insuring a plentiful ammo supply for the future

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I have brass by the bucketfuls, several thousand primers, and many pounds of powder but very few bullets. They are still hard to find. I have a dozen or so plastic coffee cans full of various loaded pistol ammo(.45 ACP, .38spl, .357 mag, .44 mag) with all kinds of bullets for all kinds of use. I have about 5-6000 .22s. I would love to find a source for Hornady spire point bulets, but it seems Hornady has abandoned the working man's wallet and is only making high-dollar bullets, cop ammo that I can't buy, and loaded ammo.
 
the issue with reloading is that if you are short any component reloading won't work.

Heck you may even be on the move/run and leave your press and supplies home.
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It's still cheaper to buy the components. So buy what you can when you can.

It's silly to have all the components you need to load ammo still sitting around as components. Load it up ! It's easier to move/carry/shoot ammo. It's impossible to shoot components and much more difficult to carry/move it.
 
Dead money? Ammo is a better investment than gold (at least the popular cartridges). Can you imagine if you'd bought $200k worth of 5.56 when it was $150/case 10 years ago? You could sell it (easily and quickly) for more than double that.

And if the bottom ever really does fall out, ammo (and food) will be more valuable than precious metals
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Pretty much dead, yes. Double over 10 years is 7.2% / year gross. Not bad. Factor in inflation. Now it's considerably less. Now count the cost of storing $200,000 worth of .223 for those 10 years. And maintaining it - no good if it's corroded. And keeping a provenence - you better be able to prove it's good if you intend to sell it. So, no, not a very good investment, very little in shooting is such. But I'm also no fan of gold.

If the bottom ever falls out (unlikely) my guess is ammo will be largely worthless. There is too much around and consumption would immediately nearly stop. No sport shooting and little hunting. Folks will buy only what they need for survival and nothing more. Sellers will have again to prove it's good in advance. Very very few are going to be willing or able to head for the hills, live off the land, and fight off the starving hoards is that's what you're thinking. There ain't enough land, or game, or ways to provide for granny or the baby. Food, fuel, power, spare parts, medicine, medical expertise, security. The type of security that only comes in organization. Ammo provides none of these and would have little value in quantity.

Dead, wasted money. Might as well shoot it up and enjoy. Then start planning and saving in case the bottom DOESN'T fall out.
 
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On the extreme end of this, why not learn to make your own powder? It's not that hard, and not that expensive.

Making your own primers? That's a little bit more difficult, and involves serious and dangerous chemistry.
 
LoneCoon, making your own powder is quite difficult. The chemicals are known but the ratios aren't and it would take a lot of experimentation to get it to work.
 
When we had the major primer shortage in the '90s, I resolved that I wouldn't be blind-sided again, and have maintained a cache of 5000 primers in every size I use (total of four).

I'm currently working on the powder cache; have reduced the number of powders I use, and will maintain a cache of 8 pounds of each.

Same scenario with bullets: A cache of 2500 of each caliber I shoot. Yes, I'm reducing the number of calibers I actively shoot, too.

I need to bolster my .22 RF inventory: Less than 5,000 in the ammo dump at this time.

I'm managing all those inventories on a FIFO (first in, first out) basis.

The brass I have on hand is easily a lifetime supply; I started collecting range brass five years before I started reloading.

I'd be grateful for suggestions or constructive comments. :cool:

If the situation becomes as dire as some think, we'll all be shooting less than we currently do; I expect that my provisions will be good for a decade or two; I pray that I'll last as long...
 
I reload for .45, 9mm, 30-06, and .223. I have primers, bullets, brass and powder for all. I got ahold of a bunch of LC 155 grain bullets (pulled) and have stock piled .223 bullets.

I am not so much worried about the Government swooping in and getting my stash. I worry about OTHERS thinking the Government will swoop in and take it all away and purchasing everything. I just like to shoot, so I keep enough around so I am well stocked. I have just been able to find primers again.
 
The shortages and price gouging we have seen in the recent past has been driven by the hoarding and stockpiling done because of unfounded fear......not because of any government regulations or restrictions. This increase in demand has caused established ammo manufacturers to retool, upgrade and run three shifts. It has also brought about many new ammo/bullet manufacturers and distributors that were not even in existence two-three years ago. This same scare has made many who never owned a gun before, to get one quick before the sky falls and they might not be able to. Add to this, there have been more new gun models introduced in the last ten years than in the previous 40.

I believe there will be ammo/reloading components available for a long time in America.
 
I've kept my ammo to 4 calibers
1500 rnds.+7.62x39mm
approx. 1200 rnds of 9mm
1000 rnds. of 22 LR
I just need to stock up on more 12 ga. shotgun shell

If you are or can get reloading material and equipment you're in good shape for bartering if the SHTF. The only negative is you have to keep moving to survive, just too much weight, especially if you're on foot. I've been thinking about buying another .22 rifle like a 10/22. 22's are more versatile than most think, you won't break the bank stocking up .22 LR ammo. I hope I don't live to see the SHTF but I'm not going to roll over without a fight.

I'm starting to think that the U.S. Federal governement may be on the list of our own worst enemy!
JT
Norinco SKS
Norico MAK 90
Norinco 9mm Tokarev
Hi-Point 9mm carbine
12 ga. Remington Police issue shotgun
Winchester model 72 bolt action 22-shoots, shorts, longs and LR. Pretty much a collector item for it's age but dead on accurate.
 
Always with the politics.
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That was a straight answer to the question. Politics would be argueing politics, not suggesting we vote out anti gun politicains and support the NRA who help protect our rights.

Silly answers like buying enough ammo to outlast the gun grabbers who will come door to door taking the guns as well as ammo is a pie in the sky aproach.

If we lose at the voting box, we will lose our rights to own guns and ammo. They will then be confiscated. Period. End of story. Save our rights and save our ammo supply. Pretty simple.

That said, I stocked up pretty well years ago. There will always be dry spells like we are going through. I have yet to run out of primers etc because I was ready for it. No amount of stock will outlast a permanant ban though. AC
 
S is not H'ing TF
get over it.
1000 each because I can
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Says the guy with the 5000 round hoard of ammo??

If we lose at the voting box, we will lose our rights to own guns and ammo. They will then be confiscated. Period. End of story. Save our rights and save our ammo supply. Pretty simple.
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Think it through. Your vote does not protect your right to your gun. Your gun protects your right to vote.
 
5000 rds is a "hoard of ammo" divided between five guns?

Wow, who knew ?
 
The trick is to buy a box every other trip to Walmart. It doesn't hurt that much and before long, you'll have "enough" for you.

I see you're in OKC.......maybe we can go shoot! I'm going out to OKC gunclub either Monday or Tuesday.
 
1. Reloading presses and tooling for every caliber I shoot (except rimfire of course).
2. Buckets and buckets of brass.
3. Buckets and buckets of wheel weights.
4. 8# powder kegs in the magazines.
5. Order primers by the 50K lot (also in magazines).
6. Ammo cans full of rimfire. Buy a box or two every time I go into a Wal*Mart or gunstore.
7. Make sure to make my voice known by being a member of several organizations that promote lawful firearms ownership and being active in petitioning government to improve our rights WRT the 2nd Amendment.
8. Try to get as many nonshooters to become shooters. Try to get shooters to become better shooters. Try to get better shooters into reloading. Try to get reoaders into casting. Etc.
9. Participate in online forums to get information spread around.
10. Vote for candidates that are less anti 2A, and pray.
 
Quote:
Always with the politics.
That was a straight answer to the question. Politics would be argueing politics, not suggesting we vote out anti gun politicains and support the NRA who help protect our rights.

Silly answers like buying enough ammo to outlast the gun grabbers who will come door to door taking the guns as well as ammo is a pie in the sky aproach.

If we lose at the voting box, we will lose our rights to own guns and ammo. They will then be confiscated. Period. End of story. Save our rights and save our ammo supply. Pretty simple.

That said, I stocked up pretty well years ago. There will always be dry spells like we are going through. I have yet to run out of primers etc because I was ready for it. No amount of stock will outlast a permanant ban though. AC
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Gun ownership and pro-gun legislation is already on the rise. Its a good thing, but I get tired of hearing the politics all the time. That's just me.
 
For the most part, I try to buy enough ammo for another range trip before I go on one. I don't get to shoot much, and with my preferred varieties of ammo not being available for some time, that does it for now.
 
A modern day Scarlet O'hara might say, "As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be without ammo again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be without ammo again."


At least .22LR anyway.:D

Any trip to WM is at least a bulk box of Federal .22s. Today I scored 2 BOXES OF .380 95gr FMJ:D, (yes, you read that right) 100 box of .40S&W 165gr FMJ, 100 box of .45acp 230gr JHP and the obligatory brick of .22. I've got a long way to go but I'm up to 5500 rounds of .22 now. I don't know when I'll figure I have enough. I need to start laying in supplies for reloading though.

Kind of funny though, I went straight to my shooting spot and only shot a few mags of each. I can remember a time when I left a shooting session without one live round in the car. I can remember having to remind myself to unload a mag and put the rounds in my pocket so I'd have something to reload the carry gun with when I left.

I can't help but think that if we enter some really dark times as far as ammo and guns in general go, it might not be a real smart idea to continue shooting for pleasure just because I might have plenty. Gunfire would certainly draw unwanted attention.
 
stop
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+1.

Although, I am enjoying reaping the benefits of the ammo panic. I'm buying bulk components like primers, powder, and bullets at the shows because everyone hogged up everything the credit cards would hold, and now they're dumping it at a (sometimes significant) loss since common sense has returned.

Ammo and components is getting downright cheap from folks who are laid off.

KR

Did I read where someone was hoarding wheel weights? Really?
 
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