Fake It ‘Til You Make It: Is Simulated Shooting Overhyped or Underrated?

Once dismissed as the soft option for the off-season, simulated game shooting is now squarely on the radar for serious shots. And thanks to the 2025 Game Shooting Census (sponsored by Lycetts), we finally have the data to prove it.

Importantly, this isn’t a bunch of clay bashers in fancy dress. Everyone who took part in the census shoots game. So when we talk about those who shoot simulated game, we mean people who shoot both simulated and live game - which makes their habits all the more interesting.

That’s right - everyone here is a bona fide game shot who also enjoys a bit of sim action on the side. In other words, this isn’t about charity day dabblers - it’s about what sim days look like when you’ve got a proper season in your diary.

We compared these hybrid shooters to their game-only counterparts to see what really sets them apart. Here's what we found.

Who’s Shooting Sim Days?

Gender:
Simulated shooting edges just slightly ahead when it comes to female participation - 5.4% female vs 4.2% among game-only Guns. Not huge numbers either way, but it might suggest sim days feel a little more accessible.

Age:
Simulated guns are marginally younger overall. A third of them are under 55, compared to just over a quarter of game-only respondents. Older guns (75+), somewhat unsurprisingly, were far less likely to shoot simulated - just 8.8% of sim shots fell into that category, compared to 13.9% of game-only Guns.

Where They Live:
About 73% of simulated game guns live in villages or rural areas - not so different from game-only guns, but they are slightly less urban overall.

Geography:
Simulated shooting had strong representation in every UK region - from Kent to Caithness. It’s not just a southern estate add-on or a weekday filler for the well-heeled.

Shooting Profiles: Sim Days vs Game Days

Game Days Shot Last Season:
Those who do both types of shooting averaged 11.4 game days last season. Game-only guns came in lower, at 9.6 days. So those shooting on sim days aren’t swapping pheasants for clays - they’re doing both, and they’re doing more of it.

Typical Bag Size:
Sim guns lean slightly larger, averaging 144 birds per day, compared to 132 for game-only shots. It suggests they may be slightly more driven (pun intended) or more active overall.

Number of Shoots Visited:
Sim shots also get about more - averaging 5.1 different shoots last season vs 3.7 for game-only.

More days, more travel, more variety.

Spend-thrifts?

Simulated guns tend to be slightly more budget-savvy:

• They spent about 7% less on shooting last season than game-only guns

That doesn’t mean they’re less committed. In fact, these guns are often attending more days - they may just be spreading their spend differently or opting for a more selective season.

What Matters Most to Simulated Game Guns?

When choosing a day, sim-day fans tend to:

• Prioritise bag size and conservation credentials slightly more than game-only shots
• Place slightly less importance on price and hospitality

That said, they’re still discerning - and they expect a properly run day. Which brings us to...

A Taste for the Good Life?

It turns out sim shots might be a little more partial to the frills.

Compared to game-only respondents, they were:

• 13% more likely to expect breakfast
• 10% more likely to expect tea and coffee on arrival
• 11% more likely to expect mid-morning snacks
• Nearly twice as likely to expect champagne

So yes - they still care about the quality of the day. And they’re more likely to want those thoughtful touches that turn a day out into a real occasion.

Cartridge Choices

Hull and Gamebore are still top among both groups, but there are small shifts:

• Game-only guns lean more toward Eley and RC
• Sim guns show a bit more love for Fiocchi and B&P

That could reflect their increased mobility, variety of shoots, or a bit more experimentation with kit.

So… Overhyped or Underrated?

There’s a tired stereotype that simulated shooting is for those too soft to shoot the real thing. But that simply doesn’t stack up.

The guns who do both sim and game:

• Shoot more game days, not fewer
• Visit more shoots
• Show slightly younger age brackets and higher female participation
• Are just as likely - if not more so - to care about conservation, quality, and the overall experience
• And they’ll probably beat you to the mid-morning bacon bap

Sim days aren’t a replacement for a game season. But for many, they’re a brilliant addition - a way to warm up, hone your skills, see more friends, or simply squeeze a few more good days into the year.

Data from the 2025 Game Shooting Census, proudly sponsored by Lycetts.

Thanks to everyone who took part - and if you didn’t, make sure you do next year so we can keep revealing what really makes the UK shooting community tick.