Just got in some ammo cans from ammunitiontogo.com. I live in an apartment and closet space is at a premium, so I want to store my zombie horde stash as efficiently as possible.
My original goal was 1,000 rifle rounds (.223) and 500 pistol rounds (.45 ACP) for when the dead finally began to claw their way up again. I also have several loaded mags of each for my emergency bag and more on the way.
I played around with different configurations. 500 rounds of the .45 boxed fit easily in a can and there's room to pack 800, so that's my new goal.
After messing around and reading up some, I decided to dump the 600 rounds of .223 that I have now into the other can loose. The can came with thin styrofoam and cardboard lining the four sides and the bottom. Looks like I can get a thousand rounds in there without trouble. The cans got masking tape labeled with the type of ammo, brand, and quantity so that I can keep track as I add more.
My two questions are:
1. Is there anything I need to worry about storing them loose? They'll be pretty much sitting in the bottom of my safe. The only time I really see them getting moved is if we move. I'd like to be rotating out my emergency stash. That's obviously harder with loose rounds, but I thought maybe I'd start up another can and when it hit 1,000, switch them and then shoot up the old stuff.
2. I know I need some kind of desiccant. I read a lot of people saying they use kitty litter, which is a nice cheap, replaceable way to go. If you use that or some other loose thing, how do you package it? What little experience I have with kitty litter, I seem to remember it being really dusty, so I wouldn't want it dirtying up all of my beautiful ammo. Also, do I just put the desiccant on top or do I need some in the middel and/or bottom?
Thanks a lot.
My original goal was 1,000 rifle rounds (.223) and 500 pistol rounds (.45 ACP) for when the dead finally began to claw their way up again. I also have several loaded mags of each for my emergency bag and more on the way.
I played around with different configurations. 500 rounds of the .45 boxed fit easily in a can and there's room to pack 800, so that's my new goal.
After messing around and reading up some, I decided to dump the 600 rounds of .223 that I have now into the other can loose. The can came with thin styrofoam and cardboard lining the four sides and the bottom. Looks like I can get a thousand rounds in there without trouble. The cans got masking tape labeled with the type of ammo, brand, and quantity so that I can keep track as I add more.
My two questions are:
1. Is there anything I need to worry about storing them loose? They'll be pretty much sitting in the bottom of my safe. The only time I really see them getting moved is if we move. I'd like to be rotating out my emergency stash. That's obviously harder with loose rounds, but I thought maybe I'd start up another can and when it hit 1,000, switch them and then shoot up the old stuff.
2. I know I need some kind of desiccant. I read a lot of people saying they use kitty litter, which is a nice cheap, replaceable way to go. If you use that or some other loose thing, how do you package it? What little experience I have with kitty litter, I seem to remember it being really dusty, so I wouldn't want it dirtying up all of my beautiful ammo. Also, do I just put the desiccant on top or do I need some in the middel and/or bottom?
Thanks a lot.