What is the "right" amount of ammo?

[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

<<<Getting into a well covered and concealed position prior to posting...

 

Not finding fault, just being objective...While I absolutely agree with/understand stocking a significant number of rounds (handgun and rifle calibers) to maintain proficiency and practice, I'm not sure I understand the point of view of people who stock "thousands (multiples of 1000) of rounds" per weapon as their "operational/contingency" stock, ESPESCIALLY in handgun rounds.

 

If a person is genuinely concerned about a number of protracted gun fights over a period of time, at what point are the law of averages going to catch up with them? Not that my opinon matters but from a realistic standpoint the idea of being a single person hunkered down, engagaing the attacking zombie hoards for hours/days on end, by ones self seems entirely unrealistic. In that case one would be MUCH better served as part of a well trained group.

 

If the intent is E&E with short violent limited engagements initiated on your terms then it would seem that there would be a limit on the number of rounds expended per engagement as well as what could/would be carried.

 

With all that in mind, my gut feeling is that about 1000 "operational" rounds per rifle is a good base planning figure and around 100 rounds per handgun. I would be very interested to hear the thoughts of others.

 

                                                                                                                   :hiding:

[RED333]

I feel it is a personal choice on how much you have.

I want enough to shoot every day, bout 100 rounds per caliber, per firearm.

I am about half way there. :cool:

[nightrunner]

The answer to your question is "more".

I, along with many others, believe if we have a societal collapse, ammo will be a valuable commodity and trade fodder for many things. It doesnt go bad and can be used in the meantime.

Always need more. Just like food and water storage.

[Hershmeister]

[quote name="nightrunner" post="1107893" timestamp="1391870528"]The answer to your question is "more". I, along with many others, believe if we have a societal collapse, ammo will be a valuable commodity and trade fodder for many things. It doesnt go bad and can be used in the meantime. Always need more. Just like food and water storage.[/quote] This / plus the fact that ammo prices always trend up, so if you buy smart you have can always sell surplus if you need cash

[stillstanding669]

You really have to think about how many rounds you want to shoot regularly to stay proficient with each weapon, how many calibers can you maintain, then about storage.  I personally keep no less than 500 rounds per handgun caliber that I use and replenish as needed, and about 1000 to 1500 per rifle caliber.  Unless you have a good dry, cool storage area to keep the ammo---especially the steel cased ammo, then it does rust after a while.  You also should always use your oldest ammo first for target shooting to ensure that the ammo will go "bang" when and if the SHTF! 

 

Zombies?  Really?  Economic collapse, anarchy, rape, pillage, and plunder---Probably!  By the way, if the SHTF, our economy goes to the toilet, and anarchy is the norm in the streets, then you can bet that the FedEx and UPS folks aren't going to be delivering any more of that cheap ammo to your door!  Keep enough to survive a month or two with good friends that will assist you in protecting, sheltering, and feeding your family.  Just how long do you think you can survive against gangs of folks that want what you have all by your lonesome?

 

God, Family, Country!  When all else fails, try your best to preserve Family---God is always going to be with you!

[Guest TresOsos]

You can never have enough ammo.

 

I can also be used for barter just like beans or a lot of other items.

[swim615]

1 more box

[hipower]

Regardless of any scenario concerning civil unrest, economic collapse, etc. My number of stored rounds depends entirely on what I want to keep on hand for personal shooting use, ie, recreational use.

I keep a number I consider viable for storage and one years' shooting for me. That's probably more than some, far less than others.

Of course, these days, availability and pricing also have to be taken into account when computing that number of rounds  well.

Edited February 8, 2014 by hipower

[Guest Lester Weevils]

To paraphrase Freewheelin Franklin-- "Ammo will get you thru times of no money better than money will get you thru times of no ammo" :)

But I agree with the OP's proposition that the typical couch potato won't survive enough end of the world fire fights to consume very much ammo.

However if one likes to shoot, its rather difficult to shoot without ammo. Edited February 8, 2014 by Lester Weevils

[Lowpower]

Somewhere between ammo dump and ammo dealers supply.

 

And...if I could reload .22LR...a months supply of Eleys 6 production machines output should about do it.

[Guest semiautots]

How much ammo would you use in a one day firefight scanario?

 

Then you'll need more than that.

[DaveTN]

No plan to it; over the years I bought it as I could afford it as the price would only go up. I had enough that I could still shoot when the prices were crazy without me having to buy any ammo.
 

With all that in mind, my gut feeling is that about 1000 "operational" rounds per rifle is a good base planning figure and around 100 rounds per handgun. I would be very interested to hear the thoughts of others.

That would be the opposite for me. In centerfire I’ll shoot a couple hundred .40S&W, couple hundred .45ACP, 50 308, 50 30-06, and around a hundred 223 in a range trip.

The cost and availability of ammo is getting ridiculous though. I’m about at a point where I will forget the hobby shooting and just keep enough for SD.

[DaveTN]

How much ammo would you use in a one day firefight scanario?
 
Then you'll need more than that.

If you meet a better trained opponent you won’t have a need for any. Who’s going out getting in firefights?

[Glenn]

When I get taken out, I don't want it to be because I ran out of ammo.

[Dennis1209]

A very subjective question indeed.

 

Well over a year ago prior to the "crunch" I maintained what I thought was a good inventory of ammunition for my activities. A one year supply of the calibers / gage I most often shoot for IDPA, trap and practice (.45, 9mm, 12 ga.). I don't shoot much .22LR so I didn't even consider that, my bad.

 

My reasoning for a one year supply was I would never worry or be affected by another short temporary ammo caliber shortage. Well, as the months passed and I was continuing with my monthly shooting activities, it got to the point I had to cut back my shooting or completely run out of ammo. Fortunately, the .45 / 9mm shortage eased up and I am able to slowly start restocking another supply.

 

Fourteen months ago whoever would have thought we would have a very long term .22LR shortage and prepared for it? After all, you could find it anywhere on the cheap.

 

In a free society supply and demand will always prevail eventually. The problem seems to be government laws / actions making it difficult for production and business and causing panic buying and hoarding.

 

Seems like most problems in our lives can be directly or indirectly traced back to the government in one form or another.

 

So, to answer the OP's original question, it was a year's worth. Now it's ...  dot dot dot (mathematical symbol for infinity.)

 

A new song has been written, it goes something like this:

 

A hoarding I will go

A hoarding I will go

Hi ho the dairy - O

A hoarding I will go  :rofl:

[itchytriggerfinger]

I buy/reload whatever I can afford at the time. The stock continually grows but it only takes a few days at the range to bring the stock back down. But overall I feel you can never have enough. You're going to shoot it. Also, I'm definitely not a doomsday guy, but you better believe if that 1% chance hit, you best be sitting pretty with the new "currency".

[hipower]

A very subjective question indeed.

 

Well over a year ago prior to the "crunch" I maintained what I thought was a good inventory of ammunition for my activities. A one year supply of the calibers / gage I most often shoot for IDPA, trap and practice (.45, 9mm, 12 ga.). I don't shoot much .22LR so I didn't even consider that, my bad.

 

My reasoning for a one year supply was I would never worry or be affected by another short temporary ammo caliber shortage. Well, as the months passed and I was continuing with my monthly shooting activities, it got to the point I had to cut back my shooting or completely run out of ammo. Fortunately, the .45 / 9mm shortage eased up and I am able to slowly start restocking another supply.

 

Fourteen months ago whoever would have thought we would have a very long term .22LR shortage and prepared for it? After all, you could find it anywhere on the cheap.

 

In a free society supply and demand will always prevail eventually. The problem seems to be government laws / actions making it difficult for production and business and causing panic buying and hoarding.

 

Seems like most problems in our lives can be directly or indirectly traced back to the government in one form or another.

 

So, to answer the OP's original question, it was a year's worth. Now it's ...  dot dot dot (mathematical symbol for infinity.)

 

A new song has been written, it goes something like this:

 

A hoarding I will go

A hoarding I will go

Hi ho the dairy - O

A hoarding I will go  :rofl:

 

Well said, Dennis.

[bersaguy]

I probably have more than I would ever shoot in all calibers I own and like many have said, depends on the situation. If it's a home invasion only need a magazine or two. If it riots and your protecting your home and very existence to survive may need a considerable more. If the law comes to take your guns and ammo you know your going to be out gunned and out manned so you have a couple choices. You surrender or you go down in a blaze of glory which would probably last all of about 15 seconds before they blow your house up with you and anyone else inside. So as to how much one needs. I know I think I have all I need to both defend my home against gangsters and home invaders which I would pile up in the door way and may have enough to do a little bartering for things I needed for survival. But in an all out assault by police swat teams or military national guard notta!!! But at that point it really wouldn't matter.................jmho   It does appear like when our Commander -n-Chief realized he was not going to have a simple task of just telling folks to give up our guns is when he decided guns are nothing but clubs without bullets so he went after those and has somewhat succeeded but cannot claim total victory yet as the ammo companies are still running wide open to get ammo on the shelves. Expensive but still there anyway. I saw yesterday that Ammo to Go had some 22lr but only hard nosed and was not cheap but not totally outrageous.

Edited February 8, 2014 by bersaguy

[mikegideon]

I have a rebellious nature. I'll stockpile it just because some don't want me to have it. Then, there's the possibility that some of those will find out that I have it, and shit themselves to death. :)

 

When it comes to .223/5.56, I have a number of ammo guzzlers in that caliber. When several of them go out at once, they may chew through 800-1000 rounds in a single outing.

[runco]

I don't shoot as often as I would like, but someday I hope to own a piece of property where I can have my own Hickok45 type outdoor shooting range compound.  Then I plan to shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.  In the mean time, I buy and stock and buy and stock.  Years ago, I started to acquire a box here and a box there, usually based upon a deal or I had nothing else to buy that day.  My original goal was to have 1,000 rounds of every center fire caliber I own in both pistol and rifle, and 10K+ of rim fire.  When my targets were met, I didn't stop, I just kept with my buying habit.  When Sandyhook occurred, though I was fully stocked, I couldn't buy any more ammo, and that made me troubled.  Then I got into reloading, and now have enough supplies to reload into the 1,000s if not 10,000s of all my center fire calibers.  I didn't want to touch my stash.   Why?  Because I don't have any lick of sense!  :screwy:

 

Bottom line I don't stock ammo for defense purposes or some future zombie engagement,   stock ammo for many reasons, but mainly because I believe there is a coming a day in my lifetime or my kids lifetime, ammo will be a scarce commodity. 

[McGarrett]

I'm not sure there is a "right" amount of ammo to keep on hand. It would be up to each individual to make that decision. To me it's kind of like firewood, food, water, or anything else I keep around the house. I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

The amount of ammo I keep has nothing to do with plans for firefights or zombie attacks.

 

That reminds me I better bring in some more firewood.

[Caster]

When you run outof room to put it and start making friends store some for you......then you're half way there.

[hipower]

When you run outof room to put it and start making friends store some for you......then you're half way there.

 

I like your thinking.  But I'm not sure I trust my friends with my ammo. ... they might shoot it all themselves.

[Caster]

I like your thinking.  But I'm not sure I trust my friends with my ammo. ... they might shoot it all themselves.

Fiends like that is why we prepare so heavily for TSHTF. Lol!

[Caster]

.....and yes, that was an intentionally witty typo. Lol!