An Australian shot in the leg by his friend at a drunken party was so intoxicated he went back to sleep after the accident, a court was told on Tuesday.

The court in the northeastern city of Brisbane placed Shannon David Campbell (21) on probation for a year for unlawful wounding.

The court heard that Campbell was at a party when he started playing around with a friend's rifle. Egged on by friends, he fired it and accidentally shot Michael Hartman in the leg.

Hartman went back to sleep after the incident.

Judge Julie Ryrie, describing the group as a bunch of "stupid young men," said Hartman had not suffered extensively but still had the bullet lodged in his leg.

AFP