Shooters, Second Round

Smaller, tighter, sans the indoor and outdoor shooting ranges.

Nowhere near the formerly monstrous selection of Carhartt clothing, boots, cutlery, and other outdoor gear.

Archery department, and the range, gone.

Shooters on Route 539 in Little Egg Harbor, in the context it had been known for 10 years, is no longer, being sold to Ocean County where it’s now utilized by the county’s law enforcement.

It had been the largest firearms dealer in Ocean County. This second-largest and sixth-most populated county in New Jersey is home to no less than a dozen other gun shops

Rumors of the Shooters sale from the trio of former owners had been swirling for a couple of years.

Rising from the spent brass is Shooters Hardware, located at 218 Main Street (Route 9 South) in the sleepy hamlet of West Creek. Oddly enough, the building is the site of the former long-standing Tips Hardware, the source for hunting, fishing, and outdoor supplies, in addition to, of course, just about anything involving hardware.

From this iconic shop, the idea of the original Shooters was formed and eventually brought to fruition.

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Out with the old, in with the new.

Under the ownership of Brielle Hoffacker, the Shooters former general manager for six years (and the Garden State’s sole female gun shop proprietor), Shooter’s Hardware has, if the jam-packed parking strip and lot are any indication, been eagerly accepted by firearms and hunting enthusiasts from Ocean County and beyond.

The name? After all, “hardware” was, and sometimes still is a slang term for firearms. Says Hoffacker, “The “Hardware” in Shooters Hardware was done in honor of the founder of the original Tip’s Hardware. Keeping the legacy of Tip’s was important. It has a rich history.”

Simple enough.

Lean, mean, and firing on all cylinders is what one will experience entering the emporium.

We noticed familiar faces behind the handgun-filled counters, to the rear of which were neatly arranged racks of long arms, including rifles, shotguns, and muzzleloaders.

New and used are both sold. Trade-ins are accepted.

“I kept the sales staff from the old Shooters,” explained Hoffacker, continuing, “They are all extremely knowledgeable in the field of firearms, are active hunters and shooters, and have a following from around this area of central and south Jersey.”

All the name brands, and then some, are here, as is a solid selection of hunting and shooting supplies, ammunition, Carhartt clothing, and more.

“Build on what you have,” said the owner.

Hours are 9am-6pm Monday and Friday, 9am-7pm Tuesday-Thursday, and 9am-3pm Saturday.

Closed Sunday?

Smiled Hoffacker, “Of course. That’s family time!”