Buyers Beware Cabelas!

[rduncan]

You also might want to visit local gun shows. Last year I bought 800 musket caps for $20 from a vendor that was simply getting rid of black powder supplies.

You can go online and use Don's store in Roswell (The Possible Shop) as well as Dixie Gun Works and Track of the Wolf for most accessories and bullets.

I really think Cabela's is trying to get out of the BP business; the Bargain Cave at our local store is full of inlines and several traditional rifles and there were only 5 cap and ball pistols and three rifles on display at the gun counter. And not much in the way of bullets and supplies.

Different world, now...white smoke lovers are a rare breed and the retailers are after the bigger ticket stuff, but there's a lot of good stuff out there and good folks selling it and you just have to be patient and resourceful in your hunt.

 

[Geraldo]

Yes, Thank you for the acknowledgement!

Let me ask this question, are we unrealistic as consumers....?

We (I) spend (Extra) with our hard earned dollars and expecting some acknowledgment that we made the right purchasing decision to use Cabelas because they are the (marketed) LEADER in OutFitter Sportsman's Needs? And yet, Why do they remain silent on this assertion?

Let's await some acknowledgment from this (multi-Million dollar retailer) to see where we stand?

Sincerely,

I understand that you spent a lot of money, but I think you're spending way too much energy on this.

Unless you're buying a large quantity of caps from any mail order vendor you're getting hosed on hazmat. Buy them in quantity along with BP from Grafs under one hazmat fee and you'll save a bunch of money.

There's plenty of places to buy RB or Minie. I buy from a guy who has a small business, and again I buy in quantity because he ships flat rate. For $5 shipping I can get several pounds of RB or whatever he casts.

Life is short, too short to go rant about something that's a non-issue. Buy your supplies elsewhere and shoot your rifle in peace.

 

[Robert Egler]

I agree that it is very annoying. If you buy something of this sort you expect to be able to buy the standard equipment needed to make it work at the same place. If I buy a set of tires somewhere I expect that the same place sells valve stems.

 

[Rat Trapper]

Most people buying a 1861 springfield would know they use musket caps and minne balls. Those items are not all that hard to find on the internet. Cains Outdoors, Track of the Wolf, and the Log cabin are some places to check.

 

[No Deer]

Bottom line...

I have spent over $1200 dollars and i still cannot shoot my new 1861 Springfield musket...Really...

What am i doing wrong... I must be the dumbest person in the world..!

Really! HELP!
!

Did you buy online or go to the store? If you went to the store, did you look around for the supplies before you bought the gun? If you bought on line, did you look further to see if they had the accessories you needed? I don't see this as Cabela's fault, a little research on your part would have let you know up front what they had or did not have and that you would have to look other places to get what you needed.

When I bought my new truck I did not expect the dealer to have a gas station out front for me to fill the tank.

 

[Shine]

I live in maine. I have to order everything. I was doing this before the internet. We had these crazy things called mailorder catalogs. And when you got a new one we wiped our butt with the old one. I tried this with a computer when I got a new one. To many sharp edges. Remember "please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery" and writing a letter to say what you want to order with a check enclosed. Just remeber a 1861 springfield is not a 30-30 you cant feed it from walmart. You have to be creative to be the only kid on the block with the coolest toy. :thumbsup:

 

[Robert Egler]

And when you got a new one we wiped our butt with the old one. I tried this with a computer when I got a new one. To many sharp edges.

:rotf: :rotf:

 

[Robert Egler]

When I bought my new truck I did not expect the dealer to have a gas station out front for me to fill the tank.

When I bought my last two new cars the dealer did, in fact, have a gas station to fill the tank.

 

[Black Hand]

Yes, Thank you for the acknowledgement!

Let me ask this question, are we unrealistic as consumers....?

We (I) spend (Extra) with our hard earned dollars and expecting some acknowledgment that we made the right purchasing decision to use Cabelas because they are the (marketed) LEADER in OutFitter Sportsman's Needs? And yet, Why do they remain silent on this assertion?

Let's await some acknowledgment from this (multi-Million dollar retailer) to see where we stand?

Sincerely,

Cabelas is in the business of making money. You bought their product, they made their money. It isn't up to them to help you any more than to provide the product. You make the decision to buy or not to buy.

If there is something wrong with what you bought from them, and you send it back and they refuse to help you, then I'm behind you all the way. In this case, you seem to have yourself worked up over nothing....

As to LEADER of anything, they are a clearing-house for stuff made by other companies. For the most part, they seem to provide name recognition on the tag.

 

[erock1980]

what this man says is true. In a world of 30-30's and remington 700's and ar15's and in-line ml's, you gotta be resourceful, patient and creative to get a real bp gun up and running and hitting bullseyes. Thank god for the internet (especially this place) and helpful fellow stragglers out there.

I can't wait for a couple years to go by and I can repay all the favors by helping someone new get squared away.

 

[50cal.cliff]

Welcome to the world of the dinosaurs! :idunno:

The way things are going it won't be long and getting BP rifles and all the accessories will be handled only by a few specialty sites.

Bottom line is profit and these companies are not going to carry something that is not profitable to them.

Case in point, Midway USA, owned by Larry Potterfield, founder and CEO.
He still does answer his own emails at times. I emailed them once about three or four years ago now. About why they didn't carry more items specifically pertaining to the tradtional muzzle loaders. He answered back and said we tried that back in the 70's and it was no longer profitable.
You do the math, 2012 minus 1970= 42 years ago. So do you think they gave up too soon! I do but they don't care what I think, it's all about the profit margin!

The 70's would have been the heyday of the resurgence of traditional muzzle loaders!

I will put it this way when is the last time you saw a clip on a sports channel and they were hunting with a traditional muzzle loader? Uh, never since about the 70's, and back then the sports shows were entirely different than the ones nowdays. They were actually hunting not trying to market their products for hunting!

Why do think there is talk of TC discontinuing their Hawken line of traditional muzzle loaders? Even though it may have been one of their best sellers. It is no longer profitable and if they can discontinue the line then they will more than likely discontinue and service on them as well.

Like it or not profit is what drives the market.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have experienced the same trials as you. No matter what someone found in a internet search about the KC area, there are no suppliers that have muzzle loader supplies....... reliably. You may find a little from time to time but never reliably, or anything you can count on. There is no black powder, period. The clubs mentioned are not “close” but are the closest. I guess it is a function of the term 'close'?
Get on your computer and order what you want and move on. In the thine you have spent fussing on this forum you could have the stuff on it's way.

BTW, you will learn quickly whom you can trust for advise on this forum. Don't believe all that is posted!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

There is a Cabelas about 60 miles away. I have been there about 6 times. They just do not sell much of anything that I want. The most I ever spent during a visit was $190 for a Remmie repro. A few times I left without spending anything. They either do not have anything as specialized as what I want, or I know where I can get it cheaper.

Maybe because I ran a sporting goods store for two years, I know that stores can't carry absolutely every accessory for everything. My buddies and I go into places that sell guns and ask for obscure stuff just to see if the clerk knows anything. (for instance, ask for 100 Berdan primers, or a box of cartridges for a 40 caliber Maynard.)

Most guys who shoot something that takes that much lead, buy a mold and cast their own. When I started, that was what most people had to do.

I think maybe the Op as a newbie, expects a little too much like suppository guns that everything should be there on the store shelf. Gun, ammo, scope, etc.

 

[Stony]

Chris, not to be cruel, but yes, you expect too much. Any business has to make money and we are not a major market in the world today. Many of the big box retailers floor help are clueless about much of whatever their department handles. I once called a Bass Pro shop to ask if they had any .45 bullets for my CAS guns. After a 15 minute wait was told nope, none in stock. Two hours later had a reason to go to the mall they were located in. Stopped by and lo and behold, they had 3 boxes of 500 bullets sitting on the shelf, with dust on the boxes! You have entered a world where you need to know as much as possible yourself. This forum is a great place to find much of the information you will need. Just remember that much of it will be influenced by personal experience and what may work for one may not work for you. You can even have problems within the small group of retailers who specialize in muzzleloaders. I once placed an order with October Country. Included in that order was a request for a dozen French Amber flints and a half dozen antler tips. I got a dozen English Black flints, at the amber price and a half dozen horn tips. No call or email asking if the items ordered could be substituted. The items were sent back, for a full refund with the shipping cost of the returned items to be refunded as well. To their credit, I was refunded the whole amount. I haven't ordered from October Country since then but not because of what happened. I just know to include with any order now to specify if the items are not in stock, do not substitute. Live and learn.

 

[Johnny Too-Tall]

When I redeploy im going back to Ft. Riley do you know if anyone sells powder out west a bit further. I know gander mt in Michigan stocked cans of goex. Guess i never lived anywhere where powder was an issue.. Hopefully not now either..

 

[Sean Gadhar]

From here it seems like what you’re upset about isn't making it to this post, hence the reply’s you are getting. It WOULD be nice if they had the cap, powder, & ball for the gun they sold you. The thing is (I think) you rode the horse this far! Cabalas would, I think, take back an unfired gun. So you could start over, but you didn't . . . why? Because you want THAT gun. Man I've been there. Truth be told, I seem to always want the out of stock, back order, we have that in every color, cal., stock, except the one you want gun :cursing: . Everyone can walk into a box store and buy a 10/22, I had to wait 9 months for my 10/22. I get it!
So time to find other resources, I would start with the KTMA, Kansas Traditional Muzzleloading Association. Google it. I bet you can find someone near you that would hit the range with you, tell you where they get there cap& balls, maybe even someone with a good hart & a handfull of each of the items you need. You might be shooting this weekend!!
Lots of good people out there, go find some old guy with the BIG range box.

 

[cynthialee]

I think the guy has a valid point.

Selling the gun without the stuff to shoot it is dumb. Sorta like selling me a car but telling me I need to go buy the spark plugs in anouther store. (omg, did I just type spark plug?!, I am showing my age...)

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Wally world here has several flint locks on the shelf but no black powder Gov't regs you know.

 

[Vaino]

I think that super markets which offer "one stop shopping" have done a diservice to the buying public...we've become lazy and impatient. It's really not a whole lot of trouble to find various sources that will satisfy our disparate needs....just a little bit of motivated research.....Fred

 

[Dphar]

I have purchased several weapons from Cabelas over the years...

But I have to say that they have distanced themselves from making a profit and supporting their customers! Case in point.

They sell the 1861 ArmiSport Springfield rifle. What they don't support is the fact that these require "RWS Musket Caps" and are designed to support ".577 Minie Balls. There is no information to support this as they sell a $900 product and leave you to fend for yourself. I have had a very challenging task to just get myself to be able to fire this musket for the first time. "Still have not been able to accomplish" BTW..;

I want folks to know that Cabelas does NOT care that you spend almost $1000 and cannot buy the accessories needed to fire this weapon for the first time.... REALLY!!!!

Please Help me make a statement...here! There are folks making commissions based on our purchases that result in our inability to realize our passion....

This is not right....I am ******...

Sincerely,

Help me make a statement here!

Don't sell a product that you cannot acquire the necessary accessories for a customer to utilize and appreciate their purchase!

IS that to much to ask....?

In buying a ML the buyer needs to do some homework.
Even at .577 it should still use the tradtional Lyman minie 575213OS at least for modern purposes.

There is a bright side. At least you were able to buy the rifle without buying it sight unseen through the mail.

Did they have any .575 RBs and patches? These would likely work fine unless you need a minie for something specific. Much cheaper to shoot too.

ML supplies are not in terribly high demand so many stores don't carry them at all.
You will not likely find precast minie balls in any store not catering heavily to MLing. They are very labor intensive to cast and heavy too. Track of the Wolf has the Lyman 575213 OS Minie precast at $14.35 for 25 plus the S&H. 25 will weigh close to 2 pounds. These should fit though they may require wiping if the bore really is .577.

Dan