Bass Pro's Curious New Ammo Sales Policy

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No big box stores here in Central NJ, the LGS's I go to either have a one box per caliber per customer per day limit, or the ranges have a one box per customer of the more popular calibers only if you are there for a range session. Or ammo sold only with a firearm purchase. Every time I go to them I see several new gun buyers, I go to the ranges, I see lots of new gun owners. So I am willing to accept limits so others can enjoy.
 
Sounds like a plan to prevent hoarders from buying up ammo and reselling at huge profits. By selling ammo to someone who buys a gun it ensures they will at least have some ammo. By having to sign up for a program to buy additional ammo they can monitor, and limit ammo purchases to individuals who are hoarders. Sounds like a good plan to me. May not be perfect, but at least someone is attempting to address the problem.
 
Hal said:
It is a World Mastercard (From Capitol One)
https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/club

One way a lot of retailers have been "fighting back" at the surcharge credit card companies charge them is to come out with their own credit card that offers special perks to cardholders.
Walmart does the same thing.
Lowes has one backed by American Express.
I forget who backs the Menards card I have.
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LOL! Back to the future?
Anyone remember parents that had a W.T.Grants credit card? Maybe Marshal Fields? Store based credit began at Wanamaker's in the late 19th century.
Where I grew up getting a SEARS credit card was the first step to establishing a credit history.
 
I agree with others. It's merely a marketing tactic and a way to mine for email addresses to send other offers for sales. They are not benevolent ammo distributors, they're in the business to sell great loads of stuff.
 
It seems this whole thread is based on a second hand story with no THR members going themselves. I'll be driving by a Cabela's tomorrow afternoon for work and plan on stopping in. I've been there a couple times in the last 2 months, their policy seems to be to put boxes out at random times, so there seems to always be a little bit of something on the shelf whenever you are there. Last time I witnessed 40-50 boxes of Winchester M885 disappear in 5 minutes $11/box. Going by a couple days later I saw just as many 7.62x39 boxes, they were there for about 20 minutes before I left but I saw a couple shoppers on the phone telling their buddy's about it.

I do remember back during the .22 shortage years Bass Pro would just flat out tell you they were out of .22 ammo, but if you bought a .22 rifle/handgun they'd quietly tell you that they had "a few bricks in the back" if you'd like to buy one with the gun.
 
There is a local shop that does that. It limits the amount of ammo you can buy unless you buy a gun or a range membership then you can buy what you want. The range membership sounds like a good deal until I found out it is about $500 per year. Their ammo prices were way too high too.
 
DustyGmt said:
It's surprising to see so many that seem unbothered by this. You have to buy a gun to get ammo?
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Heck, I'm surprised that anyone in the thread doesn't fully understand AND agree with that policy.

Prioritizing ammunition sales to people buying a gun is nothing new. It's far easier to sell a $1000 gun to someone when they know they'll be able to actually shoot it.
 
bassjam said:
It seems this whole thread is based on a second hand story with no THR members going themselves. I'll be driving by a Cabela's tomorrow afternoon for work and plan on stopping in. I've been there a couple times in the last 2 months, their policy seems to be to put boxes out at random times, so there seems to always be a little bit of something on the shelf whenever you are there. Last time I witnessed 40-50 boxes of Winchester M885 disappear in 5 minutes $11/box. Going by a couple days later I saw just as many 7.62x39 boxes, they were there for about 20 minutes before I left but I saw a couple shoppers on the phone telling their buddy's about it.

I do remember back during the .22 shortage years Bass Pro would just flat out tell you they were out of .22 ammo, but if you bought a .22 rifle/handgun they'd quietly tell you that they had "a few bricks in the back" if you'd like to buy one with the gun.
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Bass Pro's current policy is to allow a total of 5 boxes of ammo. If using a Bass Pro store credit cars for the purchase you can buy 8 boxes total
 
Local shop is holding ammo back for people that buy guns. Everyone is doing what they can to deal with the shortages. It only makes sense for the dealers.

What I honestly do not understand is people who are hostile towards retailers when it's COVID and their fellow shooters who are responsible for the shortages and subsequent higher prices.
 
CraigC said:
Local shop is holding ammo back for people that buy guns. Everyone is doing what they can to deal with the shortages. It only makes sense for the dealers.

What I honestly do not understand is people who are hostile towards retailers when it's COVID and their fellow shooters who are responsible for the shortages and subsequent higher prices.
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I agree. Who would want to buy a gun (especially if it's their first and only gun) and not be able to buy ammo for it?
 
dogtown tom said:
Heck, I'm surprised that anyone in the thread doesn't fully understand AND agree with that policy.

Prioritizing ammunition sales to people buying a gun is nothing new. It's far easier to sell a $1000 gun to someone when they know they'll be able to actually shoot it.
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I get it, holding ammo for the guns you have in stock so that you can sell ammo with the gun or instituting a limit on # of boxes, but reserving it only for those buying a gun.......that's a predicament. I don't buy very many guns, it affects me negatively. I'm not buying much ammo lately and don't even have a BPS nearby, but if this caught on and spread to other chains, I'd think most of us would find ourselves in a pickle.....
 
bassjam said:
It seems this whole thread is based on a second hand story with no THR members going themselves. I'll be driving by a Cabela's tomorrow afternoon for work and plan on stopping in. I've been there a couple times in the last 2 months, their policy seems to be to put boxes out at random times, so there seems to always be a little bit of something on the shelf whenever you are there. Last time I witnessed 40-50 boxes of Winchester M885 disappear in 5 minutes $11/box. Going by a couple days later I saw just as many 7.62x39 boxes, they were there for about 20 minutes before I left but I saw a couple shoppers on the phone telling their buddy's about it.

I do remember back during the .22 shortage years Bass Pro would just flat out tell you they were out of .22 ammo, but if you bought a .22 rifle/handgun they'd quietly tell you that they had "a few bricks in the back" if you'd like to buy one with the gun.
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I have gone to BPS numerous times when the store opens. There is usually a line waiting to get in. They stock ammo if it has come in apparently. It is usually sold out in 20 minutes. There has been no patterns to what they have in stock. Kind of like a crap shoot. They also seem to stock here in late evenings. Sometimes you get lucky.
 
JohnKSa said:
Assuming that the rumor is accurate...

During one of the past shortages, a relatively small number of people would line up at the local WalMart every single day waiting for the ammo shipments so they could get their limit every single day. Some would even take other people with them so they could get more than the limit.

I'm just speculating, but if BPS was seeing something similar and was feeling the pinch of having large numbers of customers come in and want to buy guns but not being able to get ammo for them, it might make sense for them to try prioritize gun sales over ammo sales. Especially if they are selling out of guns and ammo regularly anyway.

I think the last line of the above paragraph is what a lot of people aren't taking into consideration. If a store is regularly selling out of all their guns and ammo, why would they care if they alienate a few customers who want to buy what they're already selling out of regularly?

Gun Store: We can't sell you ammo unless you buy a gun.
Customer: Why?
Gun Store: Because we need to keep enough ammo on hand so the huge numbers of customers who are buying guns from us can get some.
Customer: I don't like that policy because I want to buy ammo and you won't sell it to me.
Gun Store: Well, if we didn't have that policy you still wouldn't be able to buy ammo from us because we'd be sold out. The only reason we have ammo is because of the policy you don't like.
Customer: Well then I'm going to take my business elsewhere!
Gun Store: You mean, because we won't let you buy ammo from us you're going to stop buying ammo from us? !! ?? :confused:
Customer: Well, I won't buy guns from you either.
Gun Store: You weren't going to buy a gun in the first place--if you were, you would be able to buy ammo too and we wouldn't be having this conversation. Besides, we're selling guns as fast as we can get them in, so if you want to go somewhere else to look for guns, that might not be a terrible thing all around--especially since you don't like our policies.
Customer: I'm leaving! Don't try to stop me! I'm boycotting you! I'm really leaving! I'll tell people on the internet about you!
Gun Store: Well... Bye. Next in line!
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This is very clever. Thanks for giving me a chuckle!
 
DustyGmt said:
What's curious to me, is that it seems there are a good number of folks here that either seem indifferent or in some cases resentful of people searching high and low trying to find ammo and buying it when they can.... I've got to be missing something here. We aren't all looking to resell it, just looking to continue pursuing our thing. It's harder and more expensive these days but if you put in the legwork and pay the price, God bless and happy shooting. That's why I would think anyone on this board would be disappointed when one of the places supplying it puts conditions on purchases.... provided this is true. It sounds like it's probably not, that's quite the burden to place on somebody looking for a couple boxes of ammo
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We're indifferent because many of us were shooting from the rooftops to buy ammo when it was cheap and readily available.
Suddenly is neither and everyone is freaking out.
I feel empathy for the guys and girls who are finally old enough or scraped together enough money to buy a gun.
The ones who choose a new club, bat, boat, pack of cigarettes, etc can't cry.
I agree with Bass Pro. Save it for new people.
 
And how long will those new shooters continue to support the gun culture once that single box is gone and they can’t get anymore ammo?
 
I'll just be continuing to reload until the ammo situation resembles something close to normal. I won't waste my time going store to store as long as there are ridiculous limits on ammo. I have plenty of everything to wait this out.

I hope a lot more people learn a lesson from this and keep stacking it deep when it becomes readily available again. But as history proves time and again, the next panic, whatever that is, will still catch a ton of people with their pants down.
 
And how long will those new shooters continue to support the gun culture once that single box is gone and they can’t get anymore ammo?
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I have to think that they will be more likely to support the gun culture and more likely to support it longer if they can get one box than if they couldn't get any ammo at all.

Besides, it's worthwhile to keep in mind that there are a LOT of gun owners out there that don't think they need more than a single box of ammo. I know one guy who buys new guns all the time. Takes them to the range once (usually) and then sells them so he can get the money to buy another new gun. One box of ammo is perfect for him. I know other gun owners who bought a gun, took it to the range once and then apparently never plan to shoot it again. Along the same lines, I have my great-grandfather's pistol. I'm the fourth owner and it came to me with 6 rounds of ammunition and one spare box--bought in the 1960's while he was still alive. That one box of ammo has lasted four owners for half a century.

But even without getting into any of that, I think that most people would agree that one box of ammo is way better than none.
 
Doesn't matter a lick whether new gun owners will support the "gun culture." They had the right and they had the funds, now they've got a gun or guns.
The enumerated right says "shall not be infringed," not "shall not be infringed unless you're inconveniencing me."
 
So much for the “gun shortage” still being described on line last summer.

We never had any shortage in the Memphis area-even now, with the Tough Talk recently from our “Where am I?” „What EO am I signing?” “Leader”....
Apparently some gun retail chains are worried about a huge Excess Gun Supply, in the near future?

When most people finally conclude that the Sky Is Not Falling, the gun retailers will be nervous-if not already.:(

——If the Senate Filibuster remains as it is - according to an editorial I just read on a major network - there will be No New major gun legislation.;)

Any sharp discounts now on Ruger 10-22s? :cool:
 
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