doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Cabelas - I can't believe this!

Cabela's is head and shoulders above Bass Pro, Gander Mountain, and the aptly named Dick's. And I personally have bought some screaming deals on Guns there, such as the 1K 1961 Browning Superposed 20, that they must have thought was a Citori, or the 800 buck Charlin !

Irrespective of your personal experiences & predispositions, these are guys that are supporting our interests, never doubt it for a moment. Same may be said for Bass Pro & I'm NOT defending, rather just stating ... "The facts, Maim, Just the facts.", as Joe Friday was wont to say. Go public & you lose some things that were possible on a smaller scale. I like mom & pop enterprises, but in the scheme of doing bidness, if you are successful on a small scale, as your business grows you are ultimately confronted w/the conundrum of going bigger ... or going under. It is quite simply the nature of today's business climate, nothing more, nothing less. Accept that & you can either move on .... or take advantage as postoak has. There are some silver linings in those dark clouds of angst and frustration, if you visit the store at the right time. Its like some types of shooting; its better to be lucky than good, always.

BTW, I've no dog in this fight, just stating my perspective, that's all. I have no quarrel w/what has been stated by others. However, I am glad that the big box stores for outdoorsmen are very much involved in protecting our interests and that they are on our side. I give them some business from time to time. Is their customer focus perfect? No, but I never had that expectation. It gets down to the luck of the draw, always a matter of individuals. Some do better than others.

If this reads like preaching, it is not intended in that vein, I've done the best that I can to explain my feeling about it.

I'm a Cabela's fan. Always had good service and gotten good value for my money. I'm thinking the problem originally described has more to do a with the current state of the ammunition supply, not just at Cabela's, but all over the country. How would you like to be the clerk that told some fellow with a two hour drive to your store that you had his ammo in stock and when he shows up two hours later it's a no-go? They have been conditioned by those door opening rushes to the ammo counter and frustrated customers wanting ammo all day, to not make any promises. These are strange times we live in boys.

I agree with the Graf's comments. I ordered some 8x57R for my drilling and they all knew the diff between the .318 and the .323 versions. They said it would take 4 weeks to ship and I got the order in 2 weeks.Good price ($19.95 + 8.00 for shipping).

I like to buy from Cabela's on line when there shipping is free.
I bought 30 cases of shells from them last year at an exceptional price and no tax (which may end soon)delivered to my gargage door. I only go to Bass Pro when the wife decides she needs some new fishing gear...I despise the place almost as bad as Dick's.

I worked in a Cabela's Gun Library for about 6 years before I retired: I agree that someone calling in asking if you have certain ammunition is tough; in that if you say "Yes" and the poor guy drives 2 hours only to find you have run out can happen.
Yes, the grand old company has undergone lots of changes. There were a staff of Library Managers at one time that really were experts, who are no longer there. Folks working the libraries are often times overwhelmed with customers, phone calls, management demands, restrictions on how many hours one can work in a week, and seemingly simple demands of dusting glass shelves. (Someone's gotta do it, and there are lots of them.) Customers expectations of employee's abilities and knowledge is tough for employees: Working in the Library, we often got calls from someone who couldn't get through to someone working in ammunition because they were busy trying to assist customers while others were tapping their toes wanting instant assistance.
They want us to leave the 4 people we are trying to help to run out and see if there is a particular ammo there. At times the stress levels in those stores is terrific.
Then, we get the old boy who walks in, looks at an employee like a fox at a chicken and asks some arcane question, hoping to trip up the employee. "Ya got any Model 12's?" Yes, sir...Winchester or Remington? "Whadda You mean; Remington never made a Model 12!" Well, Sir....here is a Remington Model 12 .22 rifle. "Oh."
Or, English side by side experts whose focus is them, and whose knowledge is vast on that subject. They can make a seasoned employee look stupid when they ask them a question only they might know the answer to.
So, calling an employee lazy may not always be accurate.
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

Not trying to pick on any one employee, what I am talking about is store policy. I worked retail for 7 years through school, I know how you can be (and are) treated.

How about high volume, high turn over stuff (.22, 9mm, 40 SW, .223) can't be quoted over the phone, but B&P shotshells? To be honest I didn't even ask if they had any, I asked if they were carried in the store.

CHAZ

Chaz; You are right, you had bad luck with that employee.
If possible, He/She should have put you on hold and walked out and looked.

What we don't know, is if that person had 4 people standing there in front of them demanding to be waited on. That happens a lot....really. Guys like Lonnie Kvasnicka are everyday heroes for what they do. Joni McCue and the crew in the gun library as well.

I don't work there anymore, but I sure like B&P, and I know in LaVista, they used to carry SOME of it in 12 Gauge....but I wouldn't have known what size shot, or how many Dram Equivalent without looking at the boxes.

Sorry for the bad luck, but don't write them off.
Best,
Sam Ogle, Lincoln, NE

I have been a Cabela's customer for a long time my credit card says since 1988. Once upon a time they had quality merchandise at good prices and knowledgeable helpful associates. Sadly those days are gone. Cabela's is now my supplier of last resort.

I like Cabela's for many reasons. Sometimes you find a gun they have on the web for four times it's real value and sometimes for half of it's real value. And I suspect they made money on all of them. Case in point last year one listed a Remington 3200 four barrel skeet set for $2495.00, which is about a tube set price not a barrels set. It should have brought about 5K based on condition. I was second to notice it and did not get to buy it. A few months later I did buy a Lefever F grade in near perfect condition for $500.00. I figured it was priced at the Nitro Special price not as a Side Plate price. If you watch the web site you can come across some real values.