Assuming you don't reload, what's your monthly ammo budget?

[bannockburn]

No budget, just shoot what I have stockpiled over the years. Bought a new house last year so plenty around here to do and not much spare time (or money), to much shooting. When I do eventually get out I still have plenty of factory ammo on hand to burn through without even having to break out the reloading equipment.

 

[80Goat]

If I were reloading, I would probably spend the same, but shoot more. Currently, I do not have the time to reload, nor could find any powder.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...

I don't have a budget, per se.

My wife and I split our financial responsibilities, I pay the mortgage and car payment. She buys groceries and pays the utilities.
We are responsible for our own vehicle's maintenance...not to say that we don't share larger expenses such as a new set of tires, etc.

My discretionary income is mine and hers is hers.

Mine, on a 40-hour week is about $200 after I set aside $475 for the mortgage and car payment. It rises dramatically if I work overtime, which I do regularly.

My discretionary income pays for clothes, gas, eating out and entertainment expenses.
That includes firearms, ammo and reloading supplies, plus books(mostly military history) for my library.
I buy NOTHING on credit, other than my house and car. If I can't pay cash for it, I do without. I save for the things I want or need.

Generally, I buy a couple of 50rd boxes of .22LR every week, needed or not. I buy .22LR in bulk packs when available, needed or not. I never ran out during the recent shortages...not even close. And I shoot a lot of .22LR.
I buy at least one pound of gun powder just about every week and a box of 1000 primers every couple of weeks, needed or not. I never ran out during the recent shortages. I reload and shoot about 6000 rounds of various centerfire handgun ammunition every year. I have never been in a situation where I couldn't shoot whatever I wanted.

I buy centerfire rifle ammunition as needed. Usually no more than 3-4 boxes of any given caliber at any one time, other than .223 and 7.62x39. I buy that by the case or at least in 200rd increments. I buy 12ga shells by the case, we shoot a lot of clay birds and hunt small game often in the Fall.

I couldn't begin to estimate how much I spend on reloading components, ammunition, firearms or reloading equipment in the past year. I can say that I bought a Dan Wesson .22LR revolver, A Beretta M9, a S&W M&P 40, a Mossberg 12ga autoloader and an Ithaca 12ga M37 pump shotgun. I also just finished buying a Hornady LNL progressive press with the case and bullet feeder systems.

All paid for in cash. If I didn't work a lot and make decent money, I wouldn't have a lot of those things. But, then I am 60 years old and have been accumulating stuff for decades. I no longer need to buy yard equipment or very much in the way of hand tools and such.
I don't need to take long extravagant vacations nor chase women. My wife wouldn't approve, even if I did.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Definitely heed Ed Ames' advise, but also understand this; if you're handy, a lot of the major expenses aren't so major. That $1,000 water heater failure is only gonna be $300-$400 if you know where to shop and how to replace it yourself. A $250 bill for unclogging a pipe or replacing a dryer element will only be a $30 rental or parts cost.

Likewise, if you aren't already, learn to do as many of your own vehicle repairs as possible. That is a huge expense for the average person, and usually starts to hit right about the time the vehicle is paid off. If you don't mind driving and working on a late model, you'll have a lot of extra cash for gun stuff and other hobbies. My income is fairly modest, but by being able to do virtually all home and vehicle repairs myself, I don't have to worry about keeping thousands in saving for those things.

Also, make contacts who can help you with major stuff that requires equipment beyond your means. I'm on a septic, and I do not own a backhoe. But I have friends who do own heavy equipment, and most of them I have done large favors for that I don't ever expect payment on, but I know I'd be able to call on them.

I'm about your age, but been doing the homeowner thing since 2004. Yes, there are duties and expenses you wouldn't have as a renter, but its definitely worth it. At worst, you don't answer to a landlord. But really, unless you're forced to move at a bad time, homeownership will increase your net worth.

 

[old lady new shooter]

I hate to say it but, the biggest reason I switched to a 9mm carry gun is the dang cost of ammo anymore. I mean $12.99 for practice ammo vs $18.99 or $19.99 for 38 spl and you can forget 357 or 45 which are both in the range of 25 bucks a box.....ridiculous. I think this will be the way the gun grabbers finally get their way is through manipulation of ammo availability. Even with online purchases the shipping will kill you unless you can afford dozens of boxes.
I try and buy at least a box every payday (every 2 wks) so about $50 a month which is roughly 4 boxes of 9mm or 2 of anything else. If the SHTF scenario happens I will be flinging lots of ball ammo as the "good stuff" defensive rounds are just not within my means in any quantity.

At least you live somewhere you can buy ammo online.

 

[old lady new shooter]

"laser target systems for practice"

I just went googling and this is amazing, one question that's been in my mind for some time now is how to practice at home and know whether I "hit" what I was aiming at... hugely important for practicing scenarios... if these laser training systems actually work that would be perfect! Very interested to see if anyone either already reported or does report having tried this, and if so, what the experience was!

 

[old lady new shooter]

"Pellet guns are - my experience - better than laser practice systems. I have used both."

Any chance you could elaborate on this? How does a pellet gun work? I think you mentioned using a piece of carpet as a target? Does the pellet stay in the piece of carpet after you fire it, or what happens?

 

[old lady new shooter]

"discovered a shower leak the home inspection didn't reveal, and a few other things to the point where even after home warranties and going after the previous homeowners for misrepresenting things (they had obviously worked to conceal water damage from the shower/didn't disclose what they knew) "

A rental house I bought a few years ago turned out to have leaks in almost every wall, I ended up having to reconstruct several walls. The best part was the room where when my handyman opened the drywall, behind it was another drywall, wallpapered, with obvious water damage -- apparently the previous owner decided the most expeditious way to handle the water damage was to hide it with another drywall.

My house here that I live in had some weird stuff too (for example, the previous owner got electricity to the garage by stringing lamp wire across the patio, and he also put regular extension cords inside the walls, don't ask...), but nothing compared to that rental property.

If I ever buy another house, I will have a knowledgeable friend make a meaningful inspection. The official inspections never find the big expensive stuff.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Old lady,

I've done some reading of reviews online of the Laserlyte training system. I'm seeing some very mixed reviews. Some say they work great, others, not so much.

Ideally what I'd like to do is set up several in my home and have multiple distances to aim at. I don't know if I'm willing to take the plunge though with what I've read. I need my money more I think, and for the price I think I'd be better off just buying a lot of target ammo.

If Lazermax or Crimson Trace came out with one,

 

[susieqz]

there are several ways pellet guns operate. if you are physically challenged a co2 gun might be best, but if you wish to kill small game, you will need to cock the gun for each shot. these are all single shot guns.
mine is difficult for a normal female to cock, but it was cheap n i have taken a bunny with it. indoors, if you use carpet for a backstop, the carpet will absorb the force n the pellets will bounce off, but not far you can sweep them up after shooting.
for myself, i just fill a cardboard box with scrap paper for an indoor target.
you can find guns that are backyard friendly, so quiet that neighbors won't hear you shooting, even in the city.

 

[JSH1]

I have a Crosman 2400KT. It is a very accurate but reasonable priced CO2 carbine that is an upgraded version of the 2240 pistol. I use an Dell computer box that I got from work with 8 layers of carpet in the back. (Cut the carpet a little oversize and the press fit keeps it from falling out) The pellets will penetrate 1-3 layers of carpet and stay in the box. I don't shoot inside, (pellets are still lead) but I do shoot in the garage with the door open in full view of my suburban neighbors. The gun is quiet enough that no one has said a thing.

Why are air guns better than lasers? Airguns still have recoil and the pellet spends more time in the barrel than a firearm so you have to hold steady. I find it more difficult to shoot a target air pistol accurately than a 22LR pistol. They are also cheap. (At least they can be, you can also spend thousands on a competition gun)

 

[Ed Ames]

"Pellet guns are - my experience - better than laser practice systems. I have used both."

Any chance you could elaborate on this? How does a pellet gun work? I think you mentioned using a piece of carpet as a target? Does the pellet stay in the piece of carpet after you fire it, or what happens?

There are several good replies to this already, but I'll give my take.

The laser target system being talked about has a different versions and I can only talk about what I used. First, it has the basic dry firing problem in that for a lot of pistols you must manually cycle after each shot. Second, it doesn't really have much feel. Third, the darned thing failed well before it paid for itself. Fourth, and this is really subjective so I understand if someone disagrees with me for including it, it is realy only a training aid where many pellet guns can actually be useful.

A good pellet gun...well you can get some that act exactly like snub nose revolvers down to reloading with a speed loader, or a 1911 or M&P 9 that the slide cycles to simulate recoil, or guns that are dedicated target pistols. They have (mild) recoil, must be reloaded, are very quiet, can use reactive targets like crackers, can be stopped in commercial bullet traps or boxes of cloth scrap, newspapers, etc. The good ones last a very long time.

Oh, and regarding lead exposure: that has been studied in depth because schools and groups like BSA use pellet rifles indoors for matches and the like. TFrom evereverything I have read the biggest point of exposure is handling the pellets, not airborne or particulate contamination. Wash your hands after use, just like with normal guns. FYI https://www.usashooting.org/library..._and_College_Programs/LeadMgtGuideUSASCMP.pdf

 

[1MoreFord]

It doesn't really matter whether you reload or not. A monthly ammo budget is just what you can afford to spend on shooting. Back in the days I was competing that was $200-250 a month of my reloaded ammo. Today it's essentially nothing and don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[bikemutt]

I make sure to keep a good quantity of the stuff I like to shoot which seems to disappear every panic; 5.7x28. Beyond that I just look for deals and grab some when available. Knowing when it's worth it to jump on a deal means knowing it will actually shoot well, it's worth it to spend a small amount to buy a box or two, here and there. When I find a good one I make a note of it and, when it's on sale, buy a bunch.

 

[medalguy]

My budget for ammo is zero but I reload, a lot, and shoot a lot. You said you're getting a place where you can reload, so that's my best advice. Get to t and never look back. If necessary, cut back on your shooting for a while until you get the necessary equipment and supplies, but by all means, start ASAP. Read all about reloading before you start and learn what you need and what you can do without.

You also got some excellent advice to learn to repair everything possible in your new home. That will save you a ton of money, and the best part is, you will know how everything works, and you will know the repairs were done correctly. Additionally, you can look over the shoulder of a repairman and be certain he's doing any repairs correctly.

 

[old lady new shooter]

Old lady,

I've done some reading of reviews online of the Laserlyte training system. I'm seeing some very mixed reviews. Some say they work great, others, not so much.

Ideally what I'd like to do is set up several in my home and have multiple distances to aim at. I don't know if I'm willing to take the plunge though with what I've read. I need my money more I think, and for the price I think I'd be better off just buying a lot of target ammo.

If Lazermax or Crimson Trace came out with one,

The reviews I saw of the laserlyte system were mixed, but I also saw another one, AimTech (see http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/12/foghorn/gear-review-aimtech-laser-training-system/)... need to look around further because this might have been a "captive" review... but one thing I really like is the idea of the barrel insert, as opposed to a separate "laser gun" -- I want to practice with MY gun. Also it appears that you can put the target wherever you want... What I want to be able to do is figure out home defense scenarios and then practice for them, if this really works I think it would be perfect.

 

[old lady new shooter]

there are several ways pellet guns operate. if you are physically challenged a co2 gun might be best, but if you wish to kill small game, you will need to cock the gun for each shot. these are all single shot guns.
mine is difficult for a normal female to cock, but it was cheap n i have taken a bunny with it. indoors, if you use carpet for a backstop, the carpet will absorb the force n the pellets will bounce off, but not far you can sweep them up after shooting.
for myself, i just fill a cardboard box with scrap paper for an indoor target.
you can find guns that are backyard friendly, so quiet that neighbors won't hear you shooting, even in the city.

Out here believe it or not we can't even shoot a wild animal that shows up in our backyard, although I guess if you shot a coyote that was attacking your baby (Why was the baby outside unattended?) they wouldn't prosecute you. There might even be an actual exception for a case where a human is being attacked, I don't know.

IAC the reason the idea of the laser shooting attracted my attention is that I know about dry-firing but without being able to see whether I "hit" what I aimed at it there is a big piece missing.

Maybe if I do turn into a "gun nut" I'll revisit the air/pellet gun ideas, thanks for all the information.

 

[susieqz]

um, when i fire my pistol, i know if i hit before i look n see.
i know at the moment of firing n i think lots of people do.
i just bot some dummy rounds for indoor use n i think that's plenty.
just practice.

 

[teetertotter]

Brick a month for 5 month.

 

[Doc7]

Consider yourself lucky - I have been living on 75 dollars a month of "hobby money" for 3 years now. I currently have 8 dollars in my hobby account and struggling to decide between saving for a tree stand this fall, a 200 dollar muzzleloader or Mossberg 100 ATR, or not buy/shoot anything for 2 years so I can buy a Montana Rifle Co X2 in 7mm08. Once we buy a house (target Summer 2016) we are going to loosen up our hobby budget a bit.

It is a lot easier for her to buy crafting materials than for me to buy hunting and shooting equipment on 75 a month!!

 

[susieqz]

house has gotta come first.
smart move, doc

 

[old lady new shooter]

um, when i fire my pistol, i know if i hit before i look n see.
i know at the moment of firing n i think lots of people do.
i just bot some dummy rounds for indoor use n i think that's plenty.
just practice.

Really? Wow, that is impressive.

I guess I'll find out whether I have that ability after I get my gun, no need to get a laser system before then anyway.

 

[Mad Dawg]

Pellet rifles and laserlyte training systems

Pellet rifles can be quite powerful nowadays; I have a few break barrels that easily rip thru 1 inch pine at 50 to 60 feet. There are metal traps for them, but most are targeted at much lower powered pellet (air ) rifles. Those familiar with air rifles are often knowledgeable, but backstops and the risks of ricochets indoors is higher; a good pellet trap with a lower powered pump rifle makes more sense. As far as similarity; the triggers often are terrible; and with springer powered air rifles, the recoil is different, and some even require a different hold to shoot accurately. Different would be the word when compared to regular firearms.

Laserlyte training systems; I don't have the whole system, but it's essentially single shot and works to a degree OK-wise for sight alignment and such.. With the electronic targets - they'd probably be great. They also work well for watching episodes of the Walking Dead, and for point-shoot training (pointing and firing your gun without aiming.. just natural pointing ). They suck with revolvers because a 6 shot revolver would require 6 modules to put into the gun. To a degree, they are useful.

Budget. My current budget is zip. But I've got a stash, and plenty of stuff to reload already. Heard that this year there will be likely personnel cuts, some cuts into pay & benefits (thanks obamacare), about zip on raises and bonuses.. The big wigs will take care of themselves with the bonuses and pay raises- like they did last year.. However since about 30+ of the execs were cut last month, well, they aren't just as sure about themselves as they were last year.. If the budget remains, I'll start back into the 22's.. I picked up a few thousand at the beginning of the year, actually a couple of ten thousands..

 

[shiftyer1]

I know you said for those that don't reload......I personally have more time than money, even working full time.

An old school lee whack a mole set sure does save some money....and your reloading equipment costs maybe 30 bux.

 

[Thermactor]

It made me wonder, do other folks have a specific ammo budget each month, or do you just buy ammo when it's on sale. I used to just buy when I saw a sale, but I think I'll have to be more selective now.

My ammo budget right now stands at $0.00 so I don't make any regular purchases. But if I see a box of 9mm or 22LR for a great price I might pick one up. This has happened only a couple of times in the past year.