I mean I was pretty much with you until you made this very condescending point. I don't think a young shooter asking around what people who have lived through the significant droughts of previous administrations would consider is a respectable enough of ammo is is lacking in skill, knowledge, or critical thinking ability.
Part of critical-thinking and knowledge is learning from people who have been there.
I did not intend it to be read as condescending toward the person new to firearms. I intended it to be condescending to the people who have big supplies of ammo stockpiled but have neglected the weightier matters. Really, I didn't intend it to be condescending, but especially not toward people that are only just realizing the virtue of firearms ownership -- some of them might be young as you say and not had opportunity until now. It doesn't really matter what their reason for waiting until now is. I'm not judging them. No matter what, I'd still wish it to be rewarding for them.
The point I was trying to make was that they need to see all the responsibilities that they have to themselves if they can be expected to stick with it. It's not condescending of me to assess that they lack firearms-related skill, knowledge and critical thinking ability if they've never done anything to gain those things. If we could just relieve their burden in firearms and ammunition consumption, it wouldn't by itself contribute meaningfully to creating long-term commitment to firearms ownership and responsible usage. It would just cause a higher spike in purchases followed by a glut in used guns and depressed prices, excess production capacity and bankrupted producers.
The lack of skill, knowledge, and critical thinking ability I was referring to is the one common to nearly all new owners (with some exceptions) as well as to many people who have owned guns and possessed an abundance of ammo through many cycles. They've been pre-occupied with buying guns and ammo.
What I'm saying to new firearms owners is that it's a package deal. It's not just buying the gun and buying the ammo, and then solving the problem of buying more. Whether you carry, hunt or compete, it doesn't primarily consist of buying stuff. I'm saying to a person wondering how much ammo they should have, to also wonder how much skill, knowledge, and critical thinking ability they should have and if they're going to stockpile ammo, think about stockpiling those things. How many gun owners have enough of those things stockpiled? How many of them are working fervently to buy more guns and stockpile ammo, but doing nothing about stockpiling ability, understanding, and judgment?