So..How much ammo is enough?

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southwest1

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Like many of you who frequent this board I am frustrated with the availability of ammo, in particular, 22LR bricks. Wallyworld is always out of ammo in my neck of the woods. When the ammo comes in, a gun broker usually comes and buys 100s of bricks up before I can get there. Wallyworld now has a 10box per customer limit, but alas I can't stand by the counter all week, so I miss out more often than not. I had originally had no intention to buy more than necessary for a handful of range trips. Now I find myself considering stockpiling some ammo if for no other reason than just to save time. It is a pain to drive all over town in search of ammo.

I realize that we all have different weapons, schedules and tastes. Even so just curious..how much is enough for you ?

I did manage to get 10 bricks of 22LR which should last me a couple of years.

I have bought only a few boxes of shotgun shells because I (perhaps foolishly) believe it is still readily available.

I also have a couple hundred rounds of 7.62 x 54R.

Most of the comments on this board reflect much bigger amounts being stockpiled. So in general terms how much is enough for you ?
 
one can of worms coming right up!

I keep 25 loaded 50-90 sharps on hand all the time and enough stuff to load atleast 200 more.
1k 38 super and enough to load at least another 3k
50 shot gun shells mixed 20 and 12
100 30 remington and components for 500
same for 30-30
1k 22
 
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+ 1 to the can O' worms
But honestly, depending on the gun, I would recommend keeping aroud 500 rounds available per gun at all times.

.22's are a bit of an exception, 2 to 3 thousand is good to keep on hand..


that said, I mean keeping these on hand continuously, if you shoot, replenish... there is no good justification for buying thousands upon thousands of rounds to sit on.

other than... because I can... which is sure to follow shortly.
 
For me, it's not about how much is enough. For me, it's about being able to go to the range and shoot for a while then being able to replenish my stock at a reasonable price. Right now I have quit shooting because I can't do that any longer.
 
Well let's take inventory...

hmm, about:

400 rounds 12ga.
100 rounds 20ga,
150 rounds .410.
200 rounds 35 remington.
350 rounds 30-30.
1800 rounds 9mm.
2300 rounds 7.62x39.
500 rounds .38spl.
250 rounds .45LC.
1200 rounds .22.

That feels about right to me, except I see I need a little more 20ga.

Thanks for the reminder!

Les
 
I have enough for a good number of years. I've been saving up for retirement, but replenishing is a problem.

I decided yesterday that I need a new approach. From now on I'm going to buy whatever ammo I can get in quantity and then get a gun to go with it. I'll probably end up with some oddball expensive stuff, but what the heck.

Met a guy at a gun store who was trying to buy ammo to teach a class. He said the range would be interested in buying some of my ammo. Uh, I don't think so. :) It's not like they're going to give me a price break when they sell my own ammo back to me at 3x the cost and you have to shoot their ammo. :)

I also belong to an outdoor range that let's me shoot my own ammo.

John
 
Not enough. Never enough. The recent Georgia Arms problem drove home the point to us that we cannot depend on USA ammo supply.

So we keep 6 months worth on hand at all times and re-order what we shoot each month plus a few extra boxes.

Right now there are... 100 rounds of Brennekes for 20 and 12 gauge each, another 40 of assorted ammo, mainly remington managed recoils and winlites.

The 45 ACP ammo numbers 500 TMJ Ashtrays Lawman and about 120 Gold Dot carry ammuntion hollows.

Oh, and 4 taser C2 reloads.

Most if not all fits in one box. Ive gone onto a expedition to fill three boxes total by end of the year. Then I think enough yes?

I just thank god that there is sufficient acreage for the fireengine to physically interpose between my home and those of the neighbors if there is ever a fire. We have 4 extinguishers ready to go at all times at all points of the home. And a two inch firemain too if we can get one installed. /sarcasm

I realize that my small pile is pathetic and pitful compared to some of our fine gunowners on this forum. Give us a year and ask us again.
 
I am a little light on Ammo at the moment. I got rid of all my non-reloadable stuff.

However, I am nearing the end of all my firearms projects and about to shift gears to ammo.

My goals for a base-line suppy:

.308 Winchester: 5,000 rounds
5.56 Nato: 5,000 rounds
.22 Long Rifle: 10,000
.45 ACP: 2,000 Rounds
9mm: 20,000 rounds *
12 Guage 00 Buck: 1,000 shells
12 Guage #7 Shot: 2,000 shells
.45-70: 500 rounds

So, that equals: 45,500 Rounds as a goal for me.


* I am hopefully getting a 9mm Class III FA this year, so 20,000 isn't that unreasonable. :)


-- John
 
hmmmm let me think,

1600 9mm
300 .357 mag
800 .38
bout 1000 .22lr
3 boxes 12 ga

need more 22lr, and 12 ga and .357 but that will hold me for a few months if i continue to be unable to replenish what i shoot...
 
Honestly, I haven't got there yet.

there is no good justification for buying thousands upon thousands of rounds to sit on.
Click to expand...

Isn't it wonderful that we live in a constitutional republic where we DON'T HAVE TO JUSTIFY how much ammunition we keep on hand?
 
I'm ok for now

.308 Winchester = 200 rounds, I'm in the process of reloading more.:)
7.62x39 = 2600 rounds
40 S&W = 2750 rounds, all reloaded
12 gauge = 250 shells, 100 buckshot
22 LR = 2500 rounds

This is certainly enough for me to weather this panic buying storm, hopefully it doesn't last into next year, when I might need to buy components to resupply.
 
My inventory as of 4/11/09:

.22lr: 1,634
.380 ACP: 40 (definetly need more, can't find any though.)
9mm: 1,033
.38 Spl: 50 (for a gun I don't own)
22-250: 59
7mm-08: 31 - don't need anymore, strictly a hunting gun.
.30-30: 130
7.62x39mm: 100 (also for a gun I don't own)
7.62x54R: 40
.410: ~60 small game rounds + 3 buckshot + 5 slugs
12 ga: 150 birdshot + 10 buckshot

Definitly need more .22s, .380s, and could spare some more 7.62x54 and 12ga buckshot.
 
I will be buying more ammo in dribs and drabs. I have no plans to buy big amounts at this point.

9mmPara - 850 rounds
7.62X39 - 1000 rounds
7.62X54 - 20 rounds
.380 ACP - 100 rounds
12 guage - 200 rounds
.38 Spec. - 250 rounds
.45 ACP - 150 rounds
7.62X25 - 110 rounds
.223 - 180 rounds
8mm Mauser - 100 rounds
.32 ACP - 25 rounds
.22LR - 2500 rounds
 
I've got plenty of some, and not enough of others.

Under the "plenty" category:

CCI Green Tag .22 subsonics
(these feed only my Savage bolt rifle.) 2400 rounds

.22 Short, in "Target" and "Match" grades 268 rounds
(it's worse than "plenty," I don't shoot these at all.)

CCI Mini-Mags, .22 high velocity 900 rounds
(these feed only my Ruger 22/45 Mk III -- and it will only eat the solids, not the HP's -- go figure)

.22 Magnum -- PMC Predator, 40 gr JHP 584 rounds
(feeds the Henry. I kinda hope I don't need it.)

Aaaaaannnd, in the "Not Enough" category:

.38 Spc. -- 268 rounds
.357 Magnum -- 50 "
(for my GP 100)

.223 Rem. 840 rounds

Grand Total: 5310 rounds.

Did I win anything?
 
At this point I'd like to have enough to shoot at my regular pace for a year. I shoot .22LR and 9mm the most. I've got enough 9mm for about 10-12 months, so I wouldn't mind getting a bit more. My rifles I don't shoot all that much, but I have a lot of ammo for them, about 2500 for the AR and 2900 for the AK. Just about enough to start a revolution.
 
Lcukily my significant other had me stock up on .223 last summer, so I have about 5000 rounds left. If I space it out I can shoot 1000 per year in my .223's and still have some left at the end of four years. That way I don't have to worry about paying inflated prices this year.

I am low on 9mm and .40, about 1600 rounds of 9mm, and 1200 of .40. It may seem like a lot but if you shoot IDPA or IPSC it doesn't last long.

I keep around 100 rounds for each my primary hunting rifles and components for 100-200 more for each of them (7x57, .308, .30-06), and enough for about 1000 rounds for my target rifle in .243. For reloading I have 500 large pistol primers, 2000 small rifle magnum primers, 2000 large rifle match, and 2000 large rifle primers. I have miscellaneous amounts of ammo for guns I shoot less frequently including .44 Mag, 45-70, .300 Savage etc.

I also have a couple of thousand CCI minimags and maybe 400-500 rounds of match ammo left for the .22's.
 
I have a bunch. I started stocking up two years ago when the prices started going up. I was not trying to stockpile, I was just trying to save money down the road. Good thing, as now it is hard to find ammo available anymore.
I have enough to last me for a few years of shooting. Hopefully, things will return to a more normal level by then. I don't expect to see prices that we enjoyed a few years ago again, but hopefully we will at least be able to walk in to a store and pick up a few boxes of ammo to go shooting.
 
I usually have on hand 1000-2000 9mm, 500 .38 special, 100 .38 super, 500 22lr, 500 22 magnum, 200 .17 HMR, some .357 magnum and some .38 S&W.

When I was competing in IPSC I would have anywhere up to 5000 rounds of 9mm plus 10,000 in components, when I was shooting Fullbore/High Power I would have a thousand rounds of .308 on hand.

I cut back on my stockpiles when I became more of a casual shooter, and because the floorboards were sagging under my ammo safe.
 
I have to find 5000 rds a week of .22LR for the pistol club I RO for. Makes for fun times at walmart when I roll up with the cart and ask for 1 case, 2 if they have extra. One guy actually accused me of hoarding and seemed like he was ready to take it out to the parking lot so to speak.
 
Stockpiling:

2500 rds 22lr, half of them subsonic

1500 Rds 45 ACP to feed several pistols and a carbine

1000 Rds 12ga Buck
@300 Rds 12ga Slugs, both for the Saigas

3000 Rds 5.56x45 (Win Q3131) for the ARs

3000 Rds 7.62x39 for the AK variants and an AR upper

2000 Rds .30 Carbine, M1

I've just got a lot of stuff for a reloading setup, and will soon begin reloading 5.56x45, 45 ACP, and 7.62x39.

Various amounts of ammo for "transient" calibers (only one or two guns in each, no intent to rely upon them in a stockpiling sense - only a couple hundred rounds of each, if that), to include: 9mm Para, 380 ACP, 32 ACP, 7.62x 51, .25-06, 8mm (I end up shooting all of mine - love the 8), .357/38 Special (really do need to get more of this, despite having just one gun for it).

I'm torn between using reloading/acquisition to agressively accumulate .357, 7.62x51, or 9mm Para. It goes without saying I need more 8mm (7.92x57 JS).

Does anyone have any thoughts on what one would be better for a true nightmare scenario? I'll eventually get to them all, but I'd like to focus on one at a time, due to the cost of the ammo as well as a gun or two in the caliber.

Also, I'm not worried about the 7.62x39 in storage, as it's the stuff with laquered steel cases (some Barnaul, some Wolf), half of it in "sardine cans", but what's the reasonable shelf life on the Q3131 packed in its commercial cases (cardboard)? Is there a way I should go about reloading the 5.56, or something I can do in addition to or after the reloading process, that will prolong storage life?
 
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