★ Your magazine. Your say. Complete our reader survey with a chance to win Jack Pyke kit worth £500! ★
Five places to shoot simulated grouse
Grouse wait for no Gun – sharpen your swing on simulated coveys at these shooting grounds before the real thing comes whirring over the heather
A grouse butt is no place to find out that your swing has gone stiff over the summer. Coveys arrive low, fast and from angles no pheasant drive will ever give you, and the first birds of the season are usually over the line before a rusty Gun has the stock in the shoulder. The answer is a morning on a simulated grouse layout: purpose-built butts, traps throwing clays to mirror the moor, and an instructor or loader on hand to put the timing back. These five shooting grounds each have one, and between them they cover Berkshire, London, Buckinghamshire, Perthshire and Middlesex.
1. Purdey at Royal Berkshire Shooting School
Designed by experienced grouse Shots, the Purdey Grouse Moor comprises three different butts with over 20 traps. Each butt simulates a specific style of grouse shooting, whether it be coveys, driven birds beneath your feet, or birds going away. It has been designed to allow you to practise every possible scenario that you would find on the moors.
Price: £110 per hour, plus cartridges and clays
2. West London Shooting School
A purpose-built line of four grouse butts designed to recreate the speed, rhythm and challenge of traditional grouse shooting. Offering one of the most realistic simulated grouse shooting experiences available, the layout, located on ‘Sharvel Moor’, allows Guns to practise and refine their technique in an environment that closely mirrors the moor itself.
Members: £108 (Young Shots) / £122 (Ladies) / £133 (Gentlemen)
Non-members: £135 (Young Shots) / £154 (Ladies) / £172 (Gentlemen)
3. E.J. Churchill
The award-winning grouse layout features newly redesigned sunken butts, surrounded by wildflower-covered banks, providing three shooting positions. Engage with fast-paced crossing, incoming and long-range quartering-away targets to refine your technique. Four packages are available throughout the season, from two-hour masterclasses to caddied practice sessions, all featuring key grouse angles tailored to you, so you can rebuild rhythm, confidence and consistency.
Grouse packages:
- Two-hour grouse masterclass – one-on-one with Ad Davies, £300 (a one-hour session is also available)
- One-hour double gun grouse practice – instructor and loader included, £180
- One-hour single gun grouse practice – caddie included, £85
4. Gleneagles Shooting School
The two-hour experience begins at the shooting school grouse stand for some practice and ends at the purpose-built grouse butts with three 100-bird simulated grouse drives with instructors and loaders. There are three Huntsman clay trailers, with three traps on each trailer, a total of 12 traps over five shooting butts.
Price: £325 per person, minimum of two guests
5. Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds
Located just 15 miles outside of London, this 60-acre shooting ground has grouse butts set up for three levels of experience. This allows shooters to develop and hone their skills for early season younger birds all the way through to the most testing late season coveys.
Price: £130 for a one-to-one lesson, plus cartridges and clays
Frequently asked questions
What is simulated grouse shooting?
Clay shooting from purpose-built grouse butts, with traps set to throw targets the way grouse fly: low, fast crossing coveys, birds driven straight at the butt, and long quartering-away shots. The point is to practise the angles and the timing of the moor without a live bird in sight.
How much does a simulated grouse session cost?
From £85 for an hour with a caddie at E.J. Churchill to £325 per person for the two-hour Gleneagles experience. Purdey at the Royal Berkshire charges £110 per hour and Holland & Holland £130 for a one-to-one lesson, both plus cartridges and clays, while West London Shooting School prices its sessions from £108 for members and £135 for non-members.
Which simulated grouse ground is closest to London?
West London Shooting School and Holland & Holland Shooting Grounds, 15 miles from the capital in Middlesex, are the two nearest. Purdey at the Royal Berkshire and E.J. Churchill in Buckinghamshire are both within easy reach for a morning.
Do I need my own gun and cartridges?
Cartridges and clays are charged on top of the hourly rate at Purdey at the Royal Berkshire and Holland & Holland. The E.J. Churchill packages include an instructor and loader or a caddie, and the Gleneagles experience includes instructors and loaders. Check what else each ground can supply when you book.
About the author
Selena Barr
Originally cutting her teeth as Shooting Times news editor two decades ago, her career in sporting journalism has taken her all over the world turning field adventures into reports that focus on conservation and sustainability.
Related Articles
Be careful what you wish for: a grouse moor without its keepers
David Whitby on why shooting's critics would do well to remember that keepers actively protect grouse moors, safeguarding rare wildlife in the process
By David Whitby | 24 August 2026
Best walked-up grouse shooting kit: seven proven essentials
Seven pieces of walked-up grouse shooting kit chosen for reliability and low weight on the hill, from a hand-made cartridge belt to custom-moulded earplugs. Picked on editorial judgement rather than a...
By Shooting Times | 19 August 2026
Get the latest news delivered direct to your door
Subscribe to Shooting Times & Country
Discover the ultimate companion for fieldsports enthusiasts with Shooting Times & Country Magazine, the UK’s leading weekly publication that has been at the forefront of shooting culture since 1882. Subscribers gain access to expert tips, comprehensive gear reviews, seasonal advice and a vibrant community of like-minded shooters.
Save on shop price when you subscribe with weekly issues featuring in-depth articles on gundog training, exclusive member offers and access to the digital back issue library. A Shooting Times & Country subscription is more than a magazine, don’t just read about the countryside; immerse yourself in its most authoritative and engaging publication.
