Crossbows, Composites, and Recurves, Oh My
Hunting and shooting retailer expands dramatically, adds one-of-a-kind archery range
Go big or go home.
That saying was surely running through the minds of Evan and Layne English, owners of Olde English Outfitters in Tipp City, when they started planning their huge new facility.
“In business, if you’re not growing, you’re dying,” says Layne. “A few years ago, some of the archery ranges in our area were shutting down. At the same time, since Covid, interest in archery has gone through the roof. We thought there was a real potential for growth in that market, and we decided it was time to expand.”
And expand they did.
Olde English’s new facility, overlooking the intersection of I-75 and Ginghamsburg Road, will more than double the retail space for firearms and outdoor gear from 3,000 square feet to 8,000 square feet. Even more impressive, the space for archery will increase tenfold, from 1,200 square feet to 12,000 square feet.
“There’s nothing like it nearby,” says Evan. “The closest we could find an archery range on this scale was four and half hours to the east,” he says. “To the west, you’d have to go to Texas or Montana to find anything like this.”
The new climate-controlled facility will house significantly expanded retail space for firearms, archery equipment, and hunting and outdoor gear. Its showpiece will be a 27-lane archery range, with staggered lane lengths of 20 yards, 30 to 40 yards, and 50 yards.
“Nobody has 40 or 50-yard lanes,” says Layne. “This is something unique.”
Also unique are the lane widths. Most range lanes for archery are 24 inches wide. The ones in Olde English’s new facility will be 30 inches wide. They’re designed to accommodate larger composite bows, crossbows, and bow stabilizers that take up much more space than a traditional wooden recurve bow.
Various types of targets will be available as well: Vegas style, 5-spot, and 3D. The facility has a special storage area to house the life-size 3D figures of deer, bears, trees, and bushes that are used during 3D archery competitions.
For those who just want to watch, there will be an elevated viewing area above the range, behind the archers and overlooking the targets.
Listening to the Englishes talk about the new facility, it’s clear that it means more to them than just business.
“We wanted to build something for this community,” says Layne. “When we host a shoot, it brings in people from other states, from all across the country. We may have 200 shooters in from out of town one weekend. That means 200 people who need hotel rooms, who are eating in our restaurants, who are buying gas, who are shopping in our stores.”
“We don’t just benefit,” says Layne. “Tipp City as a whole benefit.”
Even emphasizes that he also wants to represent their industry in a positive way.
“The majority of people in Ohio who hunt want to fill their freezer,” says Evan. “They’re not ‘trophy hunting.’ If our guys and gals hunt more than their families have room to freeze and store, they often donate the meat to food pantries.”
“Archery also provides a way to spend time with kids,” says Evan. “It’s a family sport, and it’s a lifetime sport. Everyone from six to 80 and up can participate.”
Family is a key part of Olde English’s operation. The business was started by Evan’s parents, Ron and Paula English, back in 1974. Now, they’re ready to bring on the next generation. Their son, Dean, will be joining the business soon after a stint serving as a law enforcement officer in Beavercreek.
“Part of the reason for this expansion is building a stronger business for Dean,” says Layne. “We can see the potential, or we wouldn’t have invested our lives in building it.”
Olde English Outfitters is located at 480 Ginghamsburg Road in Tipp City. The shop is open Monday through Saturday, and their new facility is slated to open in fall 2024.
What you can find in Olde English’s new facility
● Outdoor and hunting gear: tree stands, scent block, backpacks, and much more
● 27-lane archery range with targets at up to 50 yards
● Archery showroom with crossbows, composite bows, recurve bows, and kids’ bows
● Archery workshop, for setting up new bows, repairing bows, adding sites and stabilizers, and fletching and cutting arrows
● Viewing lounge and workspace overlooking the archery range
● Firearms showroom with long guns, handguns, rifles, shotguns, and collectible firearms to buy, sell, and trade
● Firearms station for cleaning and checking weapons and installing simple accessories, like red dots, grips, and optics
● Event room for hunter safety and concealed carry classes, manufacturer demos, parties, and corporate events