Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Cabelas vs. Bass Pro

Which is better? Why?

Cabelas. Cuzz I said so

Cabelas, cause Steelie said so.....


maddog

Bass Pro is AA ball, Cabelas is Big Leagues.

HA!

Yeah, gotta go with Cabelas.

cabelas, no comparison

Cabelas by a lightyear.

Whichever is closer. At home, that means Cabelas. Down here, in this SoCal hellhole, I guess it would be Bass Pro. Don't think either hold a candle to the late, lamented Lock Stock and Barrel for components and reloading gear, though.

But Steelhead does make a compelling argument...

Bass Pro is first and foremost a clothing store.
Secondly, a fishing tackle shop - at least that fits their name.
Then an archery shop.
Lastly are guns and ammo. They really lag behind in this area.

Cabela's has a certain personal cool factor for me that stems from mail ordering stuff as a kid. Cabela's, Herter's, and Gander Mountain will always have great and special meaning to me.

Also, I got sick and tired of an annual stop at the Springfield Bass Pro that always kicked off our spring trout fishing trip.

Bass pro is like dollar general and cabelas is like wal-mart. Really and truly both have their pros and cons. For the most part they are just a place for companies to sell directly to the public. I imagine most items come directly from the supplier and these stores just get a cut for them to use their website.

Every time I order from Cabelas I tell them to never open a store in California because then I would have to pay almost 10% sales tax.

Ditto with New York. Cabelas was in negotiations to open a store about 15 miles from the house. That might have been trouble

Cabelas - the prices are actually cheaper than bass pro on most items - the selection for hunting is bigger

bass pro has been seriously edging in on cabelas here in KC in terms of what it sells the most of. BUT cabelas is still better, al - be -it further away from the general population.
Cabelas is at the race track 15+ miles further than basspro.

this makes cabelas a "big item" run vs. picking up what I'm missing run.

Cabelas the store locally also often doesn't have things that you want in stock, you can't call and get anyone from the floor to answer your questions without waiting 5+ minutes on the phone so it makes doing a "big run" kind of sucky.

Cabelas is still holding an edge on the bigger ticket items, and some of the rifles / guns, and camping equipment - especially food prep.

Spot

Cabelas for buyin' stuff.

BP for the indoor pistol range.

+1 for me..never seen a place so dimly lit as Bass Pro..maybe that's the contractor in me coming out but damn you can't hardly see the fishin tackle after dark!!!Told one of the salesmen the last time in they should furnish flashlights when you walk in the door!!!

Now, now Spotshooter, Cabela's isn't really out of the major population centers. There's plenty of folks live in Obama-voting Wyandotte County, just not all uh, for lack of a better term, "white".

I still can't believe there are two BPS' and a Cabela's in KC Metro. This plus numerous Dick's and even Sports Authority. When I was a kid in the sixties and seventies, there was Don Brashear's Bass Pro Shop over in Raytown and Finke's Tackle down near KU Med Center. I went to school with Finke's kid. Other than K Mart and Grandpa's(?), that was it. Of course back then, Sears carried a full line of guns. I can't see how KC will ever support three superstores.

Anyway, I will cast a dissenting vote for BPS. I live between KC and Tulsa, but closer to KC. When we come to town, it is a fair trip. We used to go to Cabela's a lot, but more and more, I find myself just stopping in Olathe at Bass Pro or going way over to Independence to the same. Cabela's does take used guns on trade, but they rob you so badly that you might as well buy outright. In Tulsa, you've only got Academy competing with BPS and they're not much competition.

Bass pro cuz its closer and I got gift cards?