How much ammo do you need?
- Thread starter The_Pretender
- Start date
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5k/weapon
I shoot a lot.
I train others to shoot a lot.
Buying in bulk saves money.
I shoot a lot.
I train others to shoot a lot.
Buying in bulk saves money.
oldfool
Member
I own ~40 assorted firearms
(3) rimfire calibers
(5) centerfire handgun calibers (counting 38/357 as just one)
(2) centerfire rifle calibers
(3) shotgun gauges
only rarely shoot most of those, and "really" only shoot (~98% of the time)
(3) rimfire calibers
(2) handgun centerfire calibers (38/357 and 380acp)
I don't reload, not because I disapprove in any way, just various and sundry other practical reasons
not a competition shooter (lacking in discretionary time, wherewithal, and talent)
do shoot at range every week, it's pretty much my "one fun just me thing, quiet time" to do thing
I usually have 50-100 rounds of what I don't very often shoot
I probably don't have more than 50 shotgun shells in total
doubt I have 20 rounds each of centerfire rifle ammo in hand
I have 50-100 rounds each of 38+p JHP (for handguns) and 357 JHP each (for carbines), "just in case", which I only practice with infrequently
(my mostly "just for serious stuff" ammo, because they all shoot 38sp range fodder just fine)
I keep 300-400 rounds of 17HMR on hand, and 500-700 rounds of 22WMR on hand, both of which is ~3X more than I really need to keep on hand
I (now) keep 500-1000 rounds of 38 range fodder on hand
I keep 250 or LESS rounds of 380acp on hand, and I am getting real peevish about it, too
going to have to go back to 38sp snubbie carry, if somebody doesn't do something about that real soon
I (now) keep at least 5000 rounds of 22 rimfire on hand
I really do think there is "a guy who knows a guy" at the local wallyworld, but it ain't me, and I am getting real peevish about it, too
I used to not keep more than a 100 rounds of anything but 22 rimfire on hand, and only 2-3 bricks of that
just pick up on way to range what I was going to shoot up that day
then (couple years ago) rising prices, started picking up twofers
then, too often couldn't count for sure on finding any on any given day, so started picking up threefers
but I still only keep ONE roll of duct tape on hand
If hurricane is maybe coming, I check up on stock of canned goods, water, ice, candles, batteries, propane, and toilet paper (and fill up the vehicle gas tank, just in case)... already got more ammo than I will ever use in a few weeks, and when the zombies come for me, I figure to be lucky to take out 3 or 4 before they eat me anyway (I ain't that good at head shots no more)
but THEN...
the Hate-N-Fear/Panic/SHTF/world-is-ending, zombie/martian/ninja invasion crowd got really serious
ever since, pretty much driven to checking places whilst traveling for the purpose of working to keep the family fed
never yet got desperate enough to pay just-plain-silly prices, but just restock on whatever's there in the calibers I shoot most
(except 380acp, of course)
No, I do NOT think OP was trolling for SHTF, but that is too frequently (almost always) where these threads go, in case nobody noticed
"buy more rope"
I have only "seen" two major "SHTF" very real deals in my entire lifetime
the LA riots and the Katrina event
I don't live in either LA or New orleans, on purpose (call me lucky)
Call me a fool, but I am real hard pressed to believe that even ONE law-abiding CIVILIAN ever shot up 50 rounds of self-defense ammo during either event.. but I would gladly have sold my #1 favorite gun to give somebody a drink of clean water in New Orleans, in a heartbeat, if I could have believed it would actually get done
but I was not there, of course (call me lucky)
The US military forces might just invade me any day now, of course
but I think 99% of U.S. soldiers and U.S. street cops are people just like you and me, and just like our own children
me, I think people who think they need 5,000 or 60,000 rounds of "defense" ammo to fight off their neighbor's children are not part of the solution, they just might be part of the problem
can't blame anybody (and do not) for stocking up whatever they can to beat the prices thing; but it just "does not compute"; people who are so frightened that they stock up 100X the rounds they shoot weekly
mostly, I am real doggone sure I could find more 380acp, if Walter Mitty had not been such a prolific fool
(and I am getting real peevish about it, too)
YMMV
Me and Uncle Jack know what we think about it, and Uncle Jack has seen more idiots, liars, charlatans, and fools of every religious/political persuasion than I ever will, and I have already seen way too many of ALL flavors
(me have seen a few, and they don't fit any one hate-name-game-label either)
PS
no, I don't mind if you stock up a 100,000 rounds of 223, just QUIT buying up 380 acp please !
(no, you are NOT going to win the next world war with 10,000 rounds of 380acp anyway, get over it already)
No, me got nothing against "black", (always did like ladies in black lace, one in particular), just never did think I needed 10,000 rounds to get it done... win, lose, or draw
(3) rimfire calibers
(5) centerfire handgun calibers (counting 38/357 as just one)
(2) centerfire rifle calibers
(3) shotgun gauges
only rarely shoot most of those, and "really" only shoot (~98% of the time)
(3) rimfire calibers
(2) handgun centerfire calibers (38/357 and 380acp)
I don't reload, not because I disapprove in any way, just various and sundry other practical reasons
not a competition shooter (lacking in discretionary time, wherewithal, and talent)
do shoot at range every week, it's pretty much my "one fun just me thing, quiet time" to do thing
I usually have 50-100 rounds of what I don't very often shoot
I probably don't have more than 50 shotgun shells in total
doubt I have 20 rounds each of centerfire rifle ammo in hand
I have 50-100 rounds each of 38+p JHP (for handguns) and 357 JHP each (for carbines), "just in case", which I only practice with infrequently
(my mostly "just for serious stuff" ammo, because they all shoot 38sp range fodder just fine)
I keep 300-400 rounds of 17HMR on hand, and 500-700 rounds of 22WMR on hand, both of which is ~3X more than I really need to keep on hand
I (now) keep 500-1000 rounds of 38 range fodder on hand
I keep 250 or LESS rounds of 380acp on hand, and I am getting real peevish about it, too
going to have to go back to 38sp snubbie carry, if somebody doesn't do something about that real soon
I (now) keep at least 5000 rounds of 22 rimfire on hand
I really do think there is "a guy who knows a guy" at the local wallyworld, but it ain't me, and I am getting real peevish about it, too
I used to not keep more than a 100 rounds of anything but 22 rimfire on hand, and only 2-3 bricks of that
just pick up on way to range what I was going to shoot up that day
then (couple years ago) rising prices, started picking up twofers
then, too often couldn't count for sure on finding any on any given day, so started picking up threefers
but I still only keep ONE roll of duct tape on hand
If hurricane is maybe coming, I check up on stock of canned goods, water, ice, candles, batteries, propane, and toilet paper (and fill up the vehicle gas tank, just in case)... already got more ammo than I will ever use in a few weeks, and when the zombies come for me, I figure to be lucky to take out 3 or 4 before they eat me anyway (I ain't that good at head shots no more)
but THEN...
the Hate-N-Fear/Panic/SHTF/world-is-ending, zombie/martian/ninja invasion crowd got really serious
ever since, pretty much driven to checking places whilst traveling for the purpose of working to keep the family fed
never yet got desperate enough to pay just-plain-silly prices, but just restock on whatever's there in the calibers I shoot most
(except 380acp, of course)
No, I do NOT think OP was trolling for SHTF, but that is too frequently (almost always) where these threads go, in case nobody noticed
"buy more rope"
I have only "seen" two major "SHTF" very real deals in my entire lifetime
the LA riots and the Katrina event
I don't live in either LA or New orleans, on purpose (call me lucky)
Call me a fool, but I am real hard pressed to believe that even ONE law-abiding CIVILIAN ever shot up 50 rounds of self-defense ammo during either event.. but I would gladly have sold my #1 favorite gun to give somebody a drink of clean water in New Orleans, in a heartbeat, if I could have believed it would actually get done
but I was not there, of course (call me lucky)
The US military forces might just invade me any day now, of course
but I think 99% of U.S. soldiers and U.S. street cops are people just like you and me, and just like our own children
me, I think people who think they need 5,000 or 60,000 rounds of "defense" ammo to fight off their neighbor's children are not part of the solution, they just might be part of the problem
can't blame anybody (and do not) for stocking up whatever they can to beat the prices thing; but it just "does not compute"; people who are so frightened that they stock up 100X the rounds they shoot weekly
mostly, I am real doggone sure I could find more 380acp, if Walter Mitty had not been such a prolific fool
(and I am getting real peevish about it, too)
YMMV
Me and Uncle Jack know what we think about it, and Uncle Jack has seen more idiots, liars, charlatans, and fools of every religious/political persuasion than I ever will, and I have already seen way too many of ALL flavors
(me have seen a few, and they don't fit any one hate-name-game-label either)
PS
no, I don't mind if you stock up a 100,000 rounds of 223, just QUIT buying up 380 acp please !
(no, you are NOT going to win the next world war with 10,000 rounds of 380acp anyway, get over it already)
No, me got nothing against "black", (always did like ladies in black lace, one in particular), just never did think I needed 10,000 rounds to get it done... win, lose, or draw
Roccobro
Member
"Need"? Just one perfect round for each intended target.
"Want"? As much as I can afford.
Justin
"Want"? As much as I can afford.
Justin
The_Pretender
Member
I tend to agree with you there, but you would be surprised how some people act when they start getting hungry....
I tell you what- if something happens like that nation/world wide, the guy grabbing the TV(Looters from Katrina footage) is going to have serious problems. Better be after food/seeds.
I appreciate nearly all that have responded. I mostly was interested in how I lined up with other fellow gun owners, as for now I only have my friends and family to compare to.
I thought maybe I was getting a little too much, kinda felt weird.
And to be clear, I was not referring to a post-apocalypse environment. Just wondered what the general consensus was for on hand acquisitions.
tango2echo
Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 811
I started to realize I had "almost enough" last year when I would get 1-3 phone calls a day from "friends" asking if I had so-and-so because Wal-mart and all the gun stores were out.........
Ed Ames
Member
The fact that you put the LA riots next to Katrina on the same scale says something about just how Television-centric LA is. I remember LA pretty well...people weren't showing up for work, afraid to do anything...it was weird, but...
The main things I remember was that scumbag Daryl Gates going on TV and saying the number one priority was police officer safety even as 53 citizens died and thousands were injured. And Korean liquor store owners with rifles, Scientologists with baseball bats, and others defending their property while the cops stayed in their shelters waiting until it was safe to go outside. I remember coworkers 30 miles from any rioting, in suburban Orange County, afraid to go outside too. But....
In no way does that compare to 1800+ dead and 700+ missing in Katrina. It doesn't measure up to Ike from a year and a half ago w/ over 100 dead. It had less actual life impact than the Northridge or Santa Cruiz Mt. earthquakes, with about 60 dead each. For that matter, it was less of a SHTF for many than some of the SoCal fire seasons (e.g. 2003).
My take is that there have been more legitimate SHTF-type situations going on around you than you credit...but LA has more cameras so it gets more attention than it deserves.
Not knocking you at all BTW... more like knocking LA for being a bunch of drama queens... and pointing out that an event doesn't have to leave a smoldering crater to be serious to those in the middle of it.
tango2echo
Member
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2008
- Messages
- 811
Well said, Mr. Ames
alemonkey
Member
"A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition."
Rudyard Kipling
Rudyard Kipling
oldfool
Member
OP
I don't think you and I disagree about anything you said there
(not that I said anything worth saying)
"you would be surprised how some people act when they start getting hungry...."
probably not, extreme unlikely
and we both easy could do that if we were both looking to feed the people we loved, you and I just might be shooting at each other (sure hope not)
but I just don't think the 2nd Civil War or Ivan the Terrible or the Red Threat or the next Reich or the next Holy War is going to make it happen, not world-wide (not short of anything you cannot kill with a bullet), much less hate-n-fear tv, maybe not even nuclear war (it really is a whole lot harder than it sounds to actually kill 6 billion people, even if you are a microbe)
but if the electricity ever goes off for 60 days continuous nationwide, let's partner up, because people who will stand together will be far better off than anybody else with any size ammunition hoard. Those who stand alone, die alone, and quicker than most, no matter what caliber they carry, no matter how much, 10 rounds or 10,000.
"I tell you what- if something happens like that nation/world wide"
could happen in the next 10 minutes, but I am not stocking up on ammo to stop it, or laying awake at night waiting for it (or building an atomic underground bomb shelter in the back yard)....because 100 rounds vs. 100,000 rounds is not what will count.. and it has happened in "nations" many times over, and it will happen again, but if it happens before dawn tomorrow, 10,000 rounds of ammo will not decide whether you or I survive it.
Then again, a few dozen rounds could make a really big difference.
"I thought maybe I was getting a little too much, kinda felt weird."
No, not hardly, don't feel all alone.
I am holding more than I thought i ever would... weird
Not because I fear the end of the world as we know it
mostly because wallyworld has bare shelves
but if the electricity really do go off tomorrow, there are others in our family & friends, not just me, who either will survive it or not, not for lack of sufficient ammo, nor because of lots of ammo on hand
Then again, a few dozen rounds could make a really big difference.
Each.
I don't think you and I disagree about anything you said there
(not that I said anything worth saying)
"you would be surprised how some people act when they start getting hungry...."
probably not, extreme unlikely
and we both easy could do that if we were both looking to feed the people we loved, you and I just might be shooting at each other (sure hope not)
but I just don't think the 2nd Civil War or Ivan the Terrible or the Red Threat or the next Reich or the next Holy War is going to make it happen, not world-wide (not short of anything you cannot kill with a bullet), much less hate-n-fear tv, maybe not even nuclear war (it really is a whole lot harder than it sounds to actually kill 6 billion people, even if you are a microbe)
but if the electricity ever goes off for 60 days continuous nationwide, let's partner up, because people who will stand together will be far better off than anybody else with any size ammunition hoard. Those who stand alone, die alone, and quicker than most, no matter what caliber they carry, no matter how much, 10 rounds or 10,000.
"I tell you what- if something happens like that nation/world wide"
could happen in the next 10 minutes, but I am not stocking up on ammo to stop it, or laying awake at night waiting for it (or building an atomic underground bomb shelter in the back yard)....because 100 rounds vs. 100,000 rounds is not what will count.. and it has happened in "nations" many times over, and it will happen again, but if it happens before dawn tomorrow, 10,000 rounds of ammo will not decide whether you or I survive it.
Then again, a few dozen rounds could make a really big difference.
"I thought maybe I was getting a little too much, kinda felt weird."
No, not hardly, don't feel all alone.
I am holding more than I thought i ever would... weird
Not because I fear the end of the world as we know it
mostly because wallyworld has bare shelves
but if the electricity really do go off tomorrow, there are others in our family & friends, not just me, who either will survive it or not, not for lack of sufficient ammo, nor because of lots of ammo on hand
Then again, a few dozen rounds could make a really big difference.
Each.
oldfool
Member
Ed Ames
rare to get a realistic perspective on real events, real time
thanks !
me, like I said, I wasn't there...
but your insights certainly do not not diminish my own cynical view of "reality TV" or of the mass media at large (no matter what slant they are pitching). It's not just LA, it is the world we live in today. Tougher than it used to be, everybody selling something, "famous for 15 minutes", agendas, spin, ratings
two sides to every coin, though
Never saw anything on mass media that ever impressed me more than what I saw about
Katrina, about the people who (non-gun related) I never knew, never met, but cannot forget
or those NYFD guys who RAN into WTC without hesitation
(don't tell me they did not know the odds)
but you are absolutely right, it happens every day, unseen, unknown
real disasters, real SHTF, and very real heroes, some in uniform, many not
not "Red Dawn", not FOX, not MSNBC
but thousands rounds of ammo on hand very rarely is either the problem, or the solution
Then again, a few dozen rounds on hand can make a really big difference
maybe did for some of those LA shop owners, when LAPD was not there when needed
but if a few dozen rounds was not enough, a few thousand rounds would not have been enough, either
subjective perspective, you have to pick your own
rare to get a realistic perspective on real events, real time
thanks !
me, like I said, I wasn't there...
but your insights certainly do not not diminish my own cynical view of "reality TV" or of the mass media at large (no matter what slant they are pitching). It's not just LA, it is the world we live in today. Tougher than it used to be, everybody selling something, "famous for 15 minutes", agendas, spin, ratings
two sides to every coin, though
Never saw anything on mass media that ever impressed me more than what I saw about
Katrina, about the people who (non-gun related) I never knew, never met, but cannot forget
or those NYFD guys who RAN into WTC without hesitation
(don't tell me they did not know the odds)
but you are absolutely right, it happens every day, unseen, unknown
real disasters, real SHTF, and very real heroes, some in uniform, many not
not "Red Dawn", not FOX, not MSNBC
but thousands rounds of ammo on hand very rarely is either the problem, or the solution
Then again, a few dozen rounds on hand can make a really big difference
maybe did for some of those LA shop owners, when LAPD was not there when needed
but if a few dozen rounds was not enough, a few thousand rounds would not have been enough, either
subjective perspective, you have to pick your own
HK G3
Member
How much ammo do I need?
Enough to stop a threat.
Now, how much ammo would I want is a completely different story, and would likely require several cargo containers...
Enough to stop a threat.
Now, how much ammo would I want is a completely different story, and would likely require several cargo containers...
Southern Rebel
Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2009
- Messages
- 154
Big Bill, I didn't stock up. I just waited until a couple of guys that had stocked up ran into a real need for quick money. It is amazing what having ready cash can accomplish.
My best purchase was from one of my casual friends who had been telling me about how he had "seen it coming" and it was my fault for not seeing it. Then his wife decided to bug out on him and took all of the money in their bank account and ran up the tab on their credit cards. Suddenly, he had an immediate need for quick cash and a quick lawyer.
I bought most of his stash of ammo at probably less than he paid for it. Yeah, I could have told him I saw it coming (knowing his wife and him pretty well), but best not to further anger a man who still had a minimum stock of ammo left.
The other guy got laid off and suddenly rent money and grocery money became more important to him than a room full of ammo.
Yep, it is important to have the foresight to "see it coming", but that phrase applies to a lot more preparation for life's personal little shtf than just piling up ammunition.
redneck2
Member
I don't keep that much for SHTF situations. Most likely that would take relatively little. You're not going to get into a Vietnam style fire fight consuming thousands of rounds.
I'm planning a prairie dog hunt in May. We'll (hopefully) use between 1,500 to 3,000 rounds just there.
I'm looking way down the road to the next ammo/primer/powder shortage. Price isn't going down and availability may be (much) worse.
I'm planning a prairie dog hunt in May. We'll (hopefully) use between 1,500 to 3,000 rounds just there.
I'm looking way down the road to the next ammo/primer/powder shortage. Price isn't going down and availability may be (much) worse.
Hatterasguy
Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2010
- Messages
- 1,604
The ammo bubble is already starting to pop so I'm not in a rush to buy any. I think this spring I'll pick up a 1k rounds of 5.56 when I see a good deal.
I have half a dozen mags for the Sig, thats all I need. I don't beleive in having more than I can carry.
I don't feel that ammunition is a good investment so I don't stock up on it. God forbid I'm ever stuck in a Katrina I think that a standard GI load of say 10 mags is probably going to be more than enough, if not overkill. You just need to scare the looters away for a bit, not fight WW3.
I have half a dozen mags for the Sig, thats all I need. I don't beleive in having more than I can carry.
I don't feel that ammunition is a good investment so I don't stock up on it. God forbid I'm ever stuck in a Katrina I think that a standard GI load of say 10 mags is probably going to be more than enough, if not overkill. You just need to scare the looters away for a bit, not fight WW3.
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