[DrMike]

I hear that Seattle store has good deals on Briley/Browning Invector+ chokes.

 

[Curly N]

I hear that Seattle store has good deals on Briley/Browning Invector+ chokes.

You are so bad!

 

[BPGuy]

Wow, my experiences (or at least my perspectives) have been different.

I only go to SW when I visit a "big city"; I'm about equidistant from Albuquerque, Lubbock and El Paso. About 2 weeks ago I was in ABQ and made sure to stop in. It's a big store with just about everything a sportsman could want (although I have yet to see any buckshot or slugs for 28 ga, here or anywhere else).

The guys at the gun counter were very nice and helpful, and better informed than those I've met at Bass Pro Shops. In fact, everyone I talked to was very polite and helpful. We really enjoyed our visit, and will certainly drop in every time we're in town. I did make a purchase; they happened to be the ONLY place I could find a pair of brush pants in my size, including the internet. (I'm not THAT oddly shaped! Or am I? 36x30 shouldn't be so hard to find.)

If you want to look at "Fine Guns", you'll have to go elsewhere. For just about anything else, I think it's a good place to visit. Their prices are higher than you can find on the internet, but who's aren't? Bricks, mortar, employees and utilities don't come for free, ya know. I thought their prices were pretty much in line with other "big box" stores.

In short, I like 'em and I'll go back. Sorry y'all haven't had better experiences.

 

[juneau92]

I think you guys are hard to please. I like Sportsman's Warehouse. They are a "big box" store, with a lot of variety. Expensive? Not really, compare them to Cabela's. Now THAT is an expensive store. What big box store has knowledgeable employees? None that I have found. So what?

IMO Sportman's Warehouse is a great store.

 

[wwb]

..... compare them to Cabela's.....

We had a SW in West Bend, Wisconsin.... high prices and dumb clerks, but it survived because it was at least an hour's drive to the nearest Gander Mountain and 5 hours to the nearest Cabela's.

Then, about 2 years ago, Cabela's opened a store about 15 minutes away. About 8 months later, the SW closed. That tell you anything?

At least in my experience, the clerks at Cabela's are a little (sometimes a lot) smarter, and the prices at Cabela's are definitely lower.

 

[Beginner Trap]

I go to the one in Columbia, SC a couple of times a year. They finally got shot back to $42 a bag, which is as cheap as I can order it. They've got a good selection of guns, and they've got a few up for good prices. I think when I went in there a month ago they had a Wingmaster Super Magnum on the rack for $450. Remington stopped making them about a year and half or two years ago and they're about ready to get rid of it. We were going to buy a Remington 7600 there about 2 years ago, and they had good prices on them then, but I haven't looked lately. There are deals, you just have to watch for them carefully. I think they still have Hornady Buckshot cheaper than you can get it anywhere else.

BT

 

[The Snipe Hunter]

Tomorrow when they open I will take my $10 off coupon and have a look. Maybe instead of shopping I need to go work there in the evenings. At least I would be helpful to customers. We already have Wal-Marts and a Sports Authority where the employees don't know which end of the gun goes against your shoulder. I expected them to be like the other big box stores base on the size of the building. It sounds like they carry decent merchandise and if they have a large assortment I will be happy with that if not the prices. I wish there would have been more reports of good sales. One thing I can say about BPS is every time I have been in their stores a fair amount of stuff has been on sale and sale bins were all over the fishing section. On the bright side, I am on the edge of town and will pass the store 9 out of 10 times I leave my house. It is within one mile of me so it will hardly be inconvenient. If they don't have much the people here are interested in or willing to buy, it looks like their track record says that they won't stick around long.

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[arvo11]

BIG store with lots of sporting and outdoor stuff. Prices for the most part are high. As others have said, you will find and occasional "deal" if you frequent the store often. Clerks are NOT knowledgeable as a rule, but about like Dicks, Bass Pro, and other such stores. Lots of guns and the clerks are mainly just gun handlers (could I look at that one.....which one?, Oh, ok, the one with the shiney barrel) so you must be specific about what you are looking for because they are behind a counter and you can't get close to them for inspection. They do occasionally have a decent price on some of their higher end guns which the display in a glass enclosed hexagonal gun safe, but the prices are marginal. All in all, they are about like all the Big Box stores, but I am glad we have one in our area simply because it IS very visable and helps make the non hunting/fishing/shooting public aware of OUR (sportsmen) presence in a positive way, because their stores are very clean, orderly and family oriented, plus ours is in a very large shopping complex which draws thousands of people a day.

 

[washandwear]

Hi

Best selection of shotshell reloading components for a retail sporting good store in my area anyway. $10 coupons make the price tolerable in a pinch.

 

[Desertrat]

I have bought 3 handguns and 2 shotguns from them in the last 4 years or so. However, their prices are high, and for the most part, the clerks are pretty useless....maybe one guy out of 10 working in the gun dept. knows anything. They do have a hell of a lot of stuff in the stores....but I would much rather buy stuff online.

 

[ras1500]

I purchased a pistol at the Mesa, AZ Sportsman's Warehouse and got it at a reasonable price. As others have said, they have good prices sometimes on some items and not so good prices on other items. My biggest gripe with the Mesa store is the total lack of inventory control on reloading supplies. Shot, wads, bullets, primers, powder, you name it they are usually out of it. When they do restock, its usually in small quantities that disappear within a few days. I've been told by store employees that all stores are run by corporate bean counting weenies that are not outdor sportsmen. They run the business by the balance sheet, not by customer demand.

 

[fredcdobbs]

I have a stack of the $10.00 coupons and use em often, I like the stores, I don't care if the employees know squat I know what I want when I go in and know how much the stuff costs.

 

[The Snipe Hunter]

Last night they were open by invitation only to people in the building industry. I took my $10 coupon and spent an hour getting familiar with the store. Some of the powder was close to what I can buy it for online, and as much as $7-$8 less than the other local option if bought by the pound. I don't buy most in quantities that small but it is all the other local choice offers. Factor in hazmat fees and I can see myself buying some powder. I don't use that much so a 4 lb canister is as much as I ever buy. By comparison 4 lbs of Unique was only $6 more than Recob's. Wads were limited to AAHS in 410 and 28 gauge but there were a few more options in 12 and 20. Prices on wads didn't seem bad. Winchester primers were $9 per thousand higher than I pay online and that was the largest quantity available. Buying 5000 online would save more than enough to cover hazmat and shipping for a total shipping. When I need primers I will order online and also stock up on powder to save a little more. Guns, they had guns. I wasn't expecting to see what I would be interested in but the lines were long to look at what they did have. Mostly repeaters with a few O/Us to choose from. There was a large section of ammunition. Can't say I saw a single box of 16 gauge shells but there was plenty of everything else. Interestingly enough two days ago I bought a flat of Winchester steel online. The same at the store last night was $4.80 higher per box. After paying $15 in shipping I saved $33. I reload everything other than steel so ammo cost isn't a big concern for me. Based on the few boxes I saw missing other people didn't care for the prices either. I didn't see any shot on the floor but I imagine they have more inventory to put out. I did notice some of the shells had old price tags removed. That's odd for it being their first day open. I thing that confirms that I was looking at inventory moved from stores that closed, as someone else suggested. I believe I saw the same thing with some of the clothing. Overall, it was about what I expected and I was prepared for the prices. I saw a couple of things I will buy there but the bulk of my business will continue to be online. Most people left with a bag but I left empty handed. Maybe next time I go I will find something I want to use the $10 off coupon in.

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[juneau92]

Where do you guys get these $10 coupons? Thanks.

 

[Marcstar]

I live in a smaller city and only have a Walmart and Academy. Those stores have the prices you guys seem to be willing to pay but they don't have the product in most cases. For higher end stuff you pretty much have to shop Cabelas, Sportsmens, BassPro, etc or shop online. Shopping online is always a great option but the shipping and handling fees often make the prices just as much and many times more expensive.

We have a Sportsmens about 45 miles from where I live and a Cabela's 78 miles away. I rarely go out of my way for either store but if I'm in the area of either I will usually stop. i've got to be honest that I like Sportsmen's better than Cabela's. For waterfowling and shotgunning they seem to have just as good of a selection as Cabela's and often better. they also seem to be slightly less expensive than Cabela's on many items.

I'm sure all stores vary but from my personal dealing I've found the Sportsmen's staff more knowledgable at my local stores than Cabela's or pretty much any store big store. Local gun shops will always be better in that department...but you will pay for that most of the time. I figure you always have to be a smart shopper and not rely on someone at a store knowing more than you.

 

[Marcstar]

One other thing that really impressed me about sportsmans. I've been on a local DU chapter for 5 years now...starting to plan our 6th event right now. Anyway...over the years guys have asked people from Cabela's and Academy if they would donate to our event. Academy has never donated one cent to our chapter event...they always have some excuss. Cabela's has donated $50 gift cards a couple times. I thought that was cool but nothing all that special considering we have around 300 people that attend our event and I'd be willing to bet even though Cabela's is a good drive away almost all of them go once or twice a year.

Anyway last year for the first time we asked Sportsmen's for a donation. It was unreal what they offered just our chapter. The manager said I tell you what...why don't you look around and get all the stuff you want to get for your event and the first $500 is on us. On top of that they gave us 300 of those buy $50 get $10 off coupons so everyone at our event could have one.

Personally it really means something to me that they would make such a donation to our chapter. They also donate even more to their local chapters.

I know Academy, Cabela's, etc donate a lot of money to DU and Delta nationals but it means a lot to me when they donate to my chapter....it all ends up in the same place i guess. It ticks me off that Academy doesnt donate anything to our chapter and they are the only one really close to us.

 

[The Snipe Hunter]

Where do you guys get these $10 coupons? Thanks.

I got mine through Ducks Unlimited.

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