Sportsman's Warehouse — Local services in Pueblo

My son recently developed a growing interest in fishing, and we've been going out more frequently. However, despite our best efforts—trying different locations, times of day, and various types of lures—he wasn't having much luck catching anything.

After another frustrating morning at the Reservoir without a single bite, we decided to take a recommendation from the Fly Shop and visit Sportsman's Warehouse. Initially, we didn't realize the Fly Shop didn't cater to the type of fishing my son was interested in.

Upon arriving at Sportsman's Warehouse, we were greeted by a man named Brian. I had my son explain his situation, and Brian immediately identified the problem: the type of fish we were targeting and the inappropriate lures we were using. Brian quickly guided us to the correct lures he had used successfully at the Reservoir and showed us the appropriate hooks. He took the time to explain how they worked, demonstrated the technique, and even offered to show us how to properly set them up on the hook.

My son also needed more line for his pole. Brian asked if he had it with him, which he did, and he brought it in. Brian explained the best type of line for his pole, and why stronger braided lines were unnecessary for his setup—a detail we would have missed due to our lack of knowledge. After selecting the right line, Brian took the time to string it up, adding a little oil to ensure smooth casting.

Brian spent about 30 minutes (maybe more) with us, meticulously going over everything and setting up my son's pole. Not once did he make us feel inadequate for our lack of fishing knowledge.

In today's world, where limitless information is at our fingertips, our own research into why my son wasn't catching any fish had been fruitless. We were incredibly grateful to have encountered Brian at Sportsman's Warehouse. My son was getting discouraged, but Brian's expertise, particularly about fishing in Pueblo, provided insights we couldn't have found online or by asking ChatGPT.

On top of his extensive knowledge, Brian was incredibly patient and kind. He thoroughly answered all our questions, no matter how basic, and took the time to set everything up for my son. His assistance far exceeded our expectations. My son and I are extremely grateful to Brian for all his help, and we want to express our heartfelt thanks for the exceptional service...

TL;DR: good equipment but really poor customer service, and employees who don’t seem to care about the service. If you’re looking for a gun purchase specifically, avoid sportsman’s if your time is valuable to you.

I’m torn on how to rate Sportsman’s. I’ve typically had a good experience here, but haven’t needed much assistance from the staff.

I purchased a firearm online and had it shipped to store. This requires a lot of assistance from employees and unfortunately, this is where my complaint lies with Sportsman’s warehouse.

The gun works beautifully (although I’ve only shot it once) and arrived at the store in the timeframe promised. So, for that part: 5 stars.

When I arrived at the store to complete the purchase (background check, payment, etc) it was mid afternoon on a Tuesday. There was one other person also purchasing a firearm that required a background check and was the only person in front of me. After they took my info (and my drivers license) and started the process, they told me it’d be about 30 minutes (I have nothing on my “background” so it’s usually as fast as they can enter the info). That time came and went… and another half hour as well. The employees had disappeared to the back after telling me “it’s almost done” after I went and found another employee. Almost an hour and a half later, and I’ve asked again—Mike comes out to tell me my background check is done—however there were 3 other people trying to get help at the gun counter so Maximillian took over at this point. More time wasted when he proceeded to repeat steps already completed (because he clearly didn’t know what was going on). I was taken to the register without so much as an apology, or a “thank you for your patience”. No thank you upon the completion of my purchase either.

Their customer service gets 1 star (is zero possible?)

I understand that customer service is not what it “used to be”—but this is beyond poor. And definitely gives me all the more reason to purchase from a local company like Bam Bam in Pueblo (similar prices, WAY...

It’s hard to explain how the mindset of this location has decided to be so self-righteous and arrogant but it starts at the top and carries all the way down. I chose to buy a firearm from this location given the current times. They requested redundant tangible personal information which they already had in their system to finalize the sale which I didn’t have on me and they didn’t request until I drove over an hour to get there. I was told I was asking them to break Federal Law(100 percent false) by showing them my Colorado State ID and my social security card and asking them to accept that as proof of my identity even though I had signed into their background check system using an ID I created in front of them using their instructions and supervision to prove this. Apparently the federal background check they oversee isn’t good enough and All the while they sold a hand cannon to a guy who had no idea if he was a United States Citizen or not right in front of me and he asked the employees for help filling out his background check in their system(illegal). I like that a small town store had a few options other than off-brand garbage but be prepared to be talked down to by employees and told how much they know about Federal Law. Will definitely take my money elsewhere...