Buying guns from Bass Pro/Cabela's -- the good and the bad in my experience.

Luvthunt · Nov 6, 2026

I am with Heeler Cabelas began a down hill in pricing and service before the BP sale.

Sabre · Nov 6, 2026

Luvthunt said:
I am with Heeler Cabelas began a down hill in pricing and service before the BP sale.

One thing that was interesting was; after the sale was reported in the media and before it was finalized Cabela's went on a sales spree like I have never seen. It wasn't like they were trying to liquidate assets like in a store closing. Everything seemed to stay fairly well stocked. But it was like they were trying to massively boost the sales numbers without worrying about the profits to report. I always wondered what the plan and discussion behind the scenes on that were. Was it to gain leverage before the sale was finalized by saying we had X dollars of sales this last quarter, but if so, you'd think profits would matter in that instance as well.

cash_tx · Nov 6, 2026

I agree with the consensus that Cabelas has fallen far from its glory days of yesteryear, but I still find them quite useful for picking up some great finds when it comes to pre-owned firearms. Part of my morning routine is checking out the latest listings on their website, and I drop by their local store at least once a week (since it's near my house) to see what they actually have in the Gun Library (not everything makes it on to the website). This has resulted in at least a dozen really good used gun purchases over the last few years. The long check-out time is a small price to pay for the free shipping between stores, and the right to reject a purchase if it doesn't meet my expectations at pick-up time.

coreydb · Nov 6, 2026

I bought a Beretta from them but it was on sale. There are other sporting goods stores that offer somewhat lower prices.

forshoes · Nov 7, 2026

cash_tx said:
I agree with the consensus that Cabelas has fallen far from its glory days of yesteryear, but I still find them quite useful for picking up some great finds when it comes to pre-owned firearms. Part of my morning routine is checking out the latest listings on their website, and I drop by their local store at least once a week (since it's near my house) to see what they actually have in the Gun Library (not everything makes it on to the website). This has resulted in at least a dozen really good used gun purchases over the last few years. The long check-out time is a small price to pay for the free shipping between stores, and the right to reject a purchase if it doesn't meet my expectations at pick-up time.

I know the local store will delay putting the guns online to give the local buyers a chance before they are online.

cash_tx · Nov 7, 2026

forshoes said:
I know the local store will delay putting the guns online to give the local buyers a chance before they are online.

That makes sense, because it saves them the hassle of boxing and shipping when they sell it locally. I wouldn't be surprised if most or all the stores do that to some extent.

analog_peninsula · Nov 7, 2026

The remote buy out of the Nebraska store went well, and all was as it appeared. Yes, the paperwork was extensive and slow, but nothing extraordinary.

greyfox · Monday at 4:00 AM

KEC said:
Cabela's/Bass Pro has turned into a credit card company that sells guns and outdoor gear. The company puts such a large emphasis on credit applications and accounts that the customer feels like they are hounded in every department while visiting the stores. The Bass Pro merger did not do Cabela's any justice.

This. I worked at BP for about 9 months and it is all about the CC applications.

Hunt27 · Monday at 7:00 AM

greyfox said:
This. I worked at BP for about 9 months and it is all about the CC applications.

Thats about as long as I worked there and I only did one credit card and the customer already had planned on getting it. At the end of the gun sale when it would pop up and I show the customer the screen if they ask questions I would tell them it's a credit card, it's not designed to work in your favor, if it wasnt a plan when you walked in I would pass. Company hated me I'm sure.

cash_tx · Monday at 7:04 AM

Getting solicited to apply for the credit card every time you walk in the door is one of the most annoying shopping experiences they have. The assumptive ask for your phone number at the cash register is another.

Sabre · Monday at 3:02 PM

greyfox said:
This. I worked at BP for about 9 months and it is all about the CC applications.

Hunt27 said:
Thats about as long as I worked there and I only did one credit card and the customer already had planned on getting it. At the end of the gun sale when it would pop up and I show the customer the screen if they ask questions I would tell them it's a credit card, it's not designed to work in your favor, if it wasnt a plan when you walked in I would pass. Company hated me I'm sure.

cash_tx said:
Getting solicited to apply for the credit card every time you walk in the door is one of the most annoying shopping experiences they have. The assumptive ask for your phone number at the cash register is another.

I think they might be the most extreme on pushing the credit card application of any store I've shopped at. Getting asked at the register has become annoyingly common place at many stores. But to be asked when you come in, randomly throughout the store, if you ask an employee a question, when you look at a gun, and then again when you check out at the main registers, that's a special level of CC application hell.

Nevada Smith · Monday at 3:10 PM

Sabre said:
Getting asked at the register...

Speaking of which: "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

One time I replied, "No." The clerk didn't reply.

Now I just answer, "Eventually." (Because there's never a clerk when you need one.)

I heard a guy reply with "I don't answer questions without my attorney present."

rookhawk · Monday at 3:37 PM

Garciamarquez1918 said:
I've bought several guns from Bass Pro over the last couple of years. There's sooo much that's great about it.

1) Great selection of used guns.
2) Prices generally on the high end of fair, occasionally a bargain.
3) Seamless shipping nationwide with no shipping charges and no FFL fees.
4) Seamless FFL, no jockeying around to get everybody to send their FFL etc.
5) Accountability of a large company -- when I ordered my Rigby PH it disappeared from Fed Ex for over a week. They offered to send me a second rifle and they would deal with Fed Ex! Amazing. As it turned out my rifle reappeared the same day.

However, there's also a strict no returns policy. I bought a little CZ 22LR this weekend just to plink around with. An hour later I'm at the range and it doesn't work. It cocks, it clicks when you pull the trigger and then...nothing. Probably a broken firing pin.

Lucky for me CZUSA is based in my home town. But it really bites that you can find out something is defective within an hour and you're SOL. This is the downside of working with a large company versus a smaller dealer.

Cabelas gun buyers are truly know-nothing individuals. That means a number of risks and issues are present:

1.) Every unethical gun dealer in America sends their relatives in as shill sellers to dump unsafe weapons or firearms that are not in proof. The unknowing buyers dump them back on the public.

2.) Cabelas lacks the training and the tools to ascertain the safety or the proof-mark indicated configuration of a weapon. Thus, they sell overpriced trash, and underpriced treasure.

You better know more than most professional gun dealers if you intend to buy firearms in the Cabelas gun library, its a dangerous place filled with peril and potential.

meigsbucks · Monday at 7:10 PM

The Cabela’s of twenty years ago is nothing like the Cabela’s of today. The gun people were semi to fairly knowledgeable. In the early and mid 2000’s, I remember going to the new Cabela’s in Wheeling WV and the one in Mitchell SD. Both places were well staffed and stocked mainly with hunting and fishing gear. By the early 2010’s, the WV store was stocked with daily ware, casual clothes. The gun department was staffed by people who knew nothing about firearms.
Around the same time they built a new store in Columbus OH. Initially there were some knowledgeable people in the firearms department. Now, there is only one guy even worth talking to.
I’ve purchased a few guns from them. Check out is a PITA! Three people checking the paperwork and at minimum, over an hour process and usually close to two.

Ray B · Monday at 8:19 PM

A few years ago I bought a Win model 100 at Cabela's. This was several years after the recall for the unsafe firing pin. After arriving home I dismantled the rifle for a thorough cleaning and found that it still had the original unsafe firing pin. I have minimal but sufficient skills that a call to Winchester got a new safe firing pin and I was able to switch it out. Not being a self-loader guy, when a fellow instructor admired it, I gave it to him.

Mountainshadows · Monday at 8:39 PM

16-17 years ago I applied for a position at the gun counter. I left the Army as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant and that, along with a lifetime passion for firearms, shooting, and hunting, made me quite knowledgeable about all types of firearms.
The very young fella interviewing me did not seem to understand what my experience had been. I asked him to ask my any question about any modern or past sporting firearms or how to boresight a scope, or any other typical firearms use question. He just sat there with a dumb look on his face.
I didn't get hired. I evidently wasn't dumb enough to work the gun counter.

Flbt · Monday at 9:13 PM

Mountainshadows said:
16-17 years ago I applied for a position at the gun counter. I left the Army as a Special Forces Weapons Sergeant and that, along with a lifetime passion for firearms, shooting, and hunting, made me quite knowledgeable about all types of firearms.
The very young fella interviewing me did not seem to understand what my experience had been. I asked him to ask my any question about any modern or past sporting firearms or how to boresight a scope, or any other typical firearms use question. He just sat there with a dumb look on his face.
I didn't get hired. I evidently wasn't dumb enough to work the gun counter.

Idk
But I was told the modern store does not want people with knowledge in a department.
If you give advice it might make the store responsible.

washington867 · Wednesday at 12:10 AM

Having dealt with both Bass Pro and Cabelas I have to say that the Military Discount is good, but most gun stores offer military discounts. I shop at Orr Tactical located in Needville Texas, just outside of Houston Tx. Business is run by Retired Military and dealing with them is such an easy process. Great place to do business with, expert knowledge of all weapons, and has its own range....

MTA · Thursday at 3:59 PM

mdwest said:
Yep… I get the 5% discount on firearms and 10% on everything else in the store for veterans status… and then stack that with the 10% they give on their Cabelas club VIP mondays… then look for sale items I’m interested in…

Otherwise I shop at Scheels these days or academy.. or online…

10 years ago I shopped at cabelas almost exclusively… not anymore.. they are just Bass Pro with a different logo these days…

Ever since Scheels showed up I rarely go to cabelas anymore. Selection and prices are vastly superior

Also the used guns at Scheels are typically priced well. Cant say the same for fw cabelas. whoever is pricing the gun library out there must huff some spray paint before coming in every morning

Flipper Dude · Thursday at 4:24 PM

Bought an FN Mauser 270 from an out of state Cabela’s store a few weeks back. Found by our friend @cash_tx and evaluated by @rookhawk.

They (website) requested the store to ship to, and provided me with a receipt showing the credit card they billed to, along with an amount.

When I hadn’t heard anything in two weeks, I called the local store. No rifle there.

“Is it possible that it was shipped to the wrong store?” THEY ASKED ME. WTF?

I had given them the order number, so he finally looked it up and told me that order had been canceled, and the rifle had sold to someone else. Sorry sir. Made no difference that I had an email showing it charged to my credit card ( It wasn’t)

Case of the red ass, had I.

Buying guns from Bass Pro/Cabela's -- the good and the bad in my experience.

Luvthunt

Sabre

cash_tx

coreydb

forshoes

cash_tx

analog_peninsula

greyfox

Hunt27

cash_tx

Sabre

Nevada Smith

rookhawk

meigsbucks

Ray B

Mountainshadows

Flbt

washington867

MTA

Flipper Dude

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