I don't want to start another "How dumb those guys at Academy are" thread. A couple of the guys at my local Academy are really quite knowledgeable. I was browsing in the store today and found a box of Hornady bullets on a clearance shelf, without a price marked. I asked a young guy behind the gun counter if he could tell me the price. He said, "You know those are reloads." I said, "They're bullets." He said, "They're reloads." I said, "They're bullets for reloading." He looked at me quizzically and said, "Uh, OK." They weren't really on sale, so I put them back on the shelf and continued browsing.

WOW

Academy does not have a Monopoly on stupidity. Even Scheels has their duh....arses working there. I overheard a Scheels gun guy telling a customer how the 6.5 creedmoor was so much faster than a .270, and that's why it was so much better. One of the few times I have butted in on a gun counter conversation.

I just realized I need to make a list of reasons why I don't go to gun stores.

1. There's always some lonely old fart in there, trying to loudly hold court, and he doesn't like interruptions, even if you want to buy a gun from the owner of the place.

I don’t remember the last time I walked up to the gun counter at academy. I don’t think they carry a single thing that has interested me in years. I wish they would take the time to get educated before they open their mouths. Most any other business that [censored] would get you fired.

The chain stores don’t have a monopoly on stupidity. Ive overheard many conversations in small shops that just make you shake your head. Seems like it is a requirement that every gun shop have that one guy that considers himself an expert on everything.

I've been on the other side of the counter -- at a Sportsman's Warehouse some years back -- and we always got a chuckle when some clown walked up and asked "Where do you keep the heads."

WTH were they looking for?

'Last house we were in my man cave was on the end of a detached barn. I put most of my shoulder mount trophies in that room. I called it the "Dead Head Shed", being corny and making a play on words with the nickname they call (or called) the traveling Grateful Dead fans. My sister-in-law, that does an excellent job covering for how dense she is, heard me call it that once and had a sign made for me at some PTA craft fair fundraising thing. I opened it at Christmas, with the whole family, little ones included, watching. 'Problem is, she never listened to me too closely and the sign read "Head Shed". I looked at my wife and she just slowly started shaking her head "No."

^^^ Now that's [censored] hilarious!!

Should have hung it over the bed….

Sounds like that Academy guy should quit & look for a job with the ATF. Much better fit.

I've only ever heard one person call bullets used for reloading "heads". He was from Kansas or Missouri or something. I thought it was weird then and I still do.

It's not always the counter-people. I have heard some really stupid shoppers too. It's like they go to the store (or a gun show in my case as I don't buy new) just to see if they can tell someone else what to buy or not buy and why.

These are the people that never buy anything themselves.

Gasguzzler is right. Now I need to go fire up the casting pot, as I am running low on heads.

Various iterations of that right there is why 6.5 Creedmoor aficionados are often maligned. I shop at Academy often. If you step up to the salesperson at any gun counter looking for advice, you deserve what you get. I buy what I need or want if they have it. I don’t get involved in their conversations.

I grew up during a time when you could ask a salesperson for help and it would be reasonable to expect him, or her, to actually help you. I know those times are past.

I had a custom built rifle and for the time a pretty high end Mil/Mil scope, in a Pelican case. I wanted to go test fit Butler Creek scope caps. (Before I knew they were junk and I'd end up breaking ten of them)

Rolled that case into Academy and told someone at the front that a rifle was inside and what I wanted to do. He opened it, saw the bolt was out, and then closed the Pelican. He rolled it back to the gun counter and explained the deal. The guy at the gun counter took the case and sat it on the counter. He flipped open the latches, saw what was inside, and then looked at me. "Sir, I don't want to even touch this rig. It looks way more expensive than anything we have here. Come around the counter and get your rifle out."

I came around the counter, pulled the rifle out, flipped down the bipod legs and set it up. It drew a little bit of a crowd. The customers were asking the gun counter guy what it is. He pointed at me and said "I don't know, ask him".

I had a customer come in who plopped a blued S&W 38 on the counter. Has asked how much it would cost to stainless it.

Thanks. After reading further down about a customer wanting to know how much to "stainless" his blued 38, I can pretty much say I have heard it all now. Not really, I know there are many more dufus's out there that will top this. I really have never heard bullets called heads, ROFLMAO!

A pretty nickel would have been a good reply, LOL.

After reading this thread, I kinda want to go up to Academy's gun counter and start spouting some really off the wall chit to see how long it takes before someone corrects me.

Actually I had a stainless one right there so I told him the price of it, that I would stainless it in about 5 minutes but he would need to fill out a form

I would never stainless one but I sure would have blued a stainless gun or two in my life had that been possible.

I was in an Academy once and listened to 2 young (20s) guys talking behind the counter. One was bragging about 3 or 4 deer that he’d shot with his bow. He didn’t find any of them and didn’t even look for the last one because “he was hit in the stomach”. The other guy listened to it all and said “dude, you don’t have any business hunting. find another sport”.

Some of yall are so critical. Have yall ever been in an environment where you dont know everything? I agree, when a guy "acts" like he knows it all(and doesnt) thats one thing, but some guys are just novice and should be cut some slack(a lot).
Ive never heard the term "heads" but I would assume its just a slang term that is common wherever they come from.
Go up North and say "yall" and get back with me.

The final step in playing "gotcha" with some gun store employee - Comment about it on social media.

Back when the mythical black rhino ammo was being produced (I never saw a box of it), a customer came in and asked me for some black hippo ammo

Sales people are sales people. Was in Daytona Academy week ago. Guy bought a 308W 'cheap' bolt rifle. He was going to get a cheap Vortex to put on it. I talked to him for a bit, he wanted to shoot long range stuff. 400$ rifle and 200$ scope. He left without the scope, sales people said nothing. Did see a bag of once fired 300BO cases, about a buck apiece. Same for mil 7.62 stuff - I got 500 of those, I could make some coin.

No thanks

Thanks for the explanation. I'd never heard that one before.

Of course, and it's those times that I stop talking. The first lesson is to understand that there's always someone else who has more knowledge and experience than you- a lesson some never learn. Admittedly, I learned that one the hard way... but I learned it.

When it comes to something like firearms and all associated aspects, folks who don't know what they're talking about should really shut their mouths. Ignorant advice can change someone's life forever.

Some day you’ll reach a day when it’s all just “Blab” …you’ll be able to look someone right in the eyes, and never hear a thing, or be in a group and act social, but not care a bit. And actually, what comes out of you is blab. It comes with age. Know what you want, get it, and go…otherwise the guy at the fishing counter is coming.

So, where does one find knowledgeable people in a sporting goods store? Is it a matter of the store being unable to find experienced help?

Not Academy. They hire inexperienced people and just sell products. People who have the knowledge and experience work at other stores.

Someplace where the prices are high enough to employ experts. The catch is most consumers as well as THF members would rather buy cheap and ridicule the employees than pay for expertise.

THIS

YouTube is full of videos that share the good, bad, and ugly on just about anything you can buy. And just store employees, it's up to you to decide who's telling the truth.

The expert posters on this thread have a condescending attitude to employees of all stores, not just Academy.

You must be referring to the group I've coined as being members of the "Prick Clique". Not surprising some despise YouTube and other online sources where information and opinions can be freely shared and where guidelines are strictly enforced.

The basis of that statement really comes down to the standard American outlook on life really. Our fellow brothers and sisters here in America would rather buy the cheaper products made overseas than buy more expensive products made in America ... all the while complaining that all of our manufacturing has been outsourced. Same thing as going to the store with the cheapest products and complaining that the staff are ignorant.

People want to pay the least possible while receiving the highest quality of service and product possible... the two things don't exist together...you get one or the other. And 99% of the time, 99% of Americans choose their products based on price alone....and it's usually the cheapest price.

This fundamental reality... in no small part due to excessive American wages (compared to the rest of the world) and other excessive expenses caused by government red tape and taxation, is why manufacturing for 95% of industries will never return to America in any meaningful way. Because people will never be willing to buy products at the cost that would be required for American manufacturing.

I nominate this for THF Quote of the Year award!!!

10 years ago or so there was a gunshop in the Denton area that posted in the classifieds here regularly. They would assemble an AR upper for you for $25 if you had the parts so I went up there one day with my parts and paid $25. I asked if I could watch because I was wanting to learn how to do it. Long story short I sat in with a couple of the "gunsmiths" while they put it together. Listening to the 2 guys talk I learned that AK's are better than AR"s because you can shoot down helicopters with AK's and no way in heck you can with an AR. I'd like to think they were joking but it was a serious conversation.

Also, when I asked them to check the headspace on the 300 blk upper after it was done he said he didn't have 300blk go / no go gauges so they were going to use 5.56. I said that ain't going to work and he said sure it will, same case.......long story short it didn't.

So dumbassery is not limited to just the gun counters in a gun store. I quit asking questions at them years ago.

Wonder what some people expect.........walk into Academy and speak to John Freaking Browning III ?

I kind of wish now I hadn’t even started this thread. My opening statement was, “I don't want to start another "How dumb those guys at Academy are" thread. A couple of the guys at my local Academy are really quite knowledgeable.” I just wanted to share an amusing encounter and didn’t expect so many responses.

My daughter and my grandson bought a bike for his birthday on Friday at Academy. No one helped them whatsoever - getting it off the rack, loading it, etc. Service at Academy sux. If the kids that "work" there are just gonna play grab-azz all day, as they seem to be every time I've gone in there, they could increase their profits by not hiring them in the first place. Accepting crappy service is how we got here. I made my living in sales and I busted my butt to take care of the customer. It was taught to me.

I don’t think I’ve ever gone to a nationwide retail store and expected expertise at the gun counter.

That's why bike shops exist. Every time I step foot in my local bike shop, the employees are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Expertise doesn't come cheap. Expectations should be tempered if you're buying a bike from Academy.

I’ll beat Gasguz to it and say I agree.
And as my sig line says, “keep your gratitude higher than your expectations”.

Prove it. Post it up where I have a condescending attitude towards employees of all stores. I managed a real gun store and was an archery mechanic back when the equipment required specialized knowledge so I know a bit about the subject.

Nope. Y'all lower your expectations if you want to, but I will not. Lower expectations has worked so well for our education system in this country. A man sees a young woman and her young son struggling and offers to help. A self-absorbed kid does not.