What is an acceptable shoot deposit?

If you're a member of GunsOnPegs, it's likely you are spending money on shooting. Actually the average spend is at least £5,500 a year per person.

This probably means that about now, you are planning your days for next year and you've likely had some requests for deposit payment. Our Game Shooting Census run in conjunction with Strutt & Parker surveys both guns and shoot owners. This year over 250 shoot owners completed the census, so we have some valuable data on deposits.

What are shoot deposits for?

Shoot deposits can be the subject of a heated debate. For many shoots, they're vital. The cash flow of a shoot plotted on a graph looks something like a drawing of Everest and its neighbouring mountain. Deposits are usually required to cover the shoot's main upfront costs, including the birds and rent (if applicable) plus a few other infrastructure costs to allow them to flourish. In which case, they're vital. That is unless you're a bit old fashioned or wealthy enough to fund it yourself as well as trusting enough to accept funds on the day.

For a shoot, deposits come in, they go out, the balances come in and they go out more gradually. With any luck, by the end of the season you'll be back to where you started - about even (you've probably had some fun along the way which does also have a value!).

Some guns have never heard of paying for shooting prior to the day and others have never been shooting having not fully paid up 6 months in advance - so here's the facts:

10% of shoots do not require a deposit, 65% require a 50% deposit.

56% require this deposit on booking, 21% 6 months before the day and 15% 3 months before the day.

The reason for this article though is that for shoots, at the moment it's predominantly a seller's market. Many of the best shoots are already 'sold out' and so they're collecting deposits to secure the bookings for next season, but what size should this deposit be?

Why 50%?

The reason that 50% is the most common amount to request is that traditionally it covered the upfront costs and if you got them all in by around April time, you'd be on track. As demand increases, you'll want them in earlier and earlier but when does it become too much? Some are saying that this year it has.

February is usually a month to reflect upon last season, relive your favourite moments and the not so good ones. February allows you time to contact your mates and decide upon a plan for next season. Who's in, who's out? "Little Jimmy's gone to big school so our excessive January day might not happen!" Once you're sorted, you're in a position to collect funds from your friends to cover the deposits. This takes time and it's a right pain (it's the simple reason we created ShootPay).

However, this year many shoots are requesting a 50% deposit in January or even earlier and there are grumbles from guns but probably not towards the shoots because the gun doesn't want to lose their day. Is 50% in January or February too much? A deposit is designed to confirm your booking but in the past, it just so happened that this was also required for the shoot to make the early purchases.

A reduced deposit for early confirmation?

Shoots are in the service industry so balancing the requirements of your guests as well as your business are key. The recent suggestion is that it should be between 10-25% in order to confirm the day, a total of 50% by April/May with the balance due in late July/August.

Changing the way the shooting industry works usually requires an ice age, or something similar, but this is designed to encourage thought and as ever, we're always keen to hear what you think.