LRS_Ranger
Member
I have been following several threads lately related to stocking up on ammo. Now, I am all for stocking up on ammo for the next shortage. What I am talking about is the people who stock up on ammo for the express purpose of being ready for a SHTF scenario. What I want to get with this thread is thoughts from people who's survival plan doesn't involve needing enough ammo to supply 3 more Rambo movies. Short of a zombie apocalypse I can't fathom why I would need thousands of rounds. Here are some of my thoughts.
That much ammo would be impossible to carry on your person, limiting you to fighting from the location of the ammo, and if you are planning on shooting that much, you should expect to have at least that many bullets coming back the other direction. That leads me to ask, why would you be staying there if you are in the middle of that kind of a war zone? If they are shooting at you that much, then eventually even if by odds alone, you will prolly wind up getting whacked. If you have a family, why would you keep your family in a location like that? Being a red blooded American too, I can see the romantic daydream of playing Daniel Boone in the Alamo, but jeez.. If it's about survival I wouldn't want to be in a situation like that. Beat feet and get to somewhere safer, which would result in you not being able to take your stash. An old RI once told me that movement without fire is suicide, but fire without movement is a waste of bullets.
I really don't think that the streets would wind up being WW3, most likely, things would wind up like Katrina, just on a national scale. My main concern would be small bands of looters looking to prey upon the weak and unprepared. A few shots in defense should be enough to convince them to seek an easier target. I don't see a drawn out firefight over my stockpile of canned chili. If there is, I will deal with the threat. and if it keeps happening, then I will leave where I am, because it is obviously not safe there. If they come in force get the hell out! Why dance between the range fans if someone thinks you are a high value target enough to launch an all out assault? Find somewhere else to hole up! In any case either you will wind up dead, or the assaulters will either give up, run out of ammo themselves, or retreat before you scratch the surface of your 5,000 round stash.
I really think that food, fuel and other necessities will become the barter goods of choice, so I'm not worried about using bullets as money. While bullets are necessary for hunting and self defense, 1,000 in the back of my truck gives me absolutely no benefit in and of themselves, so I don't think they will be the hot commodity for most people. Most likely it will be 5 gallons of gas to somebody can get to their family in the next county over, or some beans so a family can eat. You can't eat bullets or run your truck on them you know.
If you are sitting on that many rounds, you have to be assuming that either bullets will become valuable, or you will need them for battling hoodlums. If there is an all out war, there should be a lot of guns and ammo up for grabs, so get a gun in a common caliber and plan on picking stuff up. If nobody is shooting, then nobody will be using up their stash, therefore nobody will be barking up your tree for ammo.
The basic combat load for the Army Infantryman is 7 mags, or 210 rounds, I don't know about the marines. I carried more on certain missions where the QRF was quite a ways away, but even my max load of 14 or so mags only comes out to 420 rounds, which was pretty heavy with all the other equipment we had. Personally, I plan on carrying a max of 500 rounds... because that would be more than enough to deal with an altercation or 2, hunt with, conceal under a heavy coat, etc. I wouldn't be carrying more than that on my person anyway. My goal is to defend myself, and get to somewhere where it's safe for me and my family.
So these are my rambling thoughts for the night... tell me why I am wrong, or why you agree...
-Note, I am not talking about having a 22 for small game hunting or something like that. I am talking about people think it's necessary to have 500 lbs of ammo in 12Ga, 5.56, 9mm, 7.62x39 and 45... and plan on using it all..
That much ammo would be impossible to carry on your person, limiting you to fighting from the location of the ammo, and if you are planning on shooting that much, you should expect to have at least that many bullets coming back the other direction. That leads me to ask, why would you be staying there if you are in the middle of that kind of a war zone? If they are shooting at you that much, then eventually even if by odds alone, you will prolly wind up getting whacked. If you have a family, why would you keep your family in a location like that? Being a red blooded American too, I can see the romantic daydream of playing Daniel Boone in the Alamo, but jeez.. If it's about survival I wouldn't want to be in a situation like that. Beat feet and get to somewhere safer, which would result in you not being able to take your stash. An old RI once told me that movement without fire is suicide, but fire without movement is a waste of bullets.
I really don't think that the streets would wind up being WW3, most likely, things would wind up like Katrina, just on a national scale. My main concern would be small bands of looters looking to prey upon the weak and unprepared. A few shots in defense should be enough to convince them to seek an easier target. I don't see a drawn out firefight over my stockpile of canned chili. If there is, I will deal with the threat. and if it keeps happening, then I will leave where I am, because it is obviously not safe there. If they come in force get the hell out! Why dance between the range fans if someone thinks you are a high value target enough to launch an all out assault? Find somewhere else to hole up! In any case either you will wind up dead, or the assaulters will either give up, run out of ammo themselves, or retreat before you scratch the surface of your 5,000 round stash.
I really think that food, fuel and other necessities will become the barter goods of choice, so I'm not worried about using bullets as money. While bullets are necessary for hunting and self defense, 1,000 in the back of my truck gives me absolutely no benefit in and of themselves, so I don't think they will be the hot commodity for most people. Most likely it will be 5 gallons of gas to somebody can get to their family in the next county over, or some beans so a family can eat. You can't eat bullets or run your truck on them you know.
If you are sitting on that many rounds, you have to be assuming that either bullets will become valuable, or you will need them for battling hoodlums. If there is an all out war, there should be a lot of guns and ammo up for grabs, so get a gun in a common caliber and plan on picking stuff up. If nobody is shooting, then nobody will be using up their stash, therefore nobody will be barking up your tree for ammo.
The basic combat load for the Army Infantryman is 7 mags, or 210 rounds, I don't know about the marines. I carried more on certain missions where the QRF was quite a ways away, but even my max load of 14 or so mags only comes out to 420 rounds, which was pretty heavy with all the other equipment we had. Personally, I plan on carrying a max of 500 rounds... because that would be more than enough to deal with an altercation or 2, hunt with, conceal under a heavy coat, etc. I wouldn't be carrying more than that on my person anyway. My goal is to defend myself, and get to somewhere where it's safe for me and my family.
So these are my rambling thoughts for the night... tell me why I am wrong, or why you agree...
-Note, I am not talking about having a 22 for small game hunting or something like that. I am talking about people think it's necessary to have 500 lbs of ammo in 12Ga, 5.56, 9mm, 7.62x39 and 45... and plan on using it all..
!
Prepare for the worst & PRAY for the best 
