingly.
-
Lead shot regulations — lead is prohibited over saltmarsh, foreshore, and designated SSSIs important for waterfowl; prohibited for ducks, geese, coot and moorhen in England and Wales.
-
Animal Welfare Act 2006 — welfare of reared gamebirds and all captive or farmed animals.
-
Food Safety Act 1990 — if game enters the commercial food chain, hygiene regulations apply.
-
Wildlife and Natural Environment Act 2011 (Scotland) — landowners and managers can be held criminally liable for certain actions of their employees or agents.
⬇ Download the Full Code (PDF)
Visit the Official Website Links to: https://www.codeofgoodshootingpractice.org.uk
Endorsed & Overseen By
The Code of Good Shooting Practice is jointly overseen by a Steering Committee representing:
Peg Draw is proud to promote the Code of Good Shooting Practice. We encourage all users of this app — Guns, shoot managers, gamekeepers and guests — to read, share and uphold it.
The Code of Good Shooting Practice is produced and maintained by its Steering Committee. Peg Draw has no affiliation with the Code's governing committee — we promote it as responsible members of the field sports community. Full copyright and authorship belongs to the Code of Good Shooting Practice organisation. All content on this page has been prepared as a summary guide only; for the authoritative text, download the official PDF above.