Ed Ames
Member
22... how do you know?
Most people don't discuss this sort of thing openly.
Most people don't discuss this sort of thing openly.
Poll: How much ammo is too much?
- Thread starter crazy-mp
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BENELLIMONTE
member
The fact that I hesitate to tell you how much ammo I own is a sure sign that I have way too much ammo.
Ok ya got me, I do have a few calibers that have 5,000 rounds in reserve, but most are around 1,000. I am also a believer that you cant have too many gun in one caliber. I only have 1 .45 GAP but if that gun ever goes down I will be stuck with 1500 rounds of ammo I cant shoot. But on the other hand if one of my AR's goes down I have a spare, a backup, a secondary plus the parts kits receivers and bolt action guns mini-14's and even a single shot .223
The poll was left out sorry guys and gals, as I was doing it it seemed a little uh, one sided. I am a firm believer that you always need one more box of ammo. Even if it is a caliber you don’t own, because someday you might get one
Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow
member
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- 13,146
The unit of measurement known as a "Unicorn" of ammo is too much (no such thing).
My revered friend Winston used to say that one couldn't have too many books in his library, too much wine in his cellar, or too much ammo in his bunker. And Winston was right about most things.
Unfortunately, I am deficient in all three catagories.
Unfortunately, I am deficient in all three catagories.
Kind of Blued
Member
Incorrect. That is exactly how much a unicorn weighs. You probably haven't heard of it because it's a rare unit of measurement developed by the Keebler Elves and the Lucky Charms leprachaun, both of which have yet to join NATO. They use it, and others in their recipes. Also included are "buttload" and "jiggawatt".
25wssmisgood
Member
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- Sep 25, 2008
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- 29
Actually there are two situations in which you can have too much ammo.
One is when you are drowning, the other when you are on fire.......
One is when you are drowning, the other when you are on fire.......
SirYarquest
Member
Hmmmm too much
I have been thinking alot about that for the last couple of months. Today a lady, who admited she never owned a gun till last weekend, bought every box of 9MM ammo I had on the shelf, then asked if I had more. I explained the shortage and I thought 500 rounds would be plenty for practicing. Then keep 2 boxes (100 rounds) for personal protection. She told me to give her $300.00worth and gave a look like "Mind your own business". So my answer for newby's...buy what you can afford, not what you think you might need because of the rumors she's being hearing. Be sincable. How many are you going to be able to squeeze off if you feel or are actually threatened?
Sir Yarquest.
I have been thinking alot about that for the last couple of months. Today a lady, who admited she never owned a gun till last weekend, bought every box of 9MM ammo I had on the shelf, then asked if I had more. I explained the shortage and I thought 500 rounds would be plenty for practicing. Then keep 2 boxes (100 rounds) for personal protection. She told me to give her $300.00worth and gave a look like "Mind your own business". So my answer for newby's...buy what you can afford, not what you think you might need because of the rumors she's being hearing. Be sincable. How many are you going to be able to squeeze off if you feel or are actually threatened?
Sir Yarquest.
SciFiJim
Member
I've been giving this MUCH thought lately. Not "how much is too much" but, do I have enough? The conclusion I reached will probably not work for everyone, but works for me. 1000 rounds for each firearm in the house as emergency reserve, as in only gets use in an emergency (job loss, economic downturn, shortages, etc) then compute normal usage and keep twice the amount on hand for usage for that time period. For example, if it takes a month for ordered ammo to come then have two months on hand in case supply chain breaks down (like it did last fall, it took almost two months to receive 1000 rounds of .45 from Georgia Arms.) They had problems getting components then, when the .gov was readily selling once fired brass. If the recent snafu with .mil brass happens again and for good then supplies will be very difficult to get. Make sure you have plenty on hand to carry you through the lean times.
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WardenWolf
member
A lot of you people who say, "No way! I shoot xxx amount per month!" don't seem to understand: if it hits the fan, you're NOT going to be shooting recreationally any more. Recreational shooting is something that only happens in a functioning society and economy. If it hits the fan, you're not going to be shooting recreationally. You'll be saving that ammo for defense and hunting. And in that case, your ammo usage will drop flat.
Consider:
(1) How many encounters with people who wish to do me harm am I likely to have and survive?
(2) How many deer or other animals will I or my family need to survive for x number of years or the rest of our lives?
(3) If the worst happens, you are going to be around guns constantly. You'll be carrying them everywhere. How much more in practice do you think you'll be then, even compared to weekly range trips?
Consider:
(1) How many encounters with people who wish to do me harm am I likely to have and survive?
(2) How many deer or other animals will I or my family need to survive for x number of years or the rest of our lives?
(3) If the worst happens, you are going to be around guns constantly. You'll be carrying them everywhere. How much more in practice do you think you'll be then, even compared to weekly range trips?
Boba Fett
Member
Nothing like some common sense to kill the fun
In all seriousness, Mike makes some excellent points. And even though having a large store of ammo is a good idea IMO, there are other factors to consider as Mike points out.
To add to his three points:
(4) If the worst happens, how are you going to carry all your ammo around (assuming you are not able to stay in your current location)? If your only means of carrying ammo is on your person (bag, pockets, etc), you're going to have to leave the bulk of your million rounds behind.
(5) In conjunction with number 4, how many different calibers / different weapons are you planning on carrying? If your only means of carrying them is on your person, it'll probably come down to a rifle and a pistol. Again, you'll have to leave most of your ammo and firearms behind at that point.
solareclipse
Member
3000000000 rounds in each caliber. cause you know, they will ban it tomorrow!
Davionmaximus
Member
25-30 lbs of each caliber is all I store.I keep each caliber in its own large drybox in the safe. That being said I have .308,.223,12ga,20ga,.45,9mm,and .380. I break my rule of thumb w/ shotgun shells as I keep cases for hunting season and cases of cheap stuff for breaking birds. My usual range trip involves about 50 rounds if a rifle and 100 rounds if a handgun is involved.
I don't store for the end of the world as I would probably be snuffed out in the first hundred rounds... lol
I don't store for the end of the world as I would probably be snuffed out in the first hundred rounds... lol
jackstinson
Member
To that one might respond: A lot of people apparently don't seem to understand the original post. It said nothing about imagined SHTF scenarios. It said, "how much ammo do we really need? Better yet how much ammo should the average person have on hand? I don't care about laws, I just want to know what everyone thinks is a reasonable number of rounds."
If you want to discuss fantasy scenarios and requirements for such, that's another set of questions entirely....an endless set of "what if's". Like; "How many rounds do you need to stop a horde of meth-crazed tattoed crip-lovin' Mac-10 totin' zombies from the planet Zith?"
The answer? One round....if they all line up and it's a really powerful cartridge.
How much do we need?
I need enough to be able to shoot my rifle/pistol for as long as I expect to keep it. That is the only way to be sure that I have enough ammo to enjoy my rifle/pistol without having to worry about a particular round/caliber from becoming obsolete. In short, that means:
amount per gun = (expected rounds expended per month * months of expected use)
where "months of expected use" = months of my expected lifetime. When viewed in that manner, very few people are truly hoarding.
How much do I have on hand? I certainly cant afford the amount I need, so I like to have 1000 rounds per caliber on hand.
I need enough to be able to shoot my rifle/pistol for as long as I expect to keep it. That is the only way to be sure that I have enough ammo to enjoy my rifle/pistol without having to worry about a particular round/caliber from becoming obsolete. In short, that means:
amount per gun = (expected rounds expended per month * months of expected use)
where "months of expected use" = months of my expected lifetime. When viewed in that manner, very few people are truly hoarding.
How much do I have on hand? I certainly cant afford the amount I need, so I like to have 1000 rounds per caliber on hand.
Suicide*Ride
Member
I have two guns & keep them both loaded. When they're M-T, I'll use them as clubs!
lamebums
Member
No such thing as too much ammo.
Assuming ammo becomes prohibitive tomorrow, I want to be able to go the range and shoot 200 rounds once a month until I die. Let's see, say I live another 30 years, that's 30x12x200=72,000 rounds. OK, that will do. In each caliber.
NWGunner
Member
If More is Better, Too Much is Just Right
My ammo buying has become more strategic and I have also worked to consolidate calibers.
Over the past 24 months or so, I've been steadily accumulating a modest stockpile of ammo. The current goal is to have a minimum of 10,000 rounds for the common calibers I own (.22LR, 9mm, .223, 7.62x39, .308), and at least 1000 rounds for the less common calibers (.380, 7.62x54R, 12 Ga) So far, I've been able to get my hands on about 5,000 rounds of .223, 3,000 rounds of 7.62x39 and have 11,000 rounds worth of 9mm components waiting to be reloaded. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to pay for 10,000 rounds of .308.
Ultimately, I'd feel comfortable with 100,000 rounds of 9mm and .223; likely enough for me an my future family for our lifetimes.
Without ammo, guns are nothing more than expensive metal bludgeons.
Without the ability to practice shooting, the guns may not be effective even WITH ammo.
My ammo buying has become more strategic and I have also worked to consolidate calibers.
Over the past 24 months or so, I've been steadily accumulating a modest stockpile of ammo. The current goal is to have a minimum of 10,000 rounds for the common calibers I own (.22LR, 9mm, .223, 7.62x39, .308), and at least 1000 rounds for the less common calibers (.380, 7.62x54R, 12 Ga) So far, I've been able to get my hands on about 5,000 rounds of .223, 3,000 rounds of 7.62x39 and have 11,000 rounds worth of 9mm components waiting to be reloaded. I haven't quite figured out how I'm going to pay for 10,000 rounds of .308.
Ultimately, I'd feel comfortable with 100,000 rounds of 9mm and .223; likely enough for me an my future family for our lifetimes.
Without ammo, guns are nothing more than expensive metal bludgeons.
Without the ability to practice shooting, the guns may not be effective even WITH ammo.
Dodahdude
member
I have been reading the replies and some of them I think, man I have 2 times more ammo in that caliber than that person, then I read some and think, man they have 3 times more ammo in that caliber than I do!
One other thing I have been considering is should I buy more 12 ga. shells or more 30-06, .243 or .223 its sort of a toss up, on one hand I have a bunch of shotguns and they can be used for a wide variety of applications, from deer hunting to home defense. On the other hand center fire rifle like the 30-06 or .243 would be nice to take out and shoot from time to time, while everyone like to empty a 30 round mag from their AR every once and a while.
Oh well I guess I will apply for a Cabela’s credit card and max it out on ammo.
One other thing I have been considering is should I buy more 12 ga. shells or more 30-06, .243 or .223 its sort of a toss up, on one hand I have a bunch of shotguns and they can be used for a wide variety of applications, from deer hunting to home defense. On the other hand center fire rifle like the 30-06 or .243 would be nice to take out and shoot from time to time, while everyone like to empty a 30 round mag from their AR every once and a while.
Oh well I guess I will apply for a Cabela’s credit card and max it out on ammo.
Dodahdude
member
yeah
Three times? Stimulate the economy...
Three times? Stimulate the economy...
I know I am not one to point fingers but how much ammo do we really need? Better yet how much ammo should the average person have on hand? I dont care about laws, I just want to know what everoyone thinks is a reasonable number of rounds
as many rounds as there are stars in the sky
as many rounds as there are stars in the sky
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