A shootout is a gun battle between armed groups. A shootout often, but not necessarily, pits law enforcement against criminal elements; it could also involve two groups outside of law enforcement, such as rival gangs. A shootout in a war-like context (i.e. regularly constituted armed forces or even guerrilla or insurgent forces) would usually be considered a battle (depending on size), rather than a shootout. Shootouts are often portrayed in action films and western films.

Shootout! was a documentary series featured on The History Channel and ran for two seasons from 2005 to 2006. It depicts actual firefights between United States military personnel and other combatants. There are also occasional episodes dedicated to police or S.W.A.T. team firefights, as well as Wild West shootouts. It also now has a feature of downloading and playing a first-person shooter, developed by Kuma Reality Games, detailing some of the battles. The battles include skirmishes from World War II, the Vietnam War, and the ongoing War on Terror in Afghanistan and during the 2003-2010 Iraq War. Season 1 was produced for The History Channel by Greystone Communications and Season 2 was produced by Flight 33 Productions. The series was created by Dolores Gavin (History Channel) and Louis Tarantino.