30 Years of Shooting Stuff

Shooting Stuff is 30 years old!

It’s been a long journey — from a small sideline business in 1995 to where we are today. There’s so much to be proud of, but reaching 30 also comes with a deep sense of gratitude. We made it this far!

It started with shooting, and it’s still about shooting. But it has always been about people too — customers who became friends, and friends who became customers. Shooting Stuff has always been a family business, and our definition of “family” is wide. At the heart of it all is a simple passion for shooting that’s never faded.

How it started

It all began in 1995, when I imported a Dillon XL650 for myself. It wasn’t available in South Africa at the time, and Dillon only sold by mail order from the USA.

Long-distance phone calls, fax messages, complicated bank transfers, and a delivery by The Post Office — that’s how the first Dillon machine arrived.

Before long, I was helping fellow shooters get their own Dillon products, and Shooting Stuff was born.

It was a home-based, part-time business that supported my shooting. Most deliveries in those days happened on the range — because if you spend all your spare time shooting, that’s where your business happens too.

Family from the start

As informal as it was, Shooting Stuff issued real invoices from day one. Invoice #41 went to Lorraine McGee, Customer #C0001 — who later became Mrs Fouché, and is still part of the business today.

From the start, Shooting Stuff was rooted in sport shooting and built on family. That combination has shaped everything we’ve done since.

Reloading for sport shooting

Shooting Stuff began because I couldn’t find the reloading equipment I needed for my IPSC shooting. That still defines what we do today: reloading for sport shooting.

Over time, the business has grown and diversified, but that original purpose remains unchanged. After 30 years, we’ve earned the right to call ourselves reloading experts, sport-shooting specialists, and the go-to place for everything you need to load and shoot.

The people behind the name

Shooting Stuff is nothing without its people. The team that works here shares one goal — customer service and problem solving. Our customers are the people who matter most, and we have the privilege of selling shooting stuff to shooting people. There’s nothing better than that.

We’ve been shooting and reloading for three decades. That’s a lot of experience — and our mission is to use it to benefit our customers every day.

Reloading is a means to an end — shooting — but it’s also a hobby all on its own. For many of us, shooting sometimes feels like an excuse to reload! And that’s a passion we completely understand.

Our sales team doesn’t just sell reloading equipment. We sell the gear we use ourselves. Shooting Stuff’s philosophy has always been simple: we solve problems — whether it’s helping a new reloader figure out what they need, or fixing a technical issue with a press, firearm, or accessory.

From rockets to reloading

Shooting Stuff remained a sideline business until 2012, when I resigned from my job as an aeronautical engineer to run it full-time. I changed careers from a rocket scientist to a gun runner!

That shift gave the business the attention it needed to grow. The two-person operation quickly needed staff, and Shooting Stuff began to take its current form.

Growing through the years

Through the 2010s, Shooting Stuff grew steadily and launched an e-commerce website in 2017. That move opened the doors to a much wider audience and remains a cornerstone of the business today.

By 2019, the home-based shop was bursting at the seams. Signing a lease in August 2019 — just before COVID-19 hit — turned out to be one of our biggest survival stories. We finally moved into our Centurion premises in 2021.

The new location made daily operations easier and added another dream feature: an indoor shooting range. Step by step, the dreams kept coming true.

Here for the long run

After 30 years, one thing is certain: Shooting Stuff isn’t going anywhere. We’ll keep shooting, reloading, learning, and serving our customers — because this is what we love to do.

At this milestone, I want to thank all the Shooting Stuff people — my family, our staff, and our customers. Thank you for being part of our journey, for trusting us, and for helping us reach 30 years.

I can’t wait for the next part of the journey.

– Jonathan Fouché

From 27 October - 1 November 2025, join us for Canik Week! Shooting Stuff is celebrating 30 years of service, shooting, and expertise — and this week, we’re bringing new energy to the range with Canik.

Come experience a wide selection of Canik pistols on our indoor range. Test fire for free — you only pay for the ammo you use.

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Buy any box of Frontier bullets* and any brick of primers, and we’ll add 1 000 Once-Fired 9 mm cases — worth R1 750 — absolutely free.

* Only applicable to bullet boxes of 750 or a 1000 in quantity (depending on the calibre)

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