Ammo can round count

[goon]

I have been reloading .38 Special wadcutters for practice later this summer and fall and storing most of them (but shooting more than I should) in a .50 caliber ammo can. If my measurements are right, 600 rounds of .38 Special will fit in a can in factory 50 round boxes. I suspect that the same amount of .357 would also fit.

 

[shotgunjoel]

I just put 500 rounds of 7.62 Tokarev into a 30 cal can. The ammo was still in the Prvi Partizan boxes, and there was still room in the box, just not enough for another box. I'd guess that I could get at least 800 rounds in if packed loose.

 

[doc2rn]

I have 3 of these cans
9mm ball loose ~ 1100 rds
.22 WMR boxed~ 900 rds
.380 ball loose~ 900 rds with about a third of the can to spare.

My other ammo carrier is filled with 1500 rds of CCI SV for plinking, wish I had bought 2 now.

 

[evan price]

a 30-cal can will hold 200 rounds of .308 ammo....loaded in ten FAL magazines.

 

[AWorthyOpponent]

Here's what I can offer...

30mm: (I'll do it for you - )

• 9mm - 14,500 rounds
  • Just shy of 400lbs
• .22 - 30,000 rounds
• 12 Gauge - 1500 shells
• 5.56mm - 6500 rounds

.50 cal

• 9mm - 2750 rounds
  • About 80lbs
• .22lr - 5700 rounds
• .40 S&W - 1750 rounds
• 12 gauge - 300 shells
• 5.56mm - 1200 Rounds

Fat Fifty

• 9mm 4000 rounds
  • About 110lbs
• .22lr - 8000 rounds
• 40 S&W - 2500 rounds
• 5.56mm - 1700 Rounds

.30 cal

• 9mm 1200 rounds
  • About 35lbs

 

[SharpsDressedMan]

I just put about 550 rounds of 7.63x39 in a 30 cal can, loose, FWIW.

 

[erict]

I have all .50 cans and here's what they fit.

9mm - 1000 rounds in 50ct. boxes..... loose unknown

.223 - 1200 rounds in 100ct. boxes..... 1300ish loose

.30-06 - 400 rounds in 20ct. boxes...... 450ish loose

.22lr - I put 5000 rds. in one loose and it has a little room left. the damn thing weighs a ton though.

I forgot to count .308 but I think around 700 seemed right???

 

[shotgunjoel]

I have 350 rounds of 308 in a 30 cal can. 200 of it loose and 150 on 5rd clips. It's pretty tight.

I can get 1000 rounds of 7.62x25 in a 30 cal can. Those 16 round packs of Bulgarian surplus fit very neatly with seven packs to a layer, 9 layers deep.

I have 540 rounds of Yugo surplus 8mm Mauser in a 50 cal can. It's all still in the 15 rd boxes and on original stripper clips. I can get 300 rounds of the same Yugo ammo into a 30 cal can.

 

[Inebriated]

I can fit about 1000 rounds of loose 7.62x39, and 350ish rounds of 12 gauge stacked neatly (takes time, but increases your storage by a good bit) in a 50 cal can.

 

[Fishslayer]

I see no reason to rupture myself with anything bigger.

^^^This. I have a few 50 cal cans packed tight with x39, 700 rds of boxed .45ACP, etc. The .45ACP cans actually have quite a bit of air in them & they are heavy...

 

[rc109a]

Wow, almost a 4 year old thread. that is pretty good.

 

[dodge]

In a 50 cal. can I have 512 30-06 in en block clips. That's 64 clips stacked.

 

[Jeff H]

I just filled a 30 cal can with 700 45ACP loose.

Wow, almost a 4 year old thread. that is pretty good.

I agree, sometimes the older discussions are just interesting enough for someone to dredge up every few years.

 

[Twmaster]

I just finished filling a 50 cal can with 2400 loose 9x19 loaded with 125 gr. LRN boolits. Damn it's heavy.

Here's a pic from when I was at 1700 rounds....



I might be able to fit 10-20 more rounds in there. Otherwise it's tight!

 

[SabbathWolf]

Something doesn't feel right putting ammunition in cans without boxes.

Same here.
It's easier for me to keep track of how much ammo I have when I'm counting "boxes" rather than loose rounds.

All my ammo cans are filled with boxed ammo.
I'd rather buy or scrounge more ammo cans than deal with loose rounds.
I figured that out one day many years ago when I dropped an open ammo can full of loose rounds in grass about 8" deep.
That sucked so bad I swore to never stock loose rounds again.
It took HOURS to find it all, and probably still missed some rounds out there too.

 

[Warp]

It's easier for me to count how much I have when it's in cans than loose boxes. If it's in .30 cans (for 9x19) I see one can and I count to 1,200 one time. If it's in boxes I have to count 12 to 24 things to get to that number.

 

[SabbathWolf]

It's easier for me to count how much I have when it's in cans than loose boxes. If it's in .30 cans (for 9x19) I see one can and I count to 1,200 one time. If it's in boxes I have to count 12 to 24 things to get to that number.

I grab a different ammo can every time I go shooting.
If I had loose rounds in each one, my count would be screwed up bad in no time! Well that, and I hate math anyways....

 

[Warp]

I grab a different ammo can every time I go shooting.
If I had loose rounds in each one, my count would be screwed up bad in no time! Well that, and I hate math anyways....

Ah, yes.

I was thinking of it from my perspective, which is: Longer term bulk storage of practice ammo is in ammo cans. I don't shoot out of them, they just sit somewhere as safety net. I shoot out of boxes of ammo that go on shelves in the my closet.

 

[Gtimothy]

As a reloader, I never have enough boxes for my boolitz.

I just bag my loose rounds in ziplock freezer bags, 100 rounds to a bag (50 for rifle), and throw them in a .50 cal can. I write down the reloading data on the bags with a sharpie and I use Dymo lables on the outside of the boxes to ID what's inside. Easy to keep track of round count and when I want to go shooting, I just grab some bags and go. Plus, the empty bags are useful when you're bringing home your spent brass!

 

[Blackhawk30]

used to get most of a 750 rd spam can into a 50 can.I'd have a few bundles left over.Play around with the way you put the boxes in the can.It can dramatically increase the amount that will fit.
I was at the Gunshow-in-the-Ghetto yesterday.At the Showplace in Richmond..50s were going for $12 each!!!!!I was shocked,I rejember buying them for 2 or 3 back in the day.

 

[MachIVshooter]

I grab a different ammo can every time I go shooting.
If I had loose rounds in each one, my count would be screwed up bad in no time! Well that, and I hate math anyways....

You stop worrying about exact numbers after awhile. Even someone as anal as I am gets very tired of trying to keep track of partially full boxes, loose rounds, fully and partially loaded magazines, etc. How much 7.62 NATO do I have? Somewhere around 3.5-4k. Close enough count for me.

I dunno, maybe it's still worthwhile when you only shoot a half dozen different cartridges. I just don't have time to keep up with inventory. If I think there's less of one than I'd like to have, I load more.

 

[Warp]

I also stopped worrying about exact numbers. I used to be able to tell you, to the single round, how many I had of a particular caliber. Then I could tell you within 50 or 100. Now, for my few larger (in terms of numbers acquired) calibers, I can tell you to within the nearest 500-1,000.

Except .22lr, I am not sure I could even tell you within the nearest 1k. Maybe the nearest 2-3k

 

[SabbathWolf]

You stop worrying about exact numbers after awhile. Even someone as anal as I am gets very tired of trying to keep track of partially full boxes, loose rounds, fully and partially loaded magazines, etc. How much 7.62 NATO do I have? Somewhere around 3.5-4k. Close enough count for me.

I dunno, maybe it's still worthwhile when you only shoot a half dozen different cartridges. I just don't have time to keep up with inventory. If I think there's less of one than I'd like to have, I load more.

I don't "worry" about it really at all so to speak.
But it is an "unofficial" habit of mine to always try to maintain at least 1000 rounds for each of my guns.
You have a LOT more ammo than I do obviously, so no wonder you gave up!

 

[MachIVshooter]

it is an "unofficial" habit of mine to always try to maintain at least 1000 rounds for each of my guns

There will come a time when you'll just know you have that much or more on hand for the ones you wish to stock such quantities.

That'll also change if you ever get into guns that cost a small fortune to shoot, and for which 1,000 rounds may be two or more times what you'll shoot in a lifetime. I keep a lot of .308, .223, 7.62x39, 7.62x54, 9x19mm, 10mm Auto, .22 Rimfire and a few others on hand. But 8mm Rem Mag or .375 RUM? At most, probably not more than 100-150 loaded rounds at any given time. They're strictly hunting rifles that only go to the range for zeroing before the season or to chrono and dial in a new load. And there are others for which no good reason exists to stock 1,000+ rounds. .25 ACP, .32 S&W, .454 Casull. These just won't see a lot of range time. A couple, perhaps a few hundred of these is usually plenty. I don't know too many folks who'll burn through 500 rounds of .454 Casull in a weekend.

 

[Hamish]

Recently I used a day off from work to load .40 S&W. I loaded 1200 rounds with 180 gr. bullets, and tried to stack as many as I could (loose) in a .30 caliber can. I managed to fit 1150 rounds in the can, and still get the lid shut (with a small desicant pack inside). The can has about 42 pounds of ammunition inside - heavy enough.

.40 S&W + .30 caliber can = 1150 rounds.