ammo stash?

1000 of each caliber.

If it is important to you... same amount as a short term cash reserve (6 months of normal living expenses or shooting). Average weekly rounds shot x 26 weeks = 1/2 year supply (rounded to even boxes). This might be two boxes of ammunition or cases of ammunition (per caliber). I like to have at least 100 rounds of every centerfire caliber I have a firearm for and 1000 rounds of 22LR minimum.

I try to keep on hand as much as I can resonably afford.

None, walmart always has ammo in stock if I need any.

I have guns in four calibers, but I only really need two: 9mm and .223/5.56.

Since there's no amount of ammo that could last you through a long-term drought or ban without serious rationing, I don't worry much about that. I just buy in bulk when I find good deals so I can keep my two key rounds over the 1,000 mark each.

I have more than that right now, but my only real goal is to keep them over 1,000 rounds each on hand.

All I can afford, the only problem if a total collapse happens I would have to sit tight, cause I couldn't carry all of it.

As a general rule, most people say 1,000 rounds per gun but I don't think that's very intelligent. It's more than enough for a short term event such as a riot or hurricane but totally inadequate for a long term event. If you're anticipating combat, bear in mind that our troops in VietNam frequently carried 600 to 1,000 rounds while on three day patrols instead of the allotted 200. And they sometimes used all of it!

So here's what I'm thinking. It depends of what kind of rainy day you're anticipating. Are you thinking of a riot situation such as S. California a few years ago or the chaos following Hurricane Katrina or are you thinking of an total end of world scenario aka The Living Dead or are you anticipating a total ban on new ammo? If you're thinking of a riot then a few hundreds rounds should be sufficient. If you're thinking of a ban then obviously you'd want as much as you can afford and can store. If you're thinking of an end of world then most people would say all you can get. But here's something else to think about; I think that they forget that it's likely they'd have to move to a safer, more defensible location. If they do have to move then how to they plan on moving say 5,000 rounds of .308 ammo??? If I was worried about this last scenario I would STRONGLY consider at a small lightweight caliber instead a more powerful caliber such as .22lr or .22 Hornet instead of .308. You may not be able to kill everything on this continent with it but you can carry a thousand rounds of .22 in a couple of large pockets, you can't hardly carry a thousand rounds of .308!

Personally I don't worry about an end of world scenario but the others do concern me somewhat. I don't try to hoard huge amounts of ammo but I do buy mine in large quantities (case size lots, MOL 1,000 rounds) every time that I need ammo so I do have a good amount on hand and it also has two other immediate advantages. One, is that it's cheaper. Two, is that since all the rounds are from the same lot, they shoot consistantly and I don't have to re-adjust my sights until I buy more ammo, usually not for many years. As it turns out I haven't bought hardly any ammo since well before the current rush on ammo and buying a large amount back when it was cheaper has turned out to be a dam smart thing to do! Everything that I own has lost value except the ammo!

PS I keep reloading tools, lead and bullet moulds and plenty of powder and primers for all of my primary weapons. If something does happen, I will also be able to reload ammo as a secondary reserve. Given time I could easily load well over 30,000 rounds with what I have on hand right now. And like the ammo, all of this stuff has gone up in value significantly in the last few years so they're a good investment even if I never had to use them.

Just wondering what other people think about the #of rounds to stash away for a dark rainy day.

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My idea of a "rainy day" is a day that I can't afford or don't have time to go buy target/plinking ammo. I don't plan on zombies, government collapse or invading armies.

I keep 1000 or so for each caliber. Except for the stuff I don't shoot as often (like my sks and my enfield). For 22's...wow, I'm likely to have several 1000 rounds at any time. I keep about 8-10 glock and ar mags loaded and at the ready, plus an ammo belt next to the 870 full of different rounds. All of this sits in the safe (except for 2 spare mags sitting in the nightstand), my ccw piece for the day is usually all that sits at the ready.

For defensive purposes, I figure that 500 rounds each for the pistol and the AR should see me through any realistic situation.

For training and practice, I keep ammo and/or components sufficient to keep me in practice for three months - that's around 6000 rounds of 9mm and .40, 2000 rounds of 5.56mm, and 1000 rounds of 12ga. birdshot and slugs.

-C

In that case, one round. For me.

Mass collapse of society is not a realistic scenario to prepare for. Hurricane Katrina, yes. The 2009 primer shortage, sure. Fallout: New Vegas, no.

-C

Just wondering what other people think about the #of rounds to stash away for a dark rainy day. I've got numbers in my head but curious on other peoples thoughts.

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Different people have different needs/wants.

I'm talking TEOTWAWKI and the ammo stored at the place that you will be holed up at so to speak.

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I'd say a thousand rounds per center fire caliber would be a bare minimum. 10,000 rounds of 22LR.
More if you have several family members.

I figure if it got to the point where city people are shooting each other for a gallon of water, you can't have too much ammo. What you don't need you can trade for what you do need.
I figure a M1 Carbine and a couple hundred rounds of ammo will get me a horse.



BTW, if you haven't read it, read Lucifer's Hammer. It gives what could be a very realistic view of how people might behave in order to survive.

For the most part I just "stash" enough to last between reloading sessions.

I'm still working on a few cases of Blazer 9mm that I bought at Academy for $3.86 a box because I didn't think I could save enough reloading to pass it up at that price. (I don't shoot much 9mm, so it will last a while.)

I'm also working on a bunch of LC 30-06 I got from CMP before the last price hike and have an unopened spam can of the Greek stuff from the ~30 cents per round era. Does that count as a stash? Shot the last of my Danish '06 early last year...

I'm talking TEOTWAWKI and the ammo stored at the place that you will be holed up at so to speak.

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This is The High Road. We don't do TEOTWAWKI threads.

Quantity stashed is a pretty ambiguous number but you should think seriously about stocking some 9mm, .223 and 22LR since these seem to be the most universally used cartridges. If your going to find a weapon on the ground in your travels it is a good chance it may be one of these.

Also, ammo. can be a powerful means of trade in a prolonged situation as ammo. equals protection and food procurement so it indeed has more value.
Take for example, If your storing 1000 rounds of .270, it will likely only add value to you since it is not a typical cartridge.

On another thought, owning a 44 magnum and .357 magnum would potentially be a good choice since these calibers can use 2 different rounds (44 special, albeit rare, and 38 special, respectively)

Just a thought

I try to keep a few 1000 of each of .223, 22lr, 9mm, and 45acp. I don't own an AK or SKS, but I would think that 7.62X39 would be a nice caliber to have a rifle in since most of our enemies will be shooting them.

None, walmart always has ammo in stock if I need any.

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That didn't work out too well for most of 2009/2010.


-Matt

buggin out or staying put while the inner city peoples pass by your urban location after the electric goes out??
--im not the only one to notice the states going broke and the police not being able to keep up with the courts letting the felons free??

45acp with 10 mags, red dot (laser can give away your position) and a 22 bullseye quality conversion with 4 mags. from 0 to 100 yards you are ok. 1000 stash abd 4 bricks.

357 lever marlin and a 357 S&W m60 3 to 5 inch. 1000 rounds
3-9 nikon and you are good past 125 yards

if you need to keep peoples back further, a 308 scoped with 200 rounds

houses close together--ar 223 with 7 30 rounders and 1000 rounds

a square dead to make pistol ammo and a 4 hole lee for rifle and duplicate pistol dies just in case. stock the fixens for 4K 45 and 357; 1K 308 and 2K 223.

figure it may last 3 months before 'normal' commerce resumes. so stock food and such; silver coins to barter for one.

I reload and I try to stockpile components and then keep about 1000rds of each caliber loaded. I never let my primers get below 3000 and order in 5,000pc increments. On my more rare cartriges, such as 303 and 30-30, I will only keep 100-200 on hand (loaded). I shoot alot of 9mm and 5.565 so I always have over 1000rds loaded for them with plenty of components to load more.

I was able to get primers all the way through the shortage for pretty reasonable prices. I am trying to keep more on hand now because I started reloading right before the 2008 elections.

I also store 5,000-10,000 22lr at all times. Never know when a shortage could hit again.

I happen to have close to 700 in each caliber. I am not too interested in loading any more, until this number diminishes, significantly. My ammo shelf is only so big.

I don't worry about the end of the world. I'm old enough where surviving that is becoming less of an issue and possibility.

There is no such thing as too much ammo but there is such a thing as too much to carry. If you plan on walking I would not worry about it too much. A thousand rounds of .308 weighs 62 pounds. .223 is 26 pounds and 9mm is 22 pounds. I can't walk like I used to, my legs are shot. I'm driving or staying home.

I've got about 800 rounds of 6.5, 100 12 gauge and probably around 2,500 9mm. Which is probably excessive. The 9mm is mostly range stuff and I'll shoot that much in a few months, I shot 5,000 rounds of 9mm last year. If you think you can survive enough gunfights to use that much ammo you are crazy. But it would be pretty good trading material.