As with everything there are people whom are experts at what they do,or so they think!!Lots of the time these people talk the other,less knowing folks,into stuff?
For example,here in Pa. it is timberland,most of where you can hunt deer, with out a farmer to let you on his ground is.
A guy at the range uncases his gun and mounted on it is a 4 X 16 adjustable objective Swift scope! He tells me the guy at the gun shop told him that is the scope he needs on that gun for deer hunting!!!!!
OH MY MY!

Most salesmen don't do the picking of the stock in the store.

Went to a big box store and asked a fishing salesmen why they were stocking scopes with over 3x9 scopes. "Oh, those hunters want to set up their scopes for their 700 yard shots."

Had one at cabelas tell me this week that where they were from (southwest ks, where I've been hunting for a long time myself) they "couldn't give away a .308win because everybody wanted a .30-06 or .30-30 since it's so flat and the shooting is so long"...

I just smiled and handed back the rifle I was not buying from them...

I have run across lots of salesmen that should be selling in a convenience store, not a sporting goods store. I really wonder what the qualifications are to get a job in there.

You ought to try the Cabela's in East Hartford, CT. It is too funny. It almost makes the trip worthwhile. Many of the sales people are local and very urban. Many of the customers are too. I love getting hunting and shooting advice from the cute little urban girls who takes themselves very seriously. I don't want to slap them. I just thank them for their advice and try not to laugh.

I don't consider most of them to be "salesman" but low paid clerks,

I just want them to hand me the correct rifle off the shelf. I don't need them to tell me about it, if I have it in my hands I will already know more then they will about it.

The worst are the sales people in the ammo aisles.

it's amazing how the stores advertise there supposed experts and then you realize after a second or two that they should be sweeping the floors or cleaning the toilets they are just losing business at least from me because it usually causes me to walk out the door !!

They are everywhere. Pretty funny sometimes.

salesmen I can put in they're place pretty quick, have had a couple of close calls with some smiths, one I got a total refund from as long as Ipromised never to return, I told him it would be my pleasure.
RR