Given the popularity of hunting, fishing, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor activities is…read moreMichigan, you'd think there'd be more stores catering to these activities in South Oakland county, but the number has shrunk over the years. There's a Cabelas over by Selfridge, and a Bass Pro Sports up in Auburn Hills, but this is the only big outdoors store within 30miles of me. (I don't count Dunhams, which caters mainly to team sport activities.) Sportsman's Warehouse is the only big box store in the area that caters to traditional outdoor activities, and while it's no Cabelas, it's not bad.
The archery selection is fair if you're a fan of compound bows or crossbows, but the last time I looked that had on,y two recurves or longbows. There's a lot of fishing gear for fans of spinning and bait casting, but not a lot of quality fly fishing gear. Selection in most departments is a lot narrower than you'll find at Cabelas, and not all sizes are in stock. Several times I've gone there looking for shoes and boots but couldn't find any 12s in what I was looking for. I went looking for a range bag a while ago and found just a handful of bags.
The firearms selection is decent if you're looking for a 9mm auto or an AR clone, but you won't see a wide range of .22 rifles or pistols. The reloading equipment section is very thin, with only a handful of powders, cases, and bullets. Ammunition selection is wide in areas like 9mm and .223, but thinner in other areas. The .22RF selection is a seemingly random selection that changes, probably depending on what available.
Still, I do visit regularly, and sometimes find good deals. I picked up a Frog Togs rain jacket that was on sale not long ago, and sometimes you'll see something interesting in the used firearms section. If you don't have a regular sporting goods store nearby, and you do t want to make a long trek to Cabelas, it's a hand place for many supplies.
