Ok this gets my goat.
When you guys find a good dealer, KEEP him in business. Don't run off to the internet and save 4 bucks on a case of ammo, ask him what he can do. If he's close, (remember add the shipping and handling fees and all the rest to the the web cost, then by all means buy from him.
Every time you darken his doorway, buy something, Pay the man for his time in keeping that shop open. buy something that you know is high margin. a couple of bags of shotshell wads, maybe some solvent or some patches, some targets or a few boxes of .308. Consider it not as a pharmacy were there are twenty two others that can sell your lipitor to you, but rather as a community resource like the symphony or the parks.
Be nice to him, keep him in mind when you need stuff. If you have to drive a ways, oh well, you have to drive to go see the MLB team in town too. I have four shops I frequent. I really really like 3 of them but the 4th is a crusty guy BUT he stocks and knows all about old winchesters and colts and henrys and has a 98 % ++ bridgeport sharps "old reliable" that he will show you or you kid and tell you the story behind almost every gun in his place, IF he is in the mood, somedays he will just no. I put up with him for the days when he is in a good mood and "says hey, I was hoping you would show up, look what just came in the door, I could get 1400 for it, but I know you like and I can live with 1100." and your legs get all shakey when he walks out of the back room with a high nineties percent model 71 or 86.
Remember that being a snot to them just reinforces the bad attitude. In the big box store, be kind, cool and relaxed and walk away and then go talk to the MOD and tell them quietly who and how they are preventing you in good conscience from spending more money in their store. Do the same when you get good service.
In a small store I often bring CDNN or similar catalogs in my brief case in the store with me. When the counter guy is telling me that 899 is barely above cost for a 92f I say Au contraire and pull out the catalog. I was at a place the other day that was selling the CPO sigs for more than MSRP on new. That ended when I pulled out a catalog from their racks and showed them the new price. If a small store is 25 bucks more than big box, I have no problem with that, I figure they need to make that to stay alive. They do not sell 300 percent markup clothing to cover losses by the gun dept, do you really think Gander is selling at a loss when they clearance out clothes at 75% off?.
Figure that 25 bucks difference as your annual pledge to keep the small guy in business. just like giving PBS money to keep showing NOVA and Julia Child reruns. Drive around, find a good small shop, they do exist and then keep them in business.