How much ammo do you need?

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How much ammo do you need?
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Being at a somewhat advanced age, I figure having enough ammo on hand to last me until I die is about right.

Some days I feel I'm going to have thousands of rounds left over.
Then other days I feel I need to stock up thousands of more rounds.

Mostly the former. :D
 
My standard reloading press for pistol and some rifle is a lee hand-press. They cost about $25, or $40ish with everything else you need except dies and components. Dies cost $25-$30 a set, so figure $80 for tools, another $100 for components (that'll get you 500 .357 bullets, 1000 primers, and a pound of powder around here) and, assuming you keep your current brass, you are good. Yeah, $180 is a lot sometimes, but the most expensive single item (the bullets) is about $50 or you can buy fewer at a go.
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Yeah, I think that is good plan Ed. I need (haha need....) a 1911. I have a budget, and I am very close to having enough saved. At that point I have all of my basic gun types covered to meet my particular needs and I am going to focus on ammo and accesories.

I use a Lee handload for the 7.62x54r but I think I want to go to a "real" setup. I will have about $200 in March and I hope to be able to get all the tools, supplies and components with that to at least start with one caliber. I am leaning towards the .357 as it is a revolver and my understanding is handloads for a semi need to be spot on to function properly.

If this is not the case, I will likley start with 9mm as I have 3 9mm's....
 
Since we are quoting numbers, here are mine. They are modest:

.22LR - 5500
9mm - 1850
7.62x39 - 2700
.223 Remington - 2430
7.62x25 - 1700
7.62x54R - 3300
.380ACP - 600
.44 Magnum - 675

They are modest but they serve me.
 
I don't have a set number of rounds that I keep on hand. What I try to do is buy some every month. If I'm wanting to buy a new fun of course I'll by less ammo. Do I need as much as I have on hand now? No however I don't expect it to get any cheaper in he future nothing else has. Every time I visit a store that sells ammo I buy atleast 1 box
 
ever think the amounts that get posted get saved somewhere with your IP address? did my foil hat just get a little tighter?
 
How much do you "need?" Well, it depends on what your needs are.

For self defense guns, I keep two boxes of defensive ammo, plus whatevers in the gun, magazines, tube, etc. When I take one of these guns to the range I shoot what's in the gun, then reload with defensive ammo before I leave. When one box is empty, I buy another, so I always have at least a box + my loaded gun on hand.

I figure that's more than enough for any self defense situation. I don't stockpile ammo or tin foil hats for the end of the world.

I do keep a minimum of one case of ammo onhand for every caliber I shoot - anytime I get close to opening that case, I'll buy another and cycle the old case out, so I always have between 1,000 and 2,000 rounds available. I figure a trip to the range or a training class is about 500 rounds per day, so I have a 2+ day cushion if I ever want to shoot, need to teach or want to take a class but can't get to the store. It also lets me be more discriminating when it comes to pricing.

Of course, I reload the calibers I shoot the most, and buy reloading components in bulk. Lets not get into how much of THAT is lying around.
 
No, haven't seen it but got it ordered on Netflix.

Now if I was that farmer, and I could be, I'd have some backup during any trading.
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The movie was crap. It paints a far out bleak picture of nuclear winter.

I hope it doesn't come to farmers trading under such circumstances. It certainly wouldn't be something very desirable.

However, concerning the OP, I don't think it's anybody's business how much of anything I have, whether ammo or food or money or anything else. I'm surprised by the audacity of some of the personal questions that are asked here and elsewhere that are no business of anyone else.
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you haven't had to reinforce the floor, you don't have enough.
 
I have enough components to load maybe 10-12k of pistol and rifle. Probably another 3-5k of factory rounds on hand (including .22's). This includes shotgun, which makes up maybe 1k.

Big thing to me are primers and powder. I've got over 12k of primers and about 40# of powder. Brass can be recycled.

If you aren't stocking up on primers, you're fooling yourself. Don't cry when the next shortage hits. IMG_0432.jpg
IMG_0434.jpg
 
Hey redneck - now that I know what you've got, can you post your address so I know where to come if I run out? :evil:

stchman - I also need your address. :)
 
Sure...

if you're foolish enough to try to steal it...

You can have it all, one bullet at a time

Now, there's a reason I posted the pix. I suspect a LOT of guys here think 10k of ammo is so absurd that it's out of the question. The pix only show maybe 25% or less of my stash. Some of those other drawers are full too.

You don't get this much over night. Buy a little here and there and it adds up.

There were literally hundreds of threads bitching about the ammo shortage just a few months ago. Wake up. It's gonna happen again. If you don't reload, learn. Buy factory ammo that you won't reload while you can.
 
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Sure...

if you're foolish enough to try to steal it...

You can have it all, one bullet at a time
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I was Kiddin! But, anyway, you should worry more about govt. jackboots. Remember the old saying: "loose lips sink ships..."
 
I try for the following: (Currently low on all counts)

1. 250 per bolt action shooter (Not including collectables)
2. 1000 per semi auto
3. 5000 in .22lr
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. If you haven't had to reinforce the floor, you don't have enough.
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:D

If my basement caves in, that means that I am sitting upon a subterranian ammunition storage facility, and that I have more room that I need to fill.
 
These are my benchmarks. Some I have a little less of; most I have a little more of:

500 rounds in each handgun caliber
100 rounds in each hunting rifle caliber
1500 rounds in 22lr
100 rounds shotgun shells, in various shot sizes

You don't realize how much ammo this really is until you have to move it. Sheesh! Makes you want to pare down to just one rifle and one or two handguns . . .
 
Enough to add a second round-trip flight within the continental United States via points to your credit-card over a year...

Surprised by how many have almost nothing in ammo to hundreds and those who have 10's of thousands.

Al
 
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A firearm without ammo is like a car without gas.....one should have a "full tank" and then some.
 
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