A serious question regarding ammo. How much is realistically needed?

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I have to stock up because buying any ammo in my province is an excercise in frustration.

We need to record/photocopy your drivers license, we need to record/photocopy your firearms license, and even though I'm just a non-licensed retail worker I need to carry your ammunition to the cashier because I'm much more qualified then you who is fully licensed. Oh, what ammo do you need ? Oh we don't have that. What ? You see it ? What shelf ? This one ? No ? This one ? No ? Can you point to it ? Ok. Oh, the register is demanding your firearms license ? You already gave that information at the ammo counter ? Wait, I need to call the manager. Betty ? We have a customer here who wants to buy ammo and refuses to show his license. The manager is on the way, step to the side so I can serve the next customer while you wait.:banghead:

I'd stock up enough for the next 50 years if I had the room. Once is too often for buying ammo.
 
This is too much ammo:

http://www.hnd.usace.army.mil/pao/CEAInfo/cat5.jpg

Doesn't even have a roof. Wow


Anyone know what these are?
k2south.jpg
 
Guys, I'm trying to keep this about personal ammunition supplies, NOT about munitions for small wars that are patently illegal for civilian possesion. There is a difference.
 
Ben... you think you're better stocked than most?

Here's a partial list of MY stock...

4 to 10 cases of .22 LR, 5000 rounds a case...

2 to 5 cases (5000 rounds each) of .17 Mach II, and same in .17 HMR

approx. 5000 rounds 30-06

approx. 1000 each in .243 Win and .284 Win

approx. 500 rounds each in 7MM Rem Mag and 300 H&H Mag

between 5000 and 10,000 rounds in each of .40 S&W and .45 ACP,

Approximately 1500 rounds of .44 Rem Mag.

usually 500 to 1000 rounds each in other calibers such as 7mmTCU, 45 Long Colt, .22 Win Mag, and other calibers I happen to have guns or Contender barrels chambered for,

usually 1000 or so rounds of 12 Ga., same for 20 Ga.

500 or so in 10 Ga. and .410 Bore...

and between 2 and 3 thousand rounds in calibers I don't own, like .44 Rimfire, .32 Remington, 6.5 Carcano, etc...

some of these fluctuate wildly at times, as friends borrow, and replace it, some are a steady stock... depends on what I'm shooting, loaning out, etc...

is this "enough"? probably not... as funds allow, I'll buy more...

Edited to add... forgot the 4 or 5 thousand in 7.62 x 39... gotta feed the SKS, afterall...
 
I'll never have enough! I keep re-loading & re-loading & re-loading...........:D
 
"You only shoot 200 rounds of caliber X in a year. This isn't going to change, you've been doing this for the last 15 years. You are presently 55 years old.

Then why on earth have you got 35,000 rounds of the stuff?"
______________________

Because I figure I'll have time to shoot a lot more after I retire, but I won't be able to afford to buy a lot of ammo.

I'm just stocking up, and it doesn't get any cheaper if you wait to buy it.

John
 
I'm gonna go with the 1K per gun. Never know when you'll need some extra.

In the PRM we're limited a bit;

10,000 rounds rimfire
10,000 rounds centerfire
5,000 rounds shotgun

But with a permit from the FD;
30,000 rounds rimfire
50,000 rounds centerfire
50,000 rounds shotgun
 
I reload my revolver rounds so don't have to keep any quantity on hand. Plenty of components, though.

Usually I like to keep a minimum of 800 to 1000 rounds as I can easily burn up 300-400 rounds a day at the range. I prefer to reload for a week or two ahead as I never know when I'll have the time to do it.

I do purchase 30-'06 in 960 round quantities from CMP as that is the most economical way to go. I am nothing if not cheap. I'll typically shoot 80-120 rounds with the M1 on a range day.
 
How much ammo someone needs to keep on hand depends on the person.


I make it a point to never use "need" in the same sentence as gun or ammo.

I reload a lot and buy ammo by the case when it's on sale (which hasn't been a lot lately).

I believe the only time you have too much ammo is when the storage area is on fire.:)
 
A couple years ago I passed up buying green-tip .223 because it was too expensive at $0.18/round.
Same thing is now going for nearly $0.50/round - IF you can find it.

Even if you can't shoot up your supply in your lifetime, it looks like it is (was) a good investment. With minimal decent care (cool dry storage) it will be in demand for decades (centuries? why not?) to come.

:banghead:

I used to think "enough ammo" was a few boxes.
Then I thought it was 1,000 per gun minimum.
A few minutes ago I held to (and sought to achieve) "enough to burn out each barrel".
Now I'm thinking it should be part of one's financial investment portfolio.

There will not likely be a breakthru in weapons which renders common-caliber ammo obsolete.
Only reason for ammo prices to decrease will be the end of the Iraq war causing a demand drop ... at which point the entire available surplus will be bought up ... and then the next war will kick in. Don't see the bottom of the ammo market ever truly "dropping out", just an occasional "correction". There will ALWAYS be a demand for 20th-century-tech lead-and-brass weapon food.
 
Kinda broke, so I have enough ammo to fill my mags, and I replace all ammo every 6 months. I can carry 41 rnds, so I have 41 rnds. (2x15rnd mags, 1x10rnd mag... +1 in chamber)

I don't see the point in having extra ammo if I'm not going to the range. If I had the extra money, I suppose I'd like an extra 41 rnds, just in case, but I don't need thousands.

Just my take on it, to each his own.
 
Ammo does not spoil (with respect to our lifetime). It could also be extremely valuable during a long term period of civil decline--to use and to trade with. It is also cheapest when purchased in bulk, and really takes up little space.

With those thoughts in mind, I believe 5K rounds of centerfire pistol, rifle, and rimfire would be an appropriate quantity. I aspire to keep a stock 5K rounds of 9mm, 5.56mm, and .22LR, and about 1K rounds of 12 gauge.
 
I know ammo doesn't spoil sitting on the shelf, but sitting in the gun is wearing on ammo (not necessarily to a significant extent, but better safe than sorry), and it's good to change it up every so often.
 
Very interesting thread, and so timely.

I went to a gun "show" today looking for {a particular rifle in a particular caliber that I'm wanting to do a project with, but that's a different story...}.

Having not found the rifle of my search, I wandered around for a while, spending most time at the "ammo" tables.

Now, mind you, I've mostly been a "just in time" kinda of ammunition purchaser in the past: keep a couple or three boxes of what I shoot most at the range (FMJ) and a box of SD rnds (only a few of those at the range).

Today, I looked longingly at a couple of cases (1000 rnds) of handgun ammo, and contemplated buying them. (E.g., 1000 9mm 115 FMJ for $145)

I didn't (because business is slow for me right now, and I decided to prioritize my spending differently at the moment...).

But I understand the rationale for buying bulk: prices ARE going up (for various reasons), never can tell when civilization (might) go south (CGS), etc.

Interesting thread.

Nem
 
No one has mentioned the magic word...."RELOADING".

For most purposes, ammunition has a non-expiring shelf life, assuming it's good stuff and not old mistreated surplus stuff several decades old.

Ammunition components, if decently stored, share the same long shelf life. I have primers well over 30 years old which still perform just as designed.

With a good supply of primers and powder, all our various calibers can be loaded on an as-needed basis, allowing us to keep active without tying up a lot of money in factory-loaded ammo.

Going even further, casting one's own bullets really helps in both economy and independence from commercial suppliers.

For example, I probably have over 4000 rounds of full-power .45ACP with cast 230RN on hand, and I'd be surprised if it cost me more than maybe $140 for the batch. MY M1A and Garand both work perfectly with my handloads, and that also includes cast bullets......at approximately $6.00 per 100 rounds. My match-grade 7.62 NATO loads using 168 Sierra Matchkings cost about $50 per 100, and function perfectly with excellent accuracy.

Many folks will say they can't "afford" to set up for handloading. Well, how much money are they planning to spend in stockpiling hundreds of rounds of factory ammo? A few hundred dollars from the "ammo fund" will equip us very well indeed to create our personal ammunition. The ONLY factory ammo I buy is for carry in my CCW guns, and that's more for legal reasons than functional ones. Everything else, I load myself including hunting ammo. Not only do I save money and increase my ammo supplies at minimal cost, but handloading greatly extends my shooting hobby and is a whole new world to explore for newcomers. It's not difficult, and it is VERY practical.
 
How much ammo do you think you realisticly should have? Do you keep an ammo budget? Or do you just buy what you can when you can? Minimum amounts? Optimum amounts? Keep in mind you may have to move some day.
Click to expand...
In order to answer the main question, as to how much ammo is enough, I am afraid i am going to have to go right where you said you did not want this thread to go:
We've had several "how much ammo do you have?" threads lately.
I don't want this to turn into a *you can never have enough* thread. I'm asking seriously here.
Click to expand...

I think you gave the answer yourself as far as many, if not most, shooters are concerned, there really is never enough. You mentioned something about having 35,000 rounds of something you only shoot 200 rounds of each year over a many year period. I would have to admit then, that amount may be enough, heck it may be too much, depending on the type of gun in which it was meant to be used, and under what situation. Then again, it may not be enough. If it is a cache of ammunition to be used in a military type rifle in case of insurgency, a government gone really bad, as a survive 'doomsday' supply, then maybe it is just right or not enough. If on the other hand it is 35,000 rounds of .35 Remington for a lever action rifle, that would seem at least a little much to me.

When I buy ammo, I buy it with money. I usually do not buy it with credit. In other words, I have extra cash and can afford to buy it. Then I stock up on as much as I can. For example a few years back I bought several thousand rounds of 9MM. I already had several thousand rounds on hand, but I figured I wanted something different than what I ad, so I splurged. I now have only a few thousand rounds of 9mm left over. I went through quite abit to get to only a few thousand rounds. Should I wait until it is almost all gone to buy more, or should i nuy it the nxt time I have some extra cash. I will buh some when I have the extra cash because if I run out, I may have no cash at that time and then have to do without. The same goes for all my ammo. Of course I usually buy more of what I shoot or need the most.
 
Got Ammo?

This is one of those questions that is along the lines of personal judgement and tastes. Its also along the same lines of the 30.06 vs .270 or whatever else is your personal choice vs someone else.

Its a judgement call. I am looking in to getting in to reloading, which you can stockpile your own ammunition. However there is a bit of advice in that old boyscouts motto be prepared. My personal opinion is that you should have one to five years of ammunition on hand, accessible for each firearm that you possess. Sometimes stuff is on sale and you can get it at bargin prices, other times well its not. If you go and blast off one hundred rounds a year, well then perhaps five hundred rounds for the next five years isent bad, provided that you use your oldest stocks first. The world is gonna end theorys not withstanding, I try to have at least two years of ammo on hand per firearm that I possess. It dosent always work out that way, but that way you if you get in the spur of the moment mood to go shoot, you have something on hand to go do it with. If something happens that well is on a emergency level, you are not left wishing you had more. Keep a nice stock on hand, rotate it and look at how much you can afford to spend. And generally if you have that expendable ammo on hand you will be inclined to shoot more and further improve your skills at handleing that firearm.
 
I don't have nearly enough myself. Only 10,000 rounds of .22, only maybe 600 rounds of 9mm. I have a thousand rounds of 7.62x39mm and about 200 waiting to get shot up, and I have maybe 200 rounds of 7.62x54R. Maybe 40 rounds of 6.5x55mm Swede, and a 100 7.62 Tok. Plus 4 .308 battlepacks of Hirtenberger and South African.

I'd like to have 500 rounds of 6.5, 1000 rounds of 54R, 2,000 9mm, 10,000 rounds of .308, and 100,000 22s. 20,000 7.62x39mm, and 1,000 7.62 Tok.

But I'm poor, I go to college, and I shoot alot.
 
I was doing the math on how much ammo I will go thru in a year if I keep shooting once a week. In 9X19 counting just my ccw practice I'm looking at 2,600 rounds a year! When I pick up my taurus 905 and finish fixing my sig 226 I'll be adding at least 2,000 rounds per year not counting 3-gun and IDPA.

For rifle stuff not as much mabye 1000 rounds all year. If I kept 5 years worth of ammo in my apartment I would have to sleep in the car A) no room left B) very mad wife!

I currently have 1000 rnds of 9X19 and 300 rnds 44 mag all the rest of my guns/ammo are squirelled away. As a rule of thumb if my ammo crate (com-bloc 8mm crates) is 1/2 empty it's time to reload or hit the gun show.
 
I don't have many cals , so I keep about 1000 rounds per, on hand. except for 22lr, and 17m2 which i am liable to shoot every weekend. I tend to keep much more of this. As far as the other rounds and cals are concerned, I like to be very familiar with my weapons. so I keep 1000 rounds per, because at any time , I may go to the range and shoot a couple hundred, really just to see what i can do with my weapon, and my familiarity with it. It is at this point , and i know this will sound strange, that I think of them as golf clubs. I look at a possible shot, try to lob one in there this time, hook or slice one in , laser rope the next one, etc. , etc check off a guess distance on a berm shot, that kind of thing. I think it is more a priority of complete familiarity than anything else , at this point.
 
I can't believe for 1 second that this question can ever be answered correctly. I have 11K 9mm in storage right now and can only hope it will last till this time next year. That's my USPSA supply. I have about 200 top shelf SD loads for the same pistol. My USPSA supply maybe low and my SD supply high. So which is realistic? I believe you should have at LEAST 100 HQ new SHTF loads for every firearm you own, in deep storage. Once you get past that it becomes a vast grey area that changes for each person depending and what, where, how and why they own a firearm.
 
people who keep a munition depot probably think of waco too often, just like the people who freak out and pump gas into water bottles whenever there is a hurricane.

live life, enjoy..
 
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