How many rounds

[Lonestar49]

For normal times..

...

A minimum of enough rounds, total, for all your guns to hold off a small mob, and wait 20 mins for the local PD to show up..

More is better, (with worse conditions and a bigger mob)


Ls

 

[hpluseleven]

I am FAR less concerned with the mob/zombies/mall ninjas/etc/etc as I am with being able to continue to go to the range when I want without spending all day Saturday going to different Walmarts/Gander Mtns/Academies/other gun shops trying to find a single box of ammo to shoot (if I can afford it). With that in mind, I don't know what the 'right' answer is but the more the better, methinks.

 

[Jubjub]

For something like a temporary local breakdown of order, which is by far the most probable situation, my vote would be for whatever you feel comfortable carrying on foot.

Me, I'm kind of torn between an M1 Carbine with 5 magazines (75 rounds), or a 12 gauge Mossy pump fully loaded with a 5 round buttstock carrier and a 25 round shell belt, for 36 rounds of mixed buckshot and slugs. Handgun would be a CZ compact 9mm with 5 magazines, for 57 rounds.

If you seriously think that you need more ammo than that for close range human confrontations, you are a much bigger optimist than I am.

 

[content]

Hello friends and neighbors // To me Numbers don't matter
I buy ammo whenever I have a few extra dollars and come across a good deal.

I would say as a min.
1) 12ga.\\ ; 5 slugs , 15 buckshot either #2 or #4, 50 #6 bird shot.
2) .22LR rifle\\pistol combo 500 round brick for $20.00 is hard to beat.
3) SD handgun 357/38 \\ 100 mixed rounds ; .357: JHP,FMJ,BB / .38: special , +P, snake shot,double or triple ball(med. sized game)
4) 30.06 \\ 60 mixed rounds 180gr.,165gr.

At least this is what I can add to backpack and walk(not run) away with carrying 12ga.

 

[NC-Mike]

Possibly more important than how much ammo you have is how readily accessible your ammo, mags and guns are.

I just recently loaded a few pistol mags with 10 rounds of ammo and stuck them in the safe with the gun. Before that, all my ammo, mags and guns were stored under separate lock and key.

I still don't have a single AK or AR mag I keep loaded. I often wonder if I should load up twenty mags or so and just cycle them as I go to the range. That way at least I'll be prepared should something happen suddenly. Its unlikely I know but if something did happen very quickly and I felt a need to get a rifle, I would have to scramble around for ten minutes opening safes and cabinets and loading mags. That would be a long ten minutes.

 

[chuckusaret]

I have maintained a small ammo dump for several years just in case of a situation as we are in now. The ammo shortage has caused a very minor adjustment to my shooting program; I only shoot one weekend per month instead of twice per month. Under no circumstance do I allow my supply to fall bellow 1K rounds per weapon. At today’s prices I have about $12k invested in ammo to support my little arsenal. Based on the direction our government is headed I now buy, needed or not, any ammo that is available at the local dealers to allow me to continue to shoot on weekends without impacting my stockpile and I am strongly thinking about increasing my stock for the long guns. Big problem is storage.

 

[cornman]

100 each plus 1000 .22 would be more than enough. Anyone who will ever use more than that would not make it anyway.

 

[Spirit 1]

Years ago a good friend gave me some sound advice that's saved my bacon countless times. He was the real thing, Spec Ops, UDT/Navy Seal, CIA [for real], 6 tours in Nam plus many other engagements, more than a little famous in some very small circles, entirely unknown otherwise.

"Never let yourself get into a situation that you haven't already thought your way out of."

This grows into a 24/7/365 lifestyle of awareness & preparedness in every event of your life. In many cases, it is the life.

No paranoia, because there's really nothing to worry about if you're fully & realistically prepared for each circumstance, now.

It's the 'realistically' that most people stumble on in the dark of night. Instead of sober, rational planning at each turn many will let the imagination run wild and muck up the reality of life's current or coming events. For you, whatever it is, it must be do-able.

It should be real interesting in the event of a genuine SHTF scenario, as all these guys armed to the teeth 'bug out', only to realize all the other guys that chose the same 'bug out' location! Little tent cities? Share & share alike? And what about all the folks that happen to already live where all these folks are going to 'bug out' to? Nobody seems to consider that those last may not welcome all the new killing machine neighbors?

Know now whether you're going to hold the fort or relocate to a more secure environment, and know exactly what to expect in either. Know now exactly what extent you're willing to go to in protection of those things dear to you. Know now what your own personal capabilities are in the face of a threat, that possibly of superior forces. Know now just what is required to achieve those objectives. Know now what your escape route is at every step along that way in case your best laid plans crumble. Provide for yourself in advance along that escape route if possible.

When you've done that you can estimate how many bullets it will take to survive whatever it is that comes down.