Certaindeaf
member
I'm no Barney Fife.. I've got two rounds per gat!
Your ammunition to firearms ratio?
- Thread starter philoe
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T Bran
Member
I keep a couple hundred or so per caliber on hand and enough components to do a couple thousand as needed.
22-rimfire
Member
In my opinion, ratios have little to do with what ammunition you maintain in terms of a cache. I keep a supply based on what I use. The cache can be based on many things from what you normally shoot and some volume that satisfies that need, months worth of normal shooting, or you simply like to see a big pile of ammunition available to you and it makes you feel good.
Now that's more like it.
My primary caliber is and always has been 9x19, for which I have two guns and at least 7,000 rounds at the moment. My only other caliber in decent quantity is .22lr. I would really like to have 10k+ of several calibers. Some day...
I have about $1000 worth of ammo in all the various calibers I own, including a few I don't own but my friends do. I have about $3000 worth of guns.
My stockpile is regularly hoarded and replenished. It isn't for a SHTF scenario so much as "dang, nothing is on sale and I want to go shoot this weekend" so I raid the stockpile. Then later on when the sales hit I replenish.
My stockpile is regularly hoarded and replenished. It isn't for a SHTF scenario so much as "dang, nothing is on sale and I want to go shoot this weekend" so I raid the stockpile. Then later on when the sales hit I replenish.
Scuba_Steve
Member
Since I don't reload, I buy ammo in bulk. I usually have a minimum of 500 rounds each in .44 and .357, a couple thousand rounds of .45, and several thousand rounds of 9mm. again none of this SHTF nonsense, simply a matter of economics.
Now that I am starting to shoot 10mm, I'm thinking it may be time to start thinking about reloading. I just don't have time for another hobby, time is $$$.
Now that I am starting to shoot 10mm, I'm thinking it may be time to start thinking about reloading. I just don't have time for another hobby, time is $$$.
Only you can answer the question of "Do I have enough ammo". For some guns that I shoot often I have a high round count, for others maybe 50 rounds.
And always remember, the only time you can ever have to much ammo is when your house is on fire.
And always remember, the only time you can ever have to much ammo is when your house is on fire.
2-3 K of .22 for 2 pistols and 2 rifles
About 800 factory rounds in .38 and enough reloading supplies for about another 2000 rounds. Been shooting reloads exclusively lately and have about 300 loaded rounds on hand.
50 rounds factory of .357. Don't own the gun yet, but will start reloading that too.
About 200 rounds of .380 for one pistol.
I guess I am not too bad...
About 800 factory rounds in .38 and enough reloading supplies for about another 2000 rounds. Been shooting reloads exclusively lately and have about 300 loaded rounds on hand.
50 rounds factory of .357. Don't own the gun yet, but will start reloading that too.
About 200 rounds of .380 for one pistol.
I guess I am not too bad...
I think the OP's question is an interesting one, but I don't believe that converting to dollars for the ratio is a good idea.
For example, if I have an H&K 9mm then I would have to stock away 5x-6x as much ammo compared to having a Hi-Point 9mm simply because the H&K costs 5x-6x more.
I also tend to keep to a minimum the number of different cartridge types I need, even if I have a bunch of guns for each type. So I measure it as about 1K rounds per cartridge type per person (i.e. my wife and I). I can't be shooting more than one gun at once, I don't care about factoring 'loaning' someone a gun. That just isn't going to happen.
It's a nice round number, not too big, not too small. Easy to figure out.
B
For example, if I have an H&K 9mm then I would have to stock away 5x-6x as much ammo compared to having a Hi-Point 9mm simply because the H&K costs 5x-6x more.
I also tend to keep to a minimum the number of different cartridge types I need, even if I have a bunch of guns for each type. So I measure it as about 1K rounds per cartridge type per person (i.e. my wife and I). I can't be shooting more than one gun at once, I don't care about factoring 'loaning' someone a gun. That just isn't going to happen.
It's a nice round number, not too big, not too small. Easy to figure out.
B
I appreciate all of the info. Putting a ratio in $ value might not have been the best idea, but it does give you an idea of where you stand in your overall collection. I was honestly shocked to see that the value of my firearms had a value of 5X my ammo.
At the end of the day, this is not an inexpensive hobby. Thousands of dollars go towards these tools and their munitions. Nothing but the best in your future collections... philoe
At the end of the day, this is not an inexpensive hobby. Thousands of dollars go towards these tools and their munitions. Nothing but the best in your future collections... philoe
gunnysmith
Member
IMHO I would not answer that question for several reasons. BHO, DOJ, ATFE
We are not talking privately in the backyard here.
We are not talking privately in the backyard here.
cactus02
Member
Half a ton all styles ammo. If you can count by rounds or boxes it's not enough.
CountryUgly
Member
Now that's the truth.... A guy in town here was an avid reloader when his house went up. The FD had to get back and just let it burn. The guy estimated his round count in the neighborhood of 100k-200k give or take a few.
I handload a lot and I shoot a lot, since the end of January about 5600+ plus rounds, mostly 45 auto, 38 Super, 357 mag and 9mm. I had expected to shoot more 10mm and bought the components to do so, but I prefer shooting the 357 mag (Keith bullet) over the 10mm.
Time for another order to Rimrock and to Powder Valley for more W231 to load for practice.
After all these years I finally broke down and ordered a Chargemaster from Natchez to replace the Lyman #55 that I bought in the early 70s.
Time for another order to Rimrock and to Powder Valley for more W231 to load for practice.
After all these years I finally broke down and ordered a Chargemaster from Natchez to replace the Lyman #55 that I bought in the early 70s.
RBid
Member
I own two firearms at the moment: a Walther PPQ, and the Kel Tec PF-9 that lives on me.
I generally keep at least 100 rounds of FMJ, and 40 rounds of Speer Gold Dots in reserve, not counting the rounds in my PF-9, or the spare mag.
I generally keep at least 100 rounds of FMJ, and 40 rounds of Speer Gold Dots in reserve, not counting the rounds in my PF-9, or the spare mag.
MachIVshooter
Member
This. It would be stupid to have thousands of rounds of 6.5mm Carcano, 7.5mm MAS and the like on hand for guns that I shoot once in a blue moon to the tune of maybe 30 rounds in a sitting. I have some guns that I stock fewer than 100 rounds for, and that's plenty. On the other hand, for most of us, it is prudent to have a pretty healthy stock for our AR/AK and the handguns we shoot frequently.
I'm not rich enough to have 1000 rounds of .375 H&H laying around.
My other calibers I do ok.
My other calibers I do ok.
I try to keep 1000-2000 rounds of the calibers that I shoot a lot, i.e. practice ammo. Maybe 500 of expensive hollow point ammo for self-defense firearms. Maybe only 100 for firearms that I rarely shoot such as toys/collectibles. I actually think keeping a good stockpile in any caliber would be a better investment than putting the money in a savings account but, still, I can't afford to have a large quantity of everything.
evan price
Member
I have one bullet, but it fits many guns.
BigN
Member
3 boxes of varying loads for each caliber
ConstitutionCowboy
member
I keep enough ammo and reloading supplies to out-live me.
Woody
Woody
This topic is too wide and vague to have one answer.
Someone who does a lot of steel shooting with a 9mm may have a ratio of 2000 rnds/pistol. For someone who has one home defense pistol, itmay be one or two boxes of hollow point. For a shotgun clay shooter, maybe a couple hundred rounds. Then you have those who buy big ammo in big lots simply to save on expenses, figuring it'll get used eventually and sits around for years.
These threads are like asking how many nails people have in their workshop drawers and trying to draw some sort of conclusion from it. It all depends what you're doing.
Someone who does a lot of steel shooting with a 9mm may have a ratio of 2000 rnds/pistol. For someone who has one home defense pistol, itmay be one or two boxes of hollow point. For a shotgun clay shooter, maybe a couple hundred rounds. Then you have those who buy big ammo in big lots simply to save on expenses, figuring it'll get used eventually and sits around for years.
These threads are like asking how many nails people have in their workshop drawers and trying to draw some sort of conclusion from it. It all depends what you're doing.
Back in my college days, I had a reloading bench in my living room. When the neighbor's bbq got away from him (@#$% drunk!!!) and spread to his fence and then his apartment, the security guard kicked in my front door to call the FD. They has a merry ol' time when the powder, primers, and loaded ammo lit off.
Storage space has been an issue, but that's changing. I've been keeping between 200 and 1k rounds per handgun caliber and 1-500 per rifle caliber on hand, but will increase by a factor of at least 5. I never get below enough to load out every gun and spare magazine - which is still more than I could carry if I need to bug out.
I tend to buy ammo every time I shoot, and buy more than I shoot. Then there's the reloading components...
I have also limited my chamberings, which simplifies ammo somewhat. .22LR, 9mm, .38/.357, .45acp, .223/5.56, .22-250, .308, 12ga and 20ga. I'd go much deeper if I were running wildcats or less common commercial loads.
Storage space has been an issue, but that's changing. I've been keeping between 200 and 1k rounds per handgun caliber and 1-500 per rifle caliber on hand, but will increase by a factor of at least 5. I never get below enough to load out every gun and spare magazine - which is still more than I could carry if I need to bug out.
I tend to buy ammo every time I shoot, and buy more than I shoot. Then there's the reloading components...
I have also limited my chamberings, which simplifies ammo somewhat. .22LR, 9mm, .38/.357, .45acp, .223/5.56, .22-250, .308, 12ga and 20ga. I'd go much deeper if I were running wildcats or less common commercial loads.
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