Boy, those complaining about Cabela's were right.

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Trey Veston

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Dropped my dad off at the airport in Spokane, WA today and my brother and I decided to stop by the Cabela's just over the border in Idaho on the way home.

I'd never been there.

I thought it would be a good opportunity to pick up some ammo and powder and check out the place.

It was a joke, but it was entertaining. My local gun store has a better powder selection than Cabela's...

IMG_20200302_132112628.jpg

I wanted to pick up some Ramshot Silhouette powder and some Speer Gold Dots. They had neither. Sportsman's Warehouse, which is about 20 miles closer, has both in stock at decent prices.

I looked at the firearms and they had a decent selection and average prices. No Hellcats in stock and only one P365.

It was their used firearm prices that were ridiculous. $550 for a worn Gen 4 Glock G35?? $280 for a Ruger LC9s?

While looking at the pistols, there was an older guy there wanting to buy a pistol. He was a Washington resident and the store was in Idaho. The clerk told him he couldn't buy the gun and walk out. He correctly stated that he had to have the pistol transferred to an FFL in Washington who would do a background check.

The customer got angry and stated that he was a retired cop and shouldn't have to go through all of that. I question how a retired cop had no idea how firearms purchasing laws work, especially with all of the new gun laws in the news in Washington lately.

We ate in the cafeteria and the "Angus Beef Cheeseburger" for $10.50 tasted like a crappy truck stop burger, the place was filthy, ketchup dispenser was empty, and the pimply-faced kids working there clearly didn't want to be there.

The majority of the store was clothing and Yeti paraphernalia at full retail prices. Not a bargain to be found.

But, I did score a box of Hornady "Black" .450 Bushmaster for $29.99, which is average. They did have Blazer Brass 115gr FMJ 9mm on sale for $8.85 a box, which is about $3 a box cheaper than what my LGS has it for, so I picked up some of that.

Overall, it was pretty disappointing and I see no reason to ever visit there again when the Sportsman's Warehouse is closer, has more selection, better prices, and better employees.

I took a picture looking out from the cafeteria and the store was nearly empty...

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I was just there trying to buy a gun.....their gun people suck and are obsessed with the word bro
 
Sportsman’s Warehouse is fantastic! Sadly the nearest one to me is in Fresno., about a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive North.

There is a Bass Pro a few miles from me. It’s fun to poke around and watch the fish eat worms in the tank, but the prices are just ok and the place is usually packed.

Turners Outdoorsman has a decent selection of guns and popular ammo...and they’re opening more stores across this anti-gun state so hopefully they’ll be successful up North, too.

Stay safe.
 
Sorry to hear about your Cabela's experience. The one in my area is pretty good (though they are still fairly new). Yes, their used guns are wickedly overpriced, but they have a good selection of ammo and accessories. I don't just shop there for firearms - they occasionally have OK sales on outdoor clothing and gear. No bargains on fishing or camping gear though. Picked up a reasonably priced dog crate for the hound over the holidays. Their sales staff knew basically zip about firearms, but I pretty much expected that.

Basically, they are full-price retailer - they get decent floor traffic ... they might want to think about actually doing sales or specials to drive spontaneous purchases. Everyone I know of who shops there goes for a specific thing, and almost never come out of the store with anything else.
 
Cabela’s is still a good-to-stop-by-once-in-a-while store for a look/see because of their inventory; I never purchase anything because of the pricing. I used to get excited about a visit to a Cabela’s; it has certainly become just another retailer. Most corporations care about two things; their cash flow and their relationship with the banks - so goes Cabela’s.
 
Oh yes. Last July & a few weeks of vacationing on the left coast left me dumbfounded. Cabelas-branded items in Bass Pro Shops are way overpriced for what they are and mainly of questionable quality. The same stuff that's sold in Cabelas stores nowadays, of course. Even Redhead-branded items don't seem to be what they used to be.

Several years ago I usually stocked up at Cabelas stores in Richmond and Green Bay, WI, as well as had orders delivered to hotels I stayed at all over the US but I can't be bothered anymore. Back then visiting a store often resulted in a shopping spree and airline overweight charges; last year the only thing I ended up buying was a bag of taffies. They didn't even have a leather holster for S&W 29 in stock, which was what I went to buy. The Cabelas clothes, footwear and hunting gear I've bought between mid-00's and mid-10's have held up great, excellent bang for the buck.

Fortunately there are other options and in my case the biggest winners are local hunting stores and smaller chains. I used to cringe seeing a $300 price tag on a Beretta hunting jacket, now I rarely even think twice if I need one. Decent store-brand alternatives are all but gone.
 
Sportsman’s Warehouse is fantastic! Sadly the nearest one to me is in Fresno., about a 4 to 4 1/2 hour drive North.

There is a Bass Pro a few miles from me. It’s fun to poke around and watch the fish eat worms in the tank, but the prices are just ok and the place is usually packed.
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Same here. My 2 year old loves the waterfall in Bass Pro. So I go there on occasion to let him look at it and the fish.
They're gear prices are good if you wait for them to go on sale.
 
Occasionally there are decent deals in the nationwide Cabelas used gun library. Those guns are also typically advertised on the Guns International web site.

I snagged an as-new Zastava LK M70 rifle in 7mm-08 Remington last month, at the Cabelas in Owatonna, MN.

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...-m70-7mm-08-rem-like-new.cfm?gun_id=101377276

I phoned the store and made the purchase by telephone with a credit card. The person I dealt with at that store was courteous, professional, and knowledgeable. I had it shipped to the Bass Pro in San Antonio, TX where I live at no cost; I was informed if I wanted it shipped to my nearest Cabelas in Buda, TX their system would add a $20 shipping charge which I thought weird but that's the way things are these days.

When I went to pick it up the following week, the Bass Pro employee taking care of me was not knowledgeable, nor professional, and gave a vibe he was annoyed I'd disturbed his daydreaming. He was unaware using my Texas LTC would expedite the transaction vs my Texas DL, everything was electronic with the transfer system (new to me I've always filled out the paper forms), and he kept babbling at me asking if the rifle was one of the new Mausers despite the lack of the word Mauser anywhere on the rifle or the paperwork and knowing this was a pre-owned rifle. I explained this rifle was true CRF design and that some of the newest rifles with the Mauser banner stamped on the receiver are now push feed instead of this traditional Mauser design and he told me he knew that already (but obviously didn't). It made me extremely appreciative of the small locally owned LGS I otherwise use for incoming firearms transfers for my purchases.

Overall it was a good experience cost-wise, as I didn't pay any shipping costs or FFL transfer costs, and a new inexpensive padded polymer rifle case and a cable lock were included at no additional cost. But the Bass Pro end service was abysmal and the ammo aisle I browsed while waiting for the counter numbnutz to fetch my rifle was pathetic compared to a Texas based chain Academy Sports & Outdoors that has several stores here in San Antonio, both in selection available and pricing. The only thing that'll get me to set foot in Bass Pro again will be another preowned firearm purchase from the Cabela's nationwide gun library.

I honestly liked both Bass Pro and Cabela's in the past as sometimes one store carried something I wanted that the other didn't. I'm a scuba diver and outdoor cooking enthusiast among other hobbies. But the last time I was inside either store was probably 2010. I was completely unprepared for both the service experience and the merchandise I saw in my visit last month. Yuck!
 
No love for them. I will go buy a flannel shirt or pair of cargo shorts if they're on sale, but that's pretty much it.

I think my dog likes it better than I do, the employees seem to like him and stuff him with treats.

I bought a pair of shorts there this past weekend for an upcoming trip to a warm climate. Redhead brand label prominently displayed in a contrasting color sewed onto a front pocket flap. Yuck! The sharp tip of my Kershaw Leek made short work of removing the stitches and label that shouldn't have been there.
 
The BassPro in central Texas is WAY worse than the OP in every way. Literally have about 1/10 the powder selection and 90% of the people working there have a terrible attitude. Always a ridiculous wait at the gun counter and only fair prices when they run a sale.
 
In the interest of balance , my experiences in the Cabela's Prairie du Chien Wi store have been positive. Ammo selection and pricing reasonable , clothing specials good , and I bought t very nice S&W K frame M&P snub there last summer at a good price. Staff eager and friendly.
Maybe it's a matter of management ; the PDC location is the flagship , I think.

No , I am not on the Caballa's payroll.
 
Well, at least this isn't a Wal-Mart thread.

I've no issues with my closest Cabela's. In fact, I enjoy going there. It's clean, well-stocked and friendly, with any number of subject-matter experts who work there. But mostly I go just to buy fishing gear. The gun selection is good, but wait times are long and the prices far too high for me. Occasionally, I'll find a good used gun at a decent price. I have no interest in bashing Cabela's (or Bass Pro Shops). They are … what they are. Life's too short to obsess about retail shopping experiences.
 
I buy Herter's ammo there, BUT..went to a local one, VERY busy, wanted to ask about a Ubterti Cattleman(they didn't have one in stock)..took a number, VERY slow..got called in about 45 minutes..I knew WAY more about the gun than he did..WAY more..Bought one along with a REALLY nice Beretta/Uberti Stampeded BirdsHead..at my small, local gun store..should have gone there first.

Went to a further away, Bass Pro..for their '2nd amendment sale'..ammo..most was out of stock or 'sale' $ more than other places or WAY more than Online..
 
My local Cabelas had way more employees than customers the last couple times I went there to try and spend money with them.
 
Several weeks ago I had bought a few hundred primer at Cabalas for a reloading project $4.49 plus tax. That was expensive but I needed them so I paid. Just two weeks ago I ordered 1000 of the same primer (along with some bullets on sale) from MidwayUSA, paid the hazmat fee, shipping, and tax and still came out cheaper than my local Cabelas.
 
Do they still have the bargain cave? That’s where I’d spend the bulk of my time.

the sale stuff that I went there specifically looking for I thought were good deals but never bought a gun there.

I’ve been to 4 different and like the original sized stores better than new smaller ones.
 
If you watch the sales you can find bargains worth your while. They had the Sig P365 on sale for $399 at Christmas as one example. I like to go there to browse the fishing stuff and they have stuff you can't find anywhere else. Where I shop the Sportsman's Warehouse and Cabela's are just a couple of miles apart, so I always go to SW first because I expect them to be cheaper. SW is also the only place relatively close that sells powder in 8lb jugs.
 
Do they still have the bargain cave? That’s where I’d spend the bulk of my time.

the sale stuff that I went there specifically looking for I thought were good deals but never bought a gun there.

I’ve been to 4 different and like the original sized stores better than new smaller ones.

They closed the Bargain Cave in the Huntsville store early last year IIRC.

Cabelas is close to home and they have a great selection but they are expensive. Most of the time I shop somewhere else unless for some reason I need something on short notice then Cabelas will serve.
 
Oh yes. Last July & a few weeks of vacationing on the left coast left me dumbfounded. Cabelas-branded items in Bass Pro Shops are way overpriced for what they are and mainly of questionable quality. The same stuff that's sold in Cabelas stores nowadays, of course. Even Redhead-branded items don't seem to be what they used to be.

And the Cabela's-branded stuff has little resemblance to the pre-BPS Cabela's stuff. For years, Cabela's had a line of hiker pants that were both durable and lightweight enough to be tolerable in the southeast. My favorite knockaround weekend pants. They also made the same thing in shorts. Great shorts. Both the pants and the shorts had cargo pockets in just the right place to hold shot timers, the main pockets were deep enough to hold wallet and keys and phone with no risk of losing them while seated, etc.

When BPS came in, they replaced them with a terrible design. First thing they added was a giant wad of elastic waistband.... which is absolutely unbearable in hot and humid conditions. They also shortened the pockets so that the corner of a full-size wallet will stick out and keys will drop if you sit in a car seat with any rear rake. Totally useless garbage. Made in China, of course.
 
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It is what it is. I always stop at the big store in Harrisburg PA when I drive through. Its nice to be able to walk up to a shelf to buy power without having to ask for something hidden behind the counter like in NY. You also don't have to sign your life away for a purchase.
 
My local Cabelas had way more employees than customers the last couple times I went there to try and spend money with them.
That was my experience at Bass Pro picking up my rifle. There were 5 staff in the firearms / ammo section and I was the sole customer completing a transaction. There were two unenthusiastic browsers when I was leaving that area.

My local LGS and Academy have been getting all my non-internet firearms / ammunition business, and it'll stay that way.
 
As I’ve mentioned before, the Minneapolis-adjacent Cabelas locations have gone down the drain, but I heard from my son-in-law that “that Sportsman’s Warehouse by you has a lot of stuff.” Turns out it’s been open for more than a year now and has a better firearms and knife selection than Cabela’s in Rogers by far. It’s less than three miles away and I had no idea. Guess I have to drive through the shopping area instead of cutting behind Target to get to Home Depot... So if you have one near you I’d take a gander.
 
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