Is there a Scheels outdoors/sporting goods store in your neck of the woods?

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Lawton, Ok
This chain is destined to be the Walmart of The Great American Outdoors, so it seems.

Academy here in Oklahoma is pure crap. Scheels seems to blow away Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsman's Warehouse, Dicks and others hands down by what I've read so far. Dick's no longer seems to carry guns and ammo. Is Scheels a good place to buy quality guns that are not scratched up like some I've seen at Academy? I'm asking about Scheels because I'm on the verge of moving to South Dakota and I gather Scheels is the outdoors big box shop there. Looking online, Scheels seems to have plenty of ammo at reasonable prices in stock. I'd prefer to buy ammo at a big box if they have what I need in stock. Cheaper than mom and pop gun shops and cheaper than online ordering because of the high shipping rates. Academy in Lawton/Fort Sill, Ok seems to be out of all kinds of ammo often, even .22 LR.
 
I respect Scheels. They truly are trying to be "All Sport". You can get soccer cones, running shoes, wrestling singlets, fishing gear, backcountry grade packs, carry guns, and elk rifles all in the same building.

We have one in CO and another coming soon.
 
I was in one of their original stores a couple of times back in the 80's in Minot, North Dakota. I can remember 2 solid isles of upper and lower gun racks filled with used shotguns and rifles with no cables to restrict them being taken off the rack and being inspected by browsing customers. Those were the days.

When a Scheels opened here a few years ago I went down with those memories of rows of used rifles only to find they went upscale and ours was a 'destination' store (much like the Cabelas super stores). Ours has numerous full-sized dioramas with various adventure themes you can stand in and have your pictures taken. It has a 3-4 story tall indoor Ferris wheel, a restaurant etc. etc. Much like the Bass Pro/Cabelas super stores the unwashed masses decent on them with their semi feral offspring and let them free range through the store like a DeFacto amusement park (while they invariably shop for the latest styles in camouflage gym tights).

Gone are the racks of used rifles and general primary focus of the store on hunting, shooting and fishing gear. I haven't been to ours in about 3-4 years although its close enough to drive to without it being a hassle (30 miles+/- one way).
 
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I had not heard of Scheels until a couple months ago when they had br4 primers, i bought some over the phone and 2 months later picked them up. The primers were on the back room shelf with my name tag on them just waiting for me.
 
I wish there was a Scheels near me, I'd like to check one out. There's a Basspro about 40 minutes and $10 in tolls from me in Destin, and Academy about the same distance in Pensacola. Otherwise its wallyworld. Not that it really matters, I don't need much stuff to hunt with any more. Most of what I buy is things like corn and feeder batteries. Occasionally I might buy some xbow bolts at academy, or broadheads from amazon. I've got plenty of hunting ammo for a while, and I go through very little of it- like 20 rounds total of rifle (if that) a year, and that's with 3 or 4 rifles and includes zeroing and shooting a few deer. I used 1 12 gauge round and got a turkey. If I find a good deal at a flea market/yard sale/pawn shop for things like popup blinds I'll buy them, and I have plenty of clothing and gear. The last couple of years has taught me to spend less on hunting stuff- turns out you really don't need that much, and even halfway decent gear lasts a long time.
 
We have a Scheels close & a Sportsman’s Warehouse across the highway from it. Prices are usually competitive between the two but the problem with Scheels is it has a jacked up tax rate for improvements in the area making Sportsman’s the place to buy bigger ticket items. Also, as nice as the store is purchasing a firearm there is an ordeal I don’t want to endure again. Great fishing poles with lifetime warranties & lately primers that Sportsman’s doesn’t seem to be getting lately.
 
We have a Scheels close & a Sportsman’s Warehouse across the highway from it. Prices are usually competitive between the two but the problem with Scheels is it has a jacked up tax rate for improvements in the area making Sportsman’s the place to buy bigger ticket items. Also, as nice as the store is purchasing a firearm there is an ordeal I don’t want to endure again. Great fishing poles with lifetime warranties & lately primers that Sportsman’s doesn’t seem to be getting lately.

You are probably best off buying a gun from a local mom and pop. Sheels seems like it might be great for ammo prices and selection. I looked at Scheels archery at its website. Not a huge selection of trad/recurve bows. Probably one should go to an archery pro shop in that department. I wonder how Scheels is for boots, gloves, shoes, clothing, hunting gear and winter outdoor gear. Camping gear? Binoculars? Reloading supplies?
 
Scheels is a favorite of mine, we have one.

You are probably best off buying a gun from a local mom and pop. Sheels seems like it might be great for ammo prices and selection. I looked at Scheels archery at its website. Not a huge selection of trad/recurve bows. Probably one should go to an archery pro shop in that department. I wonder how Scheels is for boots, gloves, shoes, clothing, hunting gear and winter outdoor gear. Camping gear? Binoculars? Reloading supplies?

My local Scheels has an archery pro shop but doesn't do much for traditional archery, no. They have a wide variety of camping, boating, fishing, hunting, and shooting gear. I can get Magpul AR-15 accessories, Dillon press accessories, Underarmour and Asics running gear, snowboarding gear, football pads, an outdoor trampoline, women's clothing, men's clothing, sports memorabilia, and local beef jerky and snacks in the same place, all in a friendly and Midwestern sort of store that is the newest anchor store at our mall. It's like Hy-Vee or Kwik Trip, two of my other favorite local stores. They're employee-owned and the people I run into in every department are pretty familiar with their area. If you talk to the gun counter clerks, you might not agree with all their opinions, but they'll have reasonably intelligent ones.
 
tH
It is not a good sign if your Scheels has a Ferris Wheel in the middle of it.View attachment 1086792

The ferris wheel makes the place look like a fun house instead of a serious outdoor retailer, maybe? I was impressed when I saw all that CCI ammunition in stock and at a modest price to boot. Scheels might be great for some things but not perfect for everything. I don't think any big box is the best for buying a gun. Where is the diesel motor for the carnival ride?
 
What's creepy about a Ferris wheel is when it stops and the chair rocks to load the ride and unload it with people, one seat at a time. It gives me vertigo. When I was five, my father took me to one at a carnival. The diesel fumes (they had truck or bus engines) made me upset and my father thought I was acting like a baby. I was nauseous like people get out on a party boat for fishing. It wasn't the vertigo or heights that made me cry, though. The first Ferris wheel ride I had at age 4 did not bother me though because I could not smell the fumes then. Must have been the wind.

 
Got a scheels here and it’s great. Clean, good stock of ammo and guns, good sporting goods prices and selection. Kids (and I) love the bronze sculptures out front and the aquarium reef and the Ferris wheel and the toy department. Everyone I’ve ever spoken to was polite and knowledgeable and helpful.
 
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Academy changes, as Managers change.
The Lawton store is at the bottom of the cycle. Hopefully, a change will occur. Part of the problem is no competition.

Scheels would be a great addition to the market.
 
I respect Scheels. They truly are trying to be "All Sport". You can get soccer cones, running shoes, wrestling singlets, fishing gear, backcountry grade packs, carry guns, and elk rifles all in the same building.

We have one in CO and another coming soon.
There’s one in Loveland and another in Colorado Springs. Is there a third coming?
 
Got a scheels here and it’s great. Clean, good stock of ammo and guns, good sporting goods prices and selection. Kids (and I) love the bronze sculptures out front and the aquarium reef and the Ferris wheel and the toy department. Everyone I’ve ever spoken to was polite and knowledgeable and helpful.
Thanks to this thread and 1KPerDay's above post, I found out there's a Scheel's store in Sandy, Utah. That's only about 150 miles south of here, and a few years ago would have made for a nice drive to do some shopping on one of our days off.
Unfortunately, with gas at $5.00+ per gallon nowadays, a 300-mile (round trip) drive to do some shopping would cost us nearly $80.00 is just gas in either of our vehicles. So, our "perspectives" have changed. "Our neck of the woods" is a lot shorter than it used to be - even though we're retired now and have "days off" just about anytime we want to take them. ;)
 
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