Positive Walmart experience

[jmr40]

We all have horror stories, but when they do it right they need to be recognized.

It didn't start out well, but ended well. I decided I wanted a small 20ga youth shotgun as a lightweight woods bumming gun. Squirrel season started today and I'll be spending some time scouting on huge tracts of public land before deer season. A 6 1/4 lb short barreled 20 seemed like a good thing to carry on such trips, just in case a squirrel gives me a shot. I told my wife it was so the grand kids could use it. Of course they will, but it's mine. I might even try it for turkey next spring.

I looked at the Mossberg 500, but settled on the Remington 870 Express youth. The LOP on this is 13". I normally work best with 13.5-13.75. This is a little short, but I can make it work. In fact If anything I'm concerned it might be too long for the grand kids. I've already added sling studs and a fiber optic sight.



Walmart was about $75 less than anyone else so I couldn't justify not buying there. There is a Walmart 6 miles from the house, but they didn't have one of the youth models. On Saturday I just happened to be in the Walmart in a neighboring town 25 miles away and they had exactly what I wanted. But there was no one working who was qualified to make the sale at that time. I was a bit miffed, but the person I was dealing with was as helpful as possible. They told me to come back on Sunday and I'd get a $25 gift card for my trouble.

Not crazy about having to come back, but my wife and I decided to eat lunch out somewhere we wouldn't normally go and make a day of it. The staff on Sunday were great to deal with. The sporting goods manager was a late 20's girl who was knowledgeable and very talkative. She is apparently a big fisherwoman.

I was able to use the $25 gift card getting the price down to $264 and I put the info in the mail today for a $50 rebate. I felt $214 after rebate was a deal for the gun and overall a pleasant experience.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

That's good to hear.

My only gripe with WM firearms related is that my local one keeps switching the handgun/rifle ammo from the glass case to under the counter. I don't know if they've had problems with theft or something, but it's easy enough to point to what you want through glass. When it's under the counter and you're having to describe what you want to someone who knows next to nothing about guns it's a little tedious.

 

[SwaneeSR]

That is a fine price for that gun. The fact they were willing to give you the $25 gift card for your trouble is a nice touch.

Sort of impresses me. Seems like that store is well managed.

Swanee

 

[bannockburn]

jmr40

Sounds like you got a really good deal on the Remington 870 Express Youth Model. There's only one Walmart in the area (out of like four nearby stores), that sells firearms and at least most of the clerks who work in the department know something about guns and hunting.

 

[Cleveland48]

Bought one just like it myself for a dedicated turkey rig. Nikon monarch turkey scope, with a Carlson .575 choke. Was dynamite on two longbeards this spring with federal heavyweight 7 shot.


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[jmr40]

I've been hesitant to trust a 20 for turkey. But the thought of carrying around a gun 1-1.5 lbs lighter and 6" shorter is appealing. I'm going to have to buy a couple of tubes for it. I want an IC for some work along with the modified that came with it. I'll pass on a factory full choke and go straight to something made specifically for turkey.

 

[WestKentucky]

I no longer trust a 20 for turkey. Bad experience turned to worse this spring, but suffice it to say when you really need the gun to do its job it might, but it might not. I'm back to 12 for now, probably 10 ga when all said and done. I will roll my own for the 10 to cut costs and knock the power levels down to 12 ga levels, but when you need a shot to count it had better darned well count.

 

[outlawjw]

I've had 2 20s in youth models with turkey tubes & heavy shot , a 50 yrd turk is a sure thing. Deadly

 

[double bogey]

Got my grandson, 9 at the time, one last august. We finally got a place to dove hunt with lots of birds, and he got his 15 bird limit with all the birds flying. I plugged it for 2 shot total. The 870 is not what it used to be, but is still a fine shotgun, and the best beginners pump out there.

 

[Cleveland48]

I've had 2 20s in youth models with turkey tubes & heavy shot , a 50 yrd turk is a sure thing. Deadly

This has been my experience as well. The two gobblers I took this spring were 42 and 45 yards. I've killed 6 total between two different 20 gauges. The federal heavyweights, heavy-13's, and Nitro Ray's 4x5x7 megaweight's are very lethal.


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[Alte Schule]

Also had a positive experience at Wal Mart recently although it wasn't firearm related.
I was looking for a wireless home theater system for my Samsung 60". Something decent for around $200. Tried Fry's, Best Buy, Target and Sams Club and found nothing or what they had was not in my price range. As a last resort I stopped in Wal Mart on the way home and was looking around in the electronics section when a young man asked if he could help. I explained what I wanted and he told me that just this morning he was told to discount a Samsung curved sound bar that they had on the shelf for a year.. 20 minutes later I was out the door with a Samsung HW-H 7501 8.1 channel 320 watt wirelss with sub woofer. Price on the box was $480. My price $115.

 

[doubleh]

A nice gun for a very nice price. A slip on recoil pad will give you the extra length you need. I do that when I shoot my wife's 11-87 in 20 guage. The recoil can hardly be felt to boot.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Ya know some them gals at the Wal Marts can be plum ignurnt, but I've had better luck at the gun counter. Them folks ain't to bad in the one near me. Joke around with ya and actually know what you're talking about when you ask for specific shells.

 

[95XL883]

Nice score on the gun. Now I'm hoping for grandkids so I can use that excuse for a new gun. I have had good luck on turkey with my 20 ga. Shots have been short, 8, 25 and 27 yards, but all have dropped right where they stood. Good luck and enjoy.

 

[alsaqr]

The Remington Express is a great shotgun.

 

[stchman]

I bought a Marlin Model 60 from Walmart a few years back and the experience was pretty good. My biggest gripe was that the guy took a LONG time to enter the NICS stuff into and a manager had to come over and do the sale.

With all the dilly-dallying around the clock struck 10PM and Walmart does not sell firearms after 10PM. I came back the next day (the NICS check was already done and came back Proceed) so all I had to do was pay and leave.

The guy at the sporting good counter gave me a deal on a Tasco 3-9x40 scope and some rings(I think $40).

Overall I think I spent right at $200 for the rifle with scope.

 

[bikerdoc]

Rarely go to Walmart but a few years ago I got a 12 gauge Mossberg 500 for 225 dollars. Been a good gun .

 

[jmr40]

My biggest gripe was that the guy took a LONG time to enter the NICS stuff into and a manager had to come over and do the sale.

Since I have a carry permit GA does not require a background check. That sped things up considerably. I was concerned on my 1st visit that there was no one that could make the sale. But the $25 gift card went a long way towards making it worth the return trip.

Since this is in the next town, Cartersville GA, by the way (I should really give credit where it is due) it was a longer drive and a lot of people would have been upset. I chose to make it a positive and an excuse to take my wife out for lunch somewhere we wouldn't normally go.

I'm willing to try the 20 for turkey. I still think a 12 is really the best choice for waterfowl and probably even upland game where you need large patterns filled with lots of shot. The long shot string from a 20 should be less of a negative for turkey. At least in theroy, I've got some time before turkey season.

 

[Nickotym]

My local walmart guys are great. They don't always have the ammo on the shelf, but they are apologetic. I prefer my LGS for gun purchases though.

 

[gwpercle]

I always buy my firearms from one of the local gun dealers. They are the guys who know my name when I walk in and helping the small business owner trying to make a living makes sense to me.
When I have a problem I take it back to the dealer I bought it from, he takes care of getting the problem solved for me.....wallymart will not and that's worth a lot to me...
How much is good customer service worth , to me , more than $75.00 for sure.
If you have any problems with your purchase I doubt Wallymart's going to take care of it.

 

[boom boom]

jmr40,
I am one county south of you assuming Bartow. I had a similarly good experience at Walmart picking up a Mossberg 20 youth model a few years back. The GWL does make it quicker though.