What to Wear - Game Bird Shooting

Game Bird Shooting - What to Wear

If it’s your very first shoot, making a choice on the perfect outfit can be daunting, and shooting etiquette can seem extensive. Before you shop online or visit us for advice in store, it is strongly advisable to check with the host or whomever invited you to the shoot what the dress code is. What you wear for game shooting depends on whether the event is a formal driven shoot or a more relaxed walked-up shoot. Always verify the specific dress code with your host.

How do Driven and Walked-up shoots differ?

Formal Driven Shoot
On formal, traditional, driven shoots, a team of guns line up on numbered pegs. Beaters will walk ahead with their dogs to flush out the game and encourage its direction over the guns.
The dress code on these shoots tends to be more formal, requiring traditional tweeds. This attire will tend to include a shooting coat, breeks or trousers, and a vest.

Walked-up Shoot
On rough or walked-up shoots, the guns will use gun dogs to flush out the game as they walk along. This type of shooting requires hunting knowledge and expertise.
While tweed is still perfectly acceptable on these shoots, a formal shirt and tie are not typically essential. Moleskin trousers or cotton breeks can be worn as an alternative to tweed, along with a shooting vest and fleece instead of a jumper.

There are a few practical items one should not arrive without; ear defenders, a hat and sensible footwear. But for the rest of the outfit there are many more options. This is where advice about the formality of the shoot is useful, but if you aim to pick neutral green and brown colours, you can’t go horrendously wrong.

A top tip is to check the weather forecast; your day’s shooting will be vastly improved if you are comfortable and dry. We offer a wide range of options for milder or colder days.

What to Wear

Jacket

The majority of game shooting is during the winter, so your jacket needs to keep you warm and dry. If the weather is likely to be wet, a waterproof jacket is essential. A lightweight waterproof layer in early season can be incredibly handy — the Schöffel Men's Snipe Ultralight Coat is ideal.

You'll also want to ensure the fit provides sufficient movement to swing your gun, and that the pockets are big enough for cartridges. Most shooting jackets will feature a strap in the handwarmer pocket which can be attached to your cartridge pocket to keep them open for ease when shooting. The Härkila Kenmore Tweed Shooting Coat features a waterproof GORE-TEX membrane as well as a host of adjustable features.

For ladies, the Seeland Woodcock Royale Eve Shooting Jacket is a refined balance of timeless design and modern performance.

Breeks or Trousers

Breeks are often also referred to as Plus Twos or Plus Fours, which are essentially a longer version of the same thing. The idea is that your breeks will be shorter than standard trousers and you will have the cuffs fastened just beneath the knee, to create the traditional shooting look. At a formal shoot you should wear tweed breeks or trousers; these do not necessarily have to match your jacket exactly, but the tweed should be complimentary. While we do not keep many tweed trousers in our range, we do highly recommend the Härkila Kenmore Tweed Breeks, which compliment the aforementioned Kenmore coat.

For a more casual shoot, plain moleskin or cotton breeks like the Laksen Belgravia Breeks are suitable. For warmer conditions at the start of the season, moleskin Breeks are perfect.

You can view our range of women's breeks here.

If you opt for breeks, then to complete the look, be sure to get some shooting socks. Hiking/walking boots will be best suited if wearing trousers.

Shirt

For grouse shooting, a green shirt is essential to avoid being spotted. This is specific to grouse shooting, any other quarry will not be diverted by a light-coloured shirt. The majority of shirts in our range offer a sporting fit, allowing extra arm room for freedom of movement for shooters. Traditionally, light coloured check shirts are worn. The Schöffel Men's Cambridge Check Shirt is a classic shooting wardrobe staple. For ladies, we offer the stunning Schöffel Fakenham Shirt with a piecrust collar. As mentioned previously, though, a smart shirt is not an essential for walked-up shoots.

Vest or Waistcoat

A tweed waistcoat such as the Härkila Kenmore Tweed Shooting Waistcoat is sufficient instead of a tweed jacket in very warm weather as it will still offer handy cartridge pockets.

At the most formal shoots, many wear a full three-piece tweed suit such as the Härkila Kenmore Collection, but for a more casual walked-up day, a simple shooting gilet is ideal. The Schöffel Men's Gunby Gilet includes a recoil pad and offers spacious cartridge pockets. Other vests, such as the Seeland Ladies Wenlock Faye Waistcoat may come with pockets to insert a recoil pad, which can be purchased separately, such as the Beretta Recoil Reducer Evo Pad.

Jumpers and Fleeces

We suggest a standard woollen jumper on formal shoots, and the Schöffel Men's Lambswool V Neck Jumper is perfect. For ladies, the Schöffel Leyburn Jumper is a stunningly elegant addition to your wardrobe.

Depending on the weather, you may not want to add the extra layer of a jumper — a shirt, waistcoat and jacket is often sufficiently warm. However, a fleece may be required on walked-up shoots in the winter. The Schöffel Cottesmore Fleece is ideal for those chilly days.

Tie

Ties are optional at most shoots, but are a must if the day is particularly formal. Here at William Evans, we have a superb collection ties in an array of designs. Traditionally, a shooting tie will feature birds such as pheasant, partridge or grouse. We also have some fun designs with cartridges or dogs.

You can view our collection of ties here.

Hat

A tweed flat cap is a common choice on a game shoot, which can be matched to the rest of your outfit if you stick with the same brand and tweed design. Your cap is also a chance to incorporate something a little different to your outfit, as wearing completely matching tweed can sometimes resemble the Head Gamekeeper.

Some shooters are drawn towards a fedora to shoot in, such as our beautiful collection for ladies from Hicks & Brown. The only thing to consider when choosing a fedora, is whether your hearing protection is compatible with your headwear.

You can view our range of flat caps here.

Gloves

As the majority of game shoots take place in the autumn and winter months, having a warm pair of gloves can immensely improve your experience. We offer a range of fleece or silk lined gloves from Dents which feature a trigger finger, to allow you to keep your finger directly on the trigger while shooting.

You can view our full range of shooting gloves here.

Hearing Protection

This is the most important item in your kit bag. We offer passive ear defenders which will block noise continuously, or we offer active ones, which are electronic and allow you to hear while wearing them, until the shot is fired and their protection kicks in. Electronic ear defenders are ideal if you're likely to need instruction, or have a loader with whom you'll be communicating. You will want to make sure your hearing protection has a comfortable fit that doesn’t impede gun mount. Our best-selling electronic ear defenders are the 3M Peltor SportTac which feature 3M PELTOR™ dual-shell technology for a rugged build and improved durability.

It is important to remember that even spectators will require a pair of ear defenders to protect their ears. We also offer a small range of ear defenders for children.

View our range of hearing protection here.

Footwear

A good pair of walking boots or wellingtons is the most essential piece of kit if the ground is likely to be uneven or heather. The Harkila Reidmar 2.0 Mid GTX Leather Boots are robust, but surprisingly lightweight. These unisex boots have a field-tested, waterproof GORE-TEX membrane and are designed and manufactured in Europe. They were awarded 'Footwear of the Year' at The Great British Shooting Awards in 2025 and 2026.

If the day is likely to be wet, a pair of wellingtons are advisable, such as the Le Chameau Vierzonord Wellington Boots available for men and women. Famed for being the original rubber wellington boot to feature an adjustable, waterproof gusset, the Vierzonord also boasts an insulating neoprene lining that will keep you warm and comfortable all day.

You can view our full range of footwear here.

Cartridge Bag

At William Evans we offer a wide variety of traditional cartridge bags. The appearance of a game shooting cartridge bag will differ greatly from a clay shooting cartridge bag. Game shooting cartridge bags are traditionally made from leather or a sturdy canvas material with leather edges. They tend to hold up to 150 cartridges, and have a hinged speed-load opening.

Get the classic game shooting look with a Croots cartridge bag, handmade in England by expert craftsmen.

You can view our full range of cartridge bags here.

You may also need...

Seat Stick

If you have difficulty being on your feet for too long at the peg, then a seat stick is an ideal solution. Seat Sticks are foldable seats which come with a spiked bottom to secure them into the ground. They can also come in handy for spectators. The Gamebird Leather Handle Seat Stick is ideal for a driven shoot.

Cash for Tips

It is traditional to tip the Head Gamekeeper and your loader, if you have one, on a game shoot.

Indoor Shoes

It can get rather muddy in the field, so it would be courteous to ensure you have indoor shoes with you for any 'after shoot' meal or drinks.

Cartridge Stick

A cartridge stick is a magnetic ended stick which can be used to collect your cartridges with ease at the end of a drive. We recommend the Seeland Cartridge Collector which can extend to up to 97cm.

Shotgun Cartridges

You are generally expected to bring your own game cartridges to driven and walked-up shoots, unless told otherwise. Your cartridges should be suitable for your gun and your quarry. The shot inside a game cartridge will be much larger than that of a clay cartridge, and the load will often be heavier than when you are clay shooting.

You can view our range of cartridges here.

UK Game Bird Seasons

Wild game can only be shot during certain times of the year and for many species there is a close season during which it is illegal to shoot them. This is to ensure that the species continue to flourish and are not hunted to extinction. Below are the dates within the UK.

Always check local regulations and any updates before planning a shoot.