Heritage & History

Sportsman's Warehouse is a national outdoor sporting goods retailer operating 130+ stores across 30+ states, specializing in hunting, fishing, camping, and recreational shooting. Founded in Utah and publicly traded (SPWH), Sportsman's Warehouse positions itself as the value-oriented alternative to Bass Pro/Cabela's.

:::callout
Sportsman's Warehouse is the Costco of gun stores — no Ferris wheels, no aquariums, no animatronic bears. Just racks of rifles, cases of ammo, and prices that consistently beat Bass Pro by 5-15%. The stores are smaller, the displays are utilitarian, and the staff ranges from genuinely knowledgeable hunters to part-time seasonal hires. But if you know what you want and you're shopping on price, Sportsman's Warehouse is where your money goes furthest among the big-box outdoor retailers.
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Key milestones:

• Founded in Utah as a regional outdoor retailer
• 2000s — Expanded through western United States
• 2014 — IPO; publicly traded as SPWH
• 2020s — Expanded east; survived Great Outdoors Holdings (Cabela's parent) acquisition attempt
• Present — 130+ stores; 30+ states; publicly traded; value-focused outdoor retail

Shopping Guide

Aspect	What to Expect
Store size	30,000-50,000 sq ft (mid-size; smaller than Bass Pro/Cabela's)
Format	Standard retail — functional, not destination
Pricing	Competitive — typically 5-15% below Bass Pro/Cabela's
Sales/promos	Frequent; strong Black Friday and seasonal hunting deals
Staff knowledge	Variable — some excellent hunters, some seasonal hires
Online ordering	sportsmans.com; ship-to-store available
Price matching	Available with documentation

What Sportsman's Warehouse does well:

• Competitive pricing on firearms and ammunition (often lowest big-box)
• Good selection across hunting, shooting, fishing, and camping
• Ship-to-store program saves on shipping costs
• 130+ locations provide broad geographic access
• Less overwhelming than 200,000 sq ft destination stores
• Rewards program offers meaningful discounts

What Sportsman's Warehouse could improve:

• Staff quality varies dramatically by location
• Firearms counter wait times can be excessive during busy periods
• Some locations report inconsistent inventory management
• Store experience is utilitarian — zero entertainment value
• Online inventory doesn't always match in-store availability
• Some customers report overly rigid FFL transfer policies

Firearms Department

Category	Selection	Notes
Hunting rifles	Very good	Savage, Ruger, Winchester, Tikka, Browning, Weatherby
Shotguns	Very good	Mossberg, Remington, Benelli, Beretta; strong waterfowl selection
Handguns	Very good	Glock, Sig, S&W, Ruger, Springfield, Taurus
Modern sporting rifles	Good	AR-15 selection varies by state and store
Ammunition	Good	Major brands stocked; availability fluctuates with demand
Optics	Good	Vortex, Leupold, Nikon; mid-range focused
Reloading	Fair to Good	Powder, primers, bullets; less comprehensive than Scheels
Accessories	Good	Cases, cleaning, mounts, holsters, safes

:::callout
Sportsman's Warehouse firearms pricing is consistently among the best in big-box retail. Their margin strategy prioritizes volume over per-unit profit, which means a Ruger 10/22 or Savage 110 is often $20-$50 less than Bass Pro or Cabela's. The trade-off is service — you might wait 30 minutes at the counter on a Saturday, and the person helping you might be three weeks into the job. Know what you want before you walk in, and Sportsman's Warehouse will save you money.
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Sportsman's Warehouse vs. outdoor retail competitors:

Feature	Sportsman's Warehouse	Bass Pro/Cabela's	Scheels	Academy Sports
Firearms selection	Very good	Excellent	Excellent	Good
Firearms pricing	Very competitive	Moderate	Premium	Competitive
Staff knowledge	Variable	Variable	Excellent (commissioned)	Variable
Store experience	Functional	Destination (museum-style)	Destination (Ferris wheel)	Standard retail
Ammunition depth	Good	Good-Excellent	Very good	Good
Reloading supplies	Fair-Good	Good	Very good	Limited
Optics selection	Good	Good	Excellent	Basic
Locations	130+ (expanding)	~170 (national)	~30 (Midwest/West)	~260+ (South/Midwest)
Online/ship-to-store	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ownership	Public (SPWH)	Private (Bass Pro)	Employee-owned	Public (ASO)

Store Locations

Region	Presence	Notes
West	Strong	CO, UT, AZ, NV, ID, MT, WY, OR, WA — original markets
Midwest	Growing	SD, NE, KS, MN, WI
South	Expanding	TX, OK, AR, AL, GA, SC, TN
East	Limited	PA, WV, VA — newer markets
Not present	Notable gaps	Northeast corridor, Great Lakes metro

Store format notes:

• 30,000-50,000 sq ft typical footprint
• Located in retail centers with easy highway access
• Hunting-focused communities prioritized for expansion
• Smaller format = faster shopping but less browsing appeal

:::callout
Bottom line: Sportsman's Warehouse wins on price and loses on experience. If you want a knowledgeable salesperson to walk you through scope selection and mount your optic perfectly, go to Scheels and pay the premium. If you want the lowest price on a Glock 19, a case of Federal 9mm, and a Vortex Crossfire II, check Sportsman's Warehouse first. Their expansion into 30+ states means they're increasingly available nationwide, and the competitive pricing model forces other retailers to sharpen their deals. Know what you want, shop the sales, and Sportsman's Warehouse is probably the best value in big-box outdoor retail.
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References

• Sportsman's Warehouse official site: sportsmans.com
• SPWH investor relations and store locator
• Customer reviews across hunting and shooting forums
• Outdoor retail industry comparisons and analysis
• Reddit communities: regional store experience reports

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Read the original article in The Handbook | By Boise Gun Club Editorial Team

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Join the Discussion

Have you shopped at Sportsman's Warehouse for firearms, and if so, how'd their selection and FFL process compare to your local shops?