I wish I had bought more too. But that wish and $5 will get me a cup of coffee.
How much ammo is "enough?"
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Cannibul
Member
I went to the range Saturday.
In the truck I had:
8,000 rounds of 9mm
2,000 rounds of 45 ACP
2,000 rounds of 300 Blackout
3,000 rounds of 22 LR
My baseline is 10K of 9mm on hand, 5K of 45 ACP, 2,000 of 300 Blackout, 3,000 of 223, 2,000 of 7.62x51, 500 rounds of 30-06, 1000 rounds of 10mm, 1000 rounds each of 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 327 FM.
I currently have ~40k of 22 LR on hand. I just picked up a 22 Mag rifle so I need to stock up on that, I don't think I've got more than 500-600 rounds of that on hand.
It's to be noted that I reload. I have three buckets of 9mm brass. I have the components to reload all of that and still have components left. I've got 2+ buckets of 45 ACP brass and have the components to reload all of that and have some left over. By buckets I mean those Home Depot Homer buckets. I need to load up some 7.62x39 one of these days. I've got everything I need to do so, I'm just waiting for it to cool down.
Some people call me crazy....I prefer to call it being prepared. I'm able to shoot as much as I want for at least the next 4 years.
In the truck I had:
8,000 rounds of 9mm
2,000 rounds of 45 ACP
2,000 rounds of 300 Blackout
3,000 rounds of 22 LR
My baseline is 10K of 9mm on hand, 5K of 45 ACP, 2,000 of 300 Blackout, 3,000 of 223, 2,000 of 7.62x51, 500 rounds of 30-06, 1000 rounds of 10mm, 1000 rounds each of 38 Spl, 357 Mag, 44 Mag, 327 FM.
I currently have ~40k of 22 LR on hand. I just picked up a 22 Mag rifle so I need to stock up on that, I don't think I've got more than 500-600 rounds of that on hand.
It's to be noted that I reload. I have three buckets of 9mm brass. I have the components to reload all of that and still have components left. I've got 2+ buckets of 45 ACP brass and have the components to reload all of that and have some left over. By buckets I mean those Home Depot Homer buckets. I need to load up some 7.62x39 one of these days. I've got everything I need to do so, I'm just waiting for it to cool down.
Some people call me crazy....I prefer to call it being prepared. I'm able to shoot as much as I want for at least the next 4 years.
One round more than I currently have. I reload all of the centerfire cartridges I use. Plenty of stuff on hand for more. But what I have done for years is every time I go somewhere that sell 22 rimfire I buy a brick or in the case of things like shorts a box or two. The plan is to die with enough to supply my kids for a bit.
Cannibul
Member
Ahh.... it's like the Right number of guns formula!!!!
(number of guns currently owned) + 1 = The right number of guns.
illinoisburt
Member
The best advice is always don't go into hock or spend money needed for other things just because the internet says the sky is falling. Figure out how much you have realistically used in past years. It's probably safe to assume things will change one way or another in the future, but for the next 6 months to a year we are probably set. Store what make you comfortable to get through it. If it doesn't require a forlift to move, that's still okay.
cardinalorange
Member
I like to carry 500 rounds in 3 different weights for all my hunting rifles and components to reload 1-2k more of each (some share powders, etc). I like to carry 1-2k for my pistol. My buddies carry 10k for pistol and 3-4k per rifle, so it's completely up to how much you feel comfortable with.
Tallinar
Member
This is totally arbitrary, and everyone's ideas will differ, but this is my own personal sense of what feels like "fully stocked." Reloading components excluded.
1,000 rounds of each of the major centerfire cartridges I shoot
2,000 rounds of .22 LR
200 rounds each of 12/20 gauge target loads
20 rounds each of 12/20 gauge slugs
20 rounds of 12 gauge 00 buck
Also, I am not fully stocked.
1,000 rounds of each of the major centerfire cartridges I shoot
2,000 rounds of .22 LR
200 rounds each of 12/20 gauge target loads
20 rounds each of 12/20 gauge slugs
20 rounds of 12 gauge 00 buck
Also, I am not fully stocked.
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Trunk Monkey
member
42
I think you're ignorant and naive. I say that seriously and without condescension. I also say it at the risk that you'll get offended and ignore my sound advice. I take it that you're training in the infantry and your otherwise (short) lifetime experience with guns means you're not incompetent handling them safely and responsibly. I'm not claiming that you're incompetent or foolish -- I suspect quite the opposite. Ignorance is a lack of knowledge or information. Naivety is a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment. Those are the dictionary definitions which I'm hoping you don't find offensive, but fitting. My advice is to start stockpiling those things. I'm not trying to claim that you aren't -- for all I know, you've started. Good. You and a lot of other people are thinking about their need for ammo right now. I'm advising to be thinking about practical ways to stockpile these things too. Maybe you in particular don't need as much weapons manipulation training as some other people that are looking for ammo. How's your vehicle tactics in a civilian environment? Have you done any training in vehicle tactics with an instructor and force on force like the courses offered by Sage Dynamics or Centrifuge Training? How much do you think you know about the legal questions surrounding the use of deadly force? Have you taken a class like MAG20 - Armed Citizens Rules of Engagement or the Level 1 Core Course for Law of Self-Defense? What do you know about handling potentially lethal force situations besides the gun-handling part? What are your verbal skills? How do you handle stress? What are your post-shooting skills like? I don't know, maybe you shoot for hunting and competition too. I could ask just as many questions about those things that have nothing to do with equipment.
People who feel the need to posture to strangers on the internet about how wise they are or insist that their advice is sound are generally not people one should be taking advice from.
I'm asking about how much ammo one might realistically need to anticipate having to not break the bank if we get another president who wants to pass another Assault Weapons Ban. Meanwhile, you're talking about vehicle tactics in a civilian environment, verbal skills, or insisting I need to take a $1000 class from the same clowns that trying to simulate active shooter scenarios in some range in the suburbs. No offense, but infantry veterans and active duty soldiers see a lot of those civilian training camps as pretty laughable. Truth is, the amount of endurance, mental toughness, physical fitness, and muscle-memory that comes with learning how to actively engage trained fighters who are trying to kill you isn't something you're going to learn in a 2 week camp or class.
As far as knowing when you can and cannot execute lethal force (and where you can or cannot carry), that's something you should know before you even apply for a concealed carry permit in the first place. Moreover, the law isn't black and white as to when lethal force is allowed or not deemed excessive (as we've seen recently with virtually every police shooting in the last six months), and laws change all the time. So what you learned in a class yesterday might not be good tomorrow.
So I guess I'll just stay ignorant and naive and ignore your very sound wise advice.
As for everybody else who actually answered, I think you guys and gals have been really helpful. It's given me a lot of perspective and I think I have a realistic number. If anyone is curious, what I actually did was:
Counted the amount that I shoot in a given year
Consider how much space I have to safely lock up / store ammunition
Checked my local laws to see how much I'm allowed to have stored
Considered, if necessary, how much I plan on spending to save money in the long run if we get a non-gun-friendly president
Considered how much I actually have to comfortably spend (not much)
Turns out it's actually way less than I anticipated.
This right here is the silver bullet, in my opinion. To me (almost) everyone's perspective was really valuable, but the whole "sky is falling" / ammo panic I've seen over the past few months is really no reason to go hoarding it. I'll have enough to last me now. So super thanks to you.
I don't know if you'll read this, but this actually made me laugh out loud.
Golfanaticshooter
Member
This!
And on that note, let's call this one quits.
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