Hardcore Outfitters shares love of archery, fishing and the outdoors
IRON MOUNTAIN — Hardcore Outfitters has grown since it was brought to life about 12 years ago. Archery, the prime original focus, is still at the heart of the business — the shooting ranges and league are what first attracted now-owners Jeremy and Nicole Mortl to the place. The store has been expanding the lines and types of products they carry in other areas, too. The fishing section has added more types of gear; an array of women’s apparel is in stock; in a service shop behind the archery section, they set up, tune and repair bows.
Mike and Connie Pelletier started Hardcore Outfitters in 2013. Current management said that it began as a very small, archery-specific shop — still in the same location at 1616 N. Stephenson Ave. in Iron Mountain, but that the retail area occupied less space back then. Jeremy explained that the Pelletiers had expanded during the ten years they ran the place, incorporating fly-fishing first, gear for targeting steelhead, “and then brought in some regular summer fishing and ice fishing items as well.”
A 12-week long winter archery league, held on a range within Hardcore Outfitters, uses TechnoHunt, a video system that displays scenes on a screen. Participants shoot their own bows and arrows, but with blunt steel tips provided by Hardcore Outfitters. Participant are scored through infrared sensors in front of the screen that detect where arrows strike.
“That’s how I got introduced to the store, and started going there and shopping there, and got to know the owners of it through that,” said Jeremy.
When Mike first mentioned to Jeremy that he was looking into selling the store and had a few people potentially interested, actually buying the business was not something Jeremy intended to do.
“It started as almost a joking thing with my family … I said the Pelletiers were selling Hardcore Outfitters, and, you know, ‘wouldn’t it be cool to own a store like that?'” Jeremy recalled.
The Mortls’ two kids were excited, but it was a couple days later — after Nicole thought about it further and decided that running Hardcore Outfitters would be interesting, a good opportunity, and actually feasible — that they began to seriously look into buying the business.
In December of 2022, the transition occurred. Nicole said that the Pelletiers closed the store for less than a week near Christmas, but then the Mortls took over and opened up with all existing stock almost immediately. Phil Galeazzi was hired to manage the store, which was up and running under its new ownership by January 2023.
“We built on the foundation the Pelletiers had started and expanded a bit — changed the layout of the store a little, expanded what we offer … the variety of what we have available,” Jeremy said. “But the business model is very much the same.”
The Hardcore Outfitters store has three main sections — in addition to other outdoor, camping and hunting supplies that don’t necessarily fit tidily into one category.
First and foremost, there’s archery. Bow season in Wisconsin starts a few weeks before Michigan, and being so near the border, Hardcore Outfitters attracts hunters from both states. They carry compound bows from brands Mathews, Hoyt and Bear; for crossbows, they deal Raven, Centerpoint, Wicked Ridge and TenPoint. Galeazzi said all sell well. Traditional bows are in stock but are far less common, and Galeazzi said that people who are into that style often tend to like to make their own arrows.
When a customer purchases a compound bow, if it isn’t part of a package that already includes them, they may also pick out a rest and a sight to have installed on the spot in Hardcore Outfitters’ bow shop, which also offers tuning and restringing for all models, whether or not the bow was purchased from the store.
There are two 20-yard indoor shooting ranges — one for TechnoHunt; another for stationary target shooting. In addition to the winter league, a fall league was also added this year. They’re very popular; Jeremy said that about 125 people participated in the winter league last year.
The second major portion of Hardcore Outfitters is for fishing.
“Fishing equipment probably moves the most for us,” Galeazzi said. “It’s always changing, (anglers) are trying different stuff, and we’re always ordering fishing stuff.”
Lures line a couple aisles at the center of the store. One wall is filled with materials for making flies — feathers, furs, threads, etc. Galeazzi said they intend to continue expanding supplies for both open water and ice fishing.
The third major section is for apparel. A sizable section for women’s clothing was added last year. Several product lines offer quite a variety of clothing for all outdoor activity. One specialty item, an insect-repelling shirt from Simms, Galeazzi said has sold well. Basic t-shirts, hoodies and hats seem well-liked, too.
Hardcore Outfitters sells other supplies like scent-blockers and attractants, GPS devices and trail cams.
“Cellular trail cams are really big right now,” said Galeazzi. “(When they) take a picture, they send it right to your phone on an app; you don’t have to go and check the chip like the traditional cameras.”
Wooden posts — actual tree trunks — installed within the store demonstrate tree stands, tree hooks and harnesses, while larger tree stands are set up outside.
Something that’s been trending in the area this year, said Galeazzi, is saddle hunting. Recently, Hardcore Outfitters participated in an episode of “Discovering” with Kristin Ojaniemi (Discover the U.P.), wherein saddle designer Carl Kossuth showed how the product works. Galeazzi said it’s perfect for hunting on state land and makes for easy transport and setup.
Hardcore Outfitters has begun selling live bait and intends to offer 24/7 self-service.
One new addition that should be ordered soon and in stock for this winter will be trapping supplies.