OT: First time in Cabela's

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Well, I had a business trip to Illinois and as I was driving to my meeting I noticed that there's a Cabela's next door to my destination. So after my meeting I went over there for a spell. There were probably 80 cars in the parking lot at 3pm or so.

I have never been in one ... we only have Bass Pro and Gander Mountain near me down in Florida. I would say that Bass Pro has the edge on them by a very thin margin in the fishing department and that Gander Mountain isn't really even comparable.

Cabela's clearly has more space dedicated to firearms though. However, most of what they have in this store is shotguns. Apparently, you can only hunt deer with a shotgun in Illinios, hence they favor shotguns and such. There were some nice items in the Gun Library but many were overpriced. They had couple of Winchester 53's in 25-20 for the dicounted price of $2700. Fairly nice guns, not exactly 98% though ... maybe 90%, maybe.

They did have just about everything in loaded rifle and shotgun ammunition. They had very little in the way of pistol ammo and rimfire. They only had the CCI TNT Green in 22 Mag, just CCI Shorts and Remington Thunderbolts in 22LR. They had a one pound can of just about every powder Hodgdon makes, but no others. And zero primers.

Their reloading section is clearly superior to any other shop that I have ever been in. I fiddled with a Co-Ax press and a Lyman turret press. Lots of dies and shell holders and such.

I was in there for at least an hour. Overall, a very nice place. I think I like the store better than their website.

[RIHMFIRE]

next road trip...i'm gonna have visit that place!

[2ndovc]

They sure are neat places.

i go to the one in Dundee, MI three or four times a year.

The mounts alone are worth the trip. the Mich. store had a
Polar Bear on loan that Fred Bear shot with recurve. That guy had some
big ole stainless steel cahones!
That bear was huge. Must have stared at it for
ten minutes. Blondie had to drag me away!

And the guys that are selling guns actually know what they are talking about.
(at least in MI)



jb

[SmokeEater2]

I think that Polar bear is the one Mr. bear shot and was filmed for the old American Sportsman that Curt Gowdy hosted. The bear was a lot closer than I would have wanted it to be if I were hunting with pointy sticks.

[J Miller]

Rimfire,

Where in IL were you at that has a Cabela's? We don't have any in central IL that I'm aware of.

Joe

[Streetstar]

Yep --- Cabela's is an awesome place to browse! I usually visit the cafe and pick up a buffalo burger while i am there --- mmm - good

closest one to me is in Ft Worth-- a 175 mile drive. Want to make a weekend of it with the wife soon (We'd probably go other places besides Cabela's too, --stockyards etc. -- they might kick us out if we just made a pallet in one of the showroom tents)

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Rimfire,

Where in IL were you at that has a Cabela's? We don't have any in central IL that I'm aware of.

Joe

Hoffman Estates, just a bit West of Chicago ... the burbs as it were. It's off of I-90 at the Route 59 exit.

[marlinman93]

No Cabelas around here. Closest one is about 2 hr. drive, so I still haven't seen one! Someday I'll make the drive north and see what they are all about!

[Bullard4075]

The one here in Billings is quite impressive. The "gun room" has a number of guns to oh and ah over that no one could afford. Example being the cased 400/450 double rifle for $39,900 and a side by side shotgun for the same amount. The actual "Rifleman" rifle was on display as was John Wayne"s 92 and some others. A 7000 gal fishtank and too many to count big game mounts around the store make it a place to window shop for hours. But to be honest they didn't really have anything I couldn't already get here in Billings in stores where I walk in and they call me by name. I did buy a 500 count box each of LaserCast 44 and 357 bullets
that our local stores didn't have. Some of their prices were lower and some higher, no surprise.
I'll go back.

[Ysabel Kid]

Of the three, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain, I would have to give Cabelas the nod due to their usual supplies of reloading components and equipment. The last few times I've been in BPS they were out of components (bullets, brass, primers and powder) - like everyone else - but don't have much if anything in the way of presses, dies and other reloading gear. Gander actually has them beat in that department - and GM is barely in the same league as Cabelas and BPS!

All three though seem to thing mighty highly of their firearms - at least from their prices!

[Don McDowell]

Rimfire, if you got back to that same store later on you'll probably see more rifles in the used racks. They do the shotgun thing in the spring for turkey hunting, then they put most of those away and bring out the varmint rifles, and then put in the biggame stuff, then gravitate back towards the shotgun stuff.
At least that's pretty much the way it goes at the Sidney store. Was just there Saturday, and my lord I didn't know there were that many used shotguns in the world. .

[madman4570]

You should see the Cabelas in Hamburg,Pa
It is Huge,plan to spend all day there.

[Mike D.]

I have been to the Reno Cabela's a few times. I was NOT impressed with the overall knowledge of the resident "gun expert", but allowed him to completely blow smoke up my...well, you get the picture. Last friday, on my way down to the ranch, I made a point to see the new Bass Pro Shop in Manteca, CA. I was definitely NOT impressed, especially by their hugely overpriced EVERYTHING! It's as if we are supposed to pay extra for the privilege of shopping there. Needless to say, I won't be back.

[Rusty]

I do most of my shopping online at Cabelas, and even use their Visa card. They have a pretty good deal in that Anything you buy anywhere puts points on a bonus plan if you use the Cabelas Visa. If you use the Cabelas Visa to buy something from them you get even more points. When you get enough points you cash them in for merchandise out of the Cabelas catalog.
MY son has the same deal with his BPS Visa, but their bank that they use is a royal PITA. Cabelas doesn't use a bank for their cards they handle it all themselves and they are very nice people to deal with on the phone. BPS could take a lesson from them in that dept.
Some day I'd like to get to one of their stores. I'm really tossed between the desire to wish they would build one close to me vs. the added benefit from ordering mail order from them and not having to pay state sales tax.

[Old Ironsights]

Rimfire,

Where in IL were you at that has a Cabela's? We don't have any in central IL that I'm aware of.

Joe

Hoffman Estates, just a bit West of Chicago ... the burbs as it were. It's off of I-90 at the Route 59 exit.

The one just East of Chicago in Hammond has a better gun collection...

[piller]

I like to visit the Cabela's in Ft. Worth when I have the time. It is about an hour NorthWest of my home. The Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine has lost me due to the horrible service behind the firearms counter. The Gander Mountain down in Corsicana, about 45-50 minutes South of me in Corsicana is a great store. Less of most stuff, but they have always had what I wanted. My wife purchased her youth size Remington SPS bolt gun in .30-06 there. Bass Pro neverheard of that particular combo, and Cabelas would order it. Gander Mountain had it in stock when she wanted it. The folks behind the firearm counter there are pretty knowledgeable, too. When I really need something specialized or unusual, I go to a gun range in Mansfield called Alpine. If nobody else has it or they can't get it, Alpine can and does get it for me.

[Steve Collins]

I live less than 10 mins from the Lacey, WA Cabela's; I think I've put somebody's kid through college with the amount of money I've spent there! The gun guys aren't real smart, but they do get some neat stuff in there from time to time.

I still need to get to the one in Boise to see the Elmer Keith museum.

[rangerider7]

Streetcar, you might want to go by Winchester Gallery on Lancaster and 820. They are not as good as they once were but still worth a look. Lots of used lever winchesters, Marlins, a few Colts SAA.

[David]

Hoffman? That's only about hour away, that's within shooting range

I've never gone to the place but I'm amazed at some of the antiques they put up on gunsinternational, that is at what they are and the condition/quality, the prices however are usually shocking! If prices are going to be depressed with the recession, I haven't seen it. I guess it wasn't WWI until WWII came along maybe next year in the Great Depression II prices will be better...

[Streetstar]

Streetcar, you might want to go by Winchester Gallery on Lancaster and 820. They are not as good as they once were but still worth a look. Lots of used lever winchesters, Marlins, a few Colts SAA.

That does sound like a good stop ! I am going to have to sneak out early one day and just drive to Ft Worth by myself. If i subjected my wife to 2 firearms related stores in one day, she would make me buy her a new Coach purse or something