How much centerfire ammo do you shoot?

[Guest oldsmobile98]

Just wondering how much centerfire ammo you run through per year, or per month, depending on how much you shoot.

If you want to break it up by caliber, that would be cool.

Me? I'm in school (read: broke), so I don't get to shoot much.

I've put roughly 250 rounds/yr (about half .38 special, half .357 mag) through the revolver, and 55 rounds/yr of .308 through my centerfire rifle.

I know, I know, I need to shoot more. I blame my professors for assigning too much work.

[CatsEye]

I shot about 5000 rounds of 9mm and maybe 500 rounds of .40s during the past year.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Let's see. Three thousand rounds of .45, about 200 rounds of 9mm, and maybe 400 rounds of 6.8 . That's what I reloaded in about the last twelve months. My son is to blame on 2/3 of the .45's . I built 6 6.8mm AR's for myself and family members and I need to shoot them more often. I will probably end up the same this year as last. I only have one 9mm Glock 17, and that number will go up if I get another one(I'm looking into that).

Since you're a student, I have some .38 nickel plated brass. If you reload, it's your's

if you want it.

I have compassion for a fine young conservative at a liberal institution.

[Mike.357]

I haven't kept track of it for ages.

On an average day at the range I might shoot 50 to 100 rounds of centerfire total between several guns. Mostly shoot .22's, it is just as satisfying.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

.22LR approx 1500 rounds most shot at 200 yards.

.40 S&W approx 1500 to 2000 rounds

.223 winchester 1500 rounds at 600 - 1000 yards

.308 winchester 1000 rounds at 600 - 1000 yards

.284 winchester 1000 rounds at 600 - 1000 yards

[roverboy]

I used to shoot about 500-600 rds a year of .38 special and .357. I shoot a lot of 7.62x54 now(300-400 a year). About 200 of .30-06. 100 or so a year of 8mm Mauser. Just started shooting my 7.5x55 and .30 carbine.

Edited April 14, 2010 by roverboy

[McAllyn]

Before the drought, I was up to 1600rds 9MM and 300-400rds .40 per month plus the ~roughly 200 each for matches when I could make it. Since the drought, those numbers have dwindled and been replaced with .22 and 20g since I've taken up plinking and skeet.

Mac

[Guest Orionsic]

.45 - 100 rnds/week

9mm - 50 rnds/week

.22 - 600 rnds/week

Both shot in various timed drills, one handed, 25 yards. 9mm shot with weak hand.

I need to start reloading asap. Dont have anywhere to reload at though. Anyone reload in a storage unit?

Edited April 14, 2010 by Orionsic

[robbiev]

I actually hesitated before posting, because of two reasons. One, I don't keep track any more and haven't for several years. Two, a lot of people probably wouldn't believe me.

Last year, 2009, I shot, I'd guess 10,000 rounds, mostly 9, but a few hundred rounds of .40 and a few hundred rounds of .45. However, by far, I didn't shoot much last year because of ammo prices and availability (and actually because of some family issues I had to attend to).

Before 2009, I shot an EASY 1000 rounds each week on average, between competition and regular range trips.

Edited April 14, 2010 by robbiev

[MCSCOTT]

Roughly for each caliber per year:

.45 = 50-100

.40 = 100-200

9mm = 500

.270 = 10 Just to check the scope occasionally

.280 Rem = 40-50

7.62 x 39 = 50-100

.223 = 1000

Seems like I'm forgetting a few in there somewhere, and there's several rounds of shotgun shells every year as well in 12ga and 20ga.

There's a few others, but that's about the majority of what I shoot regularly every year. Like some of the others mentioned I've just about switched over to .22 for the majority of my shooting. I'm up to 5 different .22 rifles now and probably eat up 5000 rounds of ammo or more between them. It's more relaxing that way, because with the others I start getting worried if I shoot too many rounds out of my ammo supply.

[MCSCOTT]

I actually hesitated before posting, because of two reasons. One, I don't keep track any more and haven't for several years. Two, a lot of people probably wouldn't believe me.

Last year, 2009, I shot, I'd guess 10,000 rounds, mostly 9, but a few hundred rounds of .40 and a few hundred rounds of .45. However, by far, I didn't shoot much last year because of ammo prices and availability (and actually because of some family issues I had to attend to).

Before 2009, I shot an EASY (edited) 1000 rounds each week on average, between competition and regular range trips.

Anyone that does a good bit of shooting wouldn't be surprised at those numbers. One thing my AR taught me was how quickly you can eat up ammo when it's 30 rounds at a time before reloading. No matter how big my .223 ammo supply gets, I always know in the back of my mind that it is never enough.

[Guest Orionsic]

No matter how big my .223 ammo supply gets, I always know in the back of my mind that it is never enough.

Success!!!

[mikegideon]

Can't put a number on it, but it's in the high hundreds, spread between .223, .243, .270, .380, .45, .38 sp, and 9mm. Probably more 9mm than anything else. I don't reload.

Thanks to the IRS, I'll probably be burning a lot of .22 LR over the next couple of months.

[Guest FroggyOne2]

The thing that goes through my mind is .. not so much the amount of ammo one shoots.. but is the person trying to shoot qaulity shots or just banging away.. to which I see so much at ranges.. ppl just banging away.. When I release the trigger, each shot is an attempt to make a quality shot.. I try to learn something from each one.. cause and effect so to speak.. did I have good follow through, sight alignment, was my position good.. how did the rifle recoil on that shot.. or pistol for that fact.. but I mostly shoot rifles.. I can go to range and only shoot 50 rounds of .22LR and spend 4 hours doing it..

[mikegideon]

The thing that goes through my mind is .. not so much the amount of ammo one shoots.. but is the person trying to shoot qaulity shots or just banging away.. to which I see so much at ranges.. ppl just banging away.. When I release the trigger, each shot is an attempt to make a quality shot.. I try to learn something from each one.. cause and effect so to speak.. did I have good follow through, sight alignment, was my position good.. how did the rifle recoil on that shot.. or pistol for that fact.. but I mostly shoot rifles.. I can go to range and only shoot 50 rounds of .22LR and spend 4 hours doing it..

I bang away quite a bit with my pistols. Rifles are usually careful shots, with the possible exception of my mini 14. You gotta cut loose with that one every once in awhile. Same deal with my 10-22

[robbiev]

Anyone that does a good bit of shooting wouldn't be surprised at those numbers.

Yes, you are right, but I'd venture to guess that the average "shooter" has no idea what "a lot" means.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard something like this, and someone said this specific statement to me just about a week ago, "Man, I shoot A LOT. I shoot more than anybody else here (talking to me and two other instructors). I go to the range every few weeks and a shoot a box (of 50), sometimes TWO boxes."

So I asked him, "You mean you shoot 50 or 100 rounds every few weeks? What would you say, you average 200 per month?" To which he said yes, to which I said, "Dude, I shot almost 1000 rounds last month, and I don't even shoot much any more." He turned around and walked off.

Also, since the subject came up, when I go to the range, even though I shoot quite a few rounds, I work on a specific set of drills. I never go to the range just to send ammo downrange. During a typical trip to the range, I'm there a couple of hours or more.

Edited April 14, 2010 by robbiev

[MCSCOTT]

The thing that goes through my mind is .. not so much the amount of ammo one shoots.. but is the person trying to shoot qaulity shots or just banging away.. to which I see so much at ranges.. ppl just banging away.. When I release the trigger, each shot is an attempt to make a quality shot.. I try to learn something from each one.. cause and effect so to speak.. did I have good follow through, sight alignment, was my position good.. how did the rifle recoil on that shot.. or pistol for that fact.. but I mostly shoot rifles.. I can go to range and only shoot 50 rounds of .22LR and spend 4 hours doing it..

That's kinda why I go through so much more .223 than any of the other calibers I listed. It's not just complete banging away though, because my goal after shooting a while is to quickly empty the 30 round mags but try to keep them in about a 6"-10" circle @ 100 yards. Either way I still have a goal with what I consider banging away, but I'm betting some just fire wildly as fast as they can to just see if they can even hit the target.

Personally I think it's always best to have a buddy with you so that there's at least a little competition. This makes you really think each shot through instead of just trying to get lucky with one shot out of several.

[McAllyn]

Yes, you are right, but I'd venture to guess that the average "shooter" has no idea what "a lot" means.

I can't tell you how many times I have heard something like this, and someone said this specific statement to me just about a week ago, "Man, I shoot A LOT. I shoot more than anybody else here (talking to me and two other instructors). I go to the range every few weeks and a shoot a box (of 50), sometimes TWO boxes."

So I asked him, "You mean you shoot 50 or 100 rounds every few weeks? What would you say, you average 200 per month?" To which he said yes, to which I said, "Dude, I shot almost 1000 rounds last month, and I don't even shoot much any more." He turned around and walked off.

Also, since the subject came up, when I go to the range, even though I shoot quite a few rounds, I work on a specific set of drills. I never go to the range just to send ammo downrange. During a typical trip to the range, I'm there a couple of hours or more.

QFT

I've seen people freak out when I've pulled 500 rounds out of my range bag. I just laugh and say, "I won't even pull the cover off my reloader unless I'm ready to do 1000+"

I am a firm believer that any trigger time is good trigger time, so I cut the people at the range some slack as long as they are safe. But when the guy (or girl) gets in the lane and unloads a mag in 2 seconds to impress their friends, it's time for me to pack up and go home.

[I_Like_Pie]

I am pretty sure that GTS and I went though 10,000 rounds of various calibers in the last year that we could actually buy powder and primers. haven't picked up the pace of late for varying reasons.

Have a 5 gallon bucket I am filling up with primers from the reloading bench. Not sure how many that adds up two since I started filling it. A lot.

[gregintenn]

I don't have a clue. I load when I have a chance, until I have very little empty brass. Any time I'm in the mood, I pull out whatever's on my mind, walk out behind the house, and shoot till I'm no longer in the mood. The older the boys get, the more ammo we go through. A lot of it is 22 ammo. I really like shooting 22s.

[Guest oldsmobile98]

Cool. Thanks for answering, everyone.

A very rough, non-scientific summary of those who answered:

We averaged about 700 rifle rounds a year, and maybe 3500 handgun rounds a year. Probably some of the pistol rounds were fired from carbines, though. This leaves out rimfire and shotgun shells.

Guys who compete and/or shoot long distance brought the numbers way up. If we included all of TGO, my uneducated guess would be that both numbers would go down a bit. There was a lot of variation. Everybody who posted shoots more than me.:cry:I'll hopefully catch up once I get out of school.

Everybody who answered shoots handguns, but there are a few who shoot handguns but don't shoot centerfire rifles. Interesting.

Since you're a student, I have some .38 nickel plated brass. If you reload, it's your's

if you want it.

Thanks for the offer, 6.8! I don't reload, so I'll have to pass. But I appreciate it.

Edited April 16, 2010 by oldsmobile98

[Guest That Guy]

About 250-350 total (.40 & .45) a week.

[robbiev]

...But when the guy (or girl) gets in the lane and unloads a mag in 2 seconds to impress their friends, it's time for me to pack up and go home.

ain't that the truth. I always start off slow, but at some point during most range trips, I shoot some fast shots. The male ego is clearly fragile, so it always results in sped-up cadences of shots in the other lanes. Three different times that I specficially recall after I fired a particularly fast volley, people in a lane down from me fired off a fast few rounds, and then the target carrier broke and fell to the ground. All three times, I made the loud comment, "don't matter how fast you shoot if you don't hit what you're shooting at."

Anyway, now I restrain from shooting fast unless I'm the only one in the range, or unless I know all the other shooters.

[I_Like_Pie]

Anyway, now I restrain from shooting fast unless I'm the only one in the range, or unless I know all the other shooters.

Kinda wrecks the point of bringing the full auto guns to the range IMHO.

[McAllyn]

I did have a hand in skewing the handgun/rifle ratio, but I didn't own a centerfire rifle until last year. I do, and did, have a couple 10/22's, but no centerfire. Now, I rarely get my rifle out because the only range I spend any quality time at is only 25yds indoors, and that's just not a lot of fun. However, you could probably put me down for around 50rds per month centerfire rifle though.

Mac