What is the "right" amount of ammo?

[QuietDan]

I'll try to keep this short.

 

I used to own a small newspaper, put out in open racks. How many newspapers do you put in each rack? For each week, you don't want to have a stack left when the next week starts, and yet, you don't want NO newspapers left, because then you never know how many folks wanted one and they were gone. The right answer is, enough so that each week, there is ONE newspaper left.

 

 

Therefore, the right amount of ammunition is, after the crisis, to have ONE bullet left.

 

Of course, you don't know when the crisis will come, you don't know how long the crisis will last, you don't know if the crisis will end and then another one will immediately begin, so stock up. Imagine what the crisis might be, imagine how much ammunition you will need for it, then double it, or triple it, and add ONE.

Edited February 11, 2014 by QuietDan

[RED333]

I'll try to keep this short.

 

I used to own a small newspaper, put out in open racks. How many newspapers do you put in each rack? For each week, you don't want to have a stack left when the next week starts, and yet, you don't want NO newspapers left, because then you never know how many folks wanted one and they were gone. The right answer is, enough so that each week, there is ONE newspaper left.

 

 

Therefore, the right amount of ammunition is, after the crisis, to have ONE bullet left.

 

Of course, you don't know when the crisis will come, you don't know how long the crisis will last, you don't know if the crisis will end and then another one will immediately begin, so stock up. Imagine what the crisis might be, imagine how much ammunition you will need for it, then double it, or triple it, and add ONE.

Best answer yet!!!

[buck1032]

Best case scenario, one extra magazine/clip per weapon.

Worst case scenario one round for every person in your town/county.

Extreme scenario one round for every person in your town/county in every caliber you own. ;)

[Links2k]

I like to keep a minimum of one thousand rounds per caliber, but I'm starting to think that is too much. I know that number is only a saturday range session to some guys. My new train of thought is that most of us are middle aged or old guys and with the exception of the time spent in combat, most of us have never been in a firefight. With that being said, based on real world situations (not conspiracy theories) I believe that most of us will die of natural causes before we get to go out in a blaze of glory in that fantasy firefight that we carry around in our heads.

As for you younger guys...YOU'RE SCREWED! :) Just Kidding Edited February 11, 2014 by LINKS2K

[jphillips63]

The thing is what's right amount today can very easily change tomorrow next month or next year. What happens since the govt can't take our firearms they then cut off our supply of ammo? Do you have enough to hold you over 5, 10, or even say 20 yrs if the supply of buying stopped today? I don't know how much I have on hand but I do know I'm approaching the 7 digit mark on the round count and I'm gonna buy it for as long as I can sent from RAZR Maxx HD using Tapatalk Pro

[Jonnin]

It depends on the purpose of each gun.  The original post assumes that handguns are for self defense and that 1000 rounds is kinda overkill.  Well, it is.  But that ignores that you can be doing survival chores (chopping wood, getting a bucket of water, or just bored and wandering around your area) with a pistol and take game with a 9mm pistol, yea even a deer if you hit it right and certainly smaller animals.   I dunno about you but hauling an AR every second just in case you see an animal is a lot of trouble.  Personally I plan to not have *any* shootouts with other people, I would really like to avoid that as much as possible (same as I do now in a normal world).  Its possible, even likely early on as people get hungry but have not died off yet --- but I would still rather avoid it.   So my ammo is for survival, and defense as necessary, but even my 'handgun' ammo is more of a supplement to hunting than anything else.   If I were only using the pistol for defense, sure, one brick of ammo is plenty.

[hipower]

It depends on the purpose of each gun.  The original post assumes that handguns are for self defense and that 1000 rounds is kinda overkill.  Well, it is.  But that ignores that you can be doing survival chores (chopping wood, getting a bucket of water, or just bored and wandering around your area) with a pistol and take game with a 9mm pistol, yea even a deer if you hit it right and certainly smaller animals.   I dunno about you but hauling an AR every second just in case you see an animal is a lot of trouble.  Personally I plan to not have *any* shootouts with other people, I would really like to avoid that as much as possible (same as I do now in a normal world).  Its possible, even likely early on as people get hungry but have not died off yet --- but I would still rather avoid it.   So my ammo is for survival, and defense as necessary, but even my 'handgun' ammo is more of a supplement to hunting than anything else.   If I were only using the pistol for defense, sure, one brick of ammo is plenty.

That's the point. A thinking man's ammo stash is multipurpose.

If needed, he(we/I) have it. If not needed, how much space does the amount that all but a few have really occupy?

And a dedicated shooter, or even the occasional shooter, is/or should have been buying a little all along for whatever purpose.

[gregintenn]

I have two sons who love to shoot as I do. I've bought a little here and there for years when I've found it at a good price. I've yet to see the price go anywhere but up up up. So far, I've yet to wish I would have bought less ammo. Also, I haven't had to spend the last year running form WalMart to WalMart scrambling for 22lr shells. We just kept on shooting.

 

It doesn't expire, it doesn't take up an inordinate amount of room, it isn't getting any cheaper, and if you decide not to shoot it, it makes real good trading fodder.

 

I didn't buy any of my guns with the intention of fighting a war. There are many other reasons to own guns. Without ammo, they aren't real useful for any of those reasons.

 

I still get the feeling the OP is here from a government agency or anti gun group on a fishing expedition.

Edited February 12, 2014 by gregintenn

[Dennis1209]

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

 

Hey Buddy :pleased: 

[whitewolf001]

Never such thing as "too much"...

 

[Luke E.]

I still get the feeling the OP is here from a government agency or anti gun group on a fishing expedition.

 

^ the very reason i'm reluctant to participate in threads of this nature. Whether it's the OP of a thread or one of the above mentioned clowns that happens upon the thread at a later date, just leaves me feeling uneasy. I may get a little loose in a thread here and there when it touches on this subject but I make and attempt not to.

[Richard995]

I probably have 30 more years of life left.  How much ammo can I shoot in 30 years?  That is how much ammo I need.  I do have a gun that they do not make ammo for.  I am trying to corner the market on what is left out there.  The haven't made this ammo since 1957.  For all my other guns I need about 30K per caliber.  I am not there yet. 

[LngRngShtr]

The short formula is simple :

 

 for every given caliber  N+1

 

as I was saying the other night to a co-worker who thought 2,000 rounds was more than enough even with current difficulty in ammo supply replenishment I disagreed and pointed out :

 

1 trip to range per month 1 box of ammo x 12 months = 600 rounds year handgun

1 trip to trap range per month 200 rounds ammo x 12 months =2400 rounds year shotgun

1 trip to range per month 10 boxes ammo x 12 months = 2400 rounds year rifle

 x how many calibers you own (or trips to the range) lets say 5 handgun 1 shotgun and 4 rifle  3000+2400+2400 = closer to 8,000 rounds yearly budget.

 

he could then easily see where a years "allotment" could get upwards of 15-20,000 rounds depending on how much practice or competition you have scheduled

 

I would submit to someone like the OP asking the "WITSHTFT" question there is a better way to invest their time and money vs. the room full of ammo and "survival food"

 

 Such as...carbine courses, defensive pistol class, TacMedic (if you make holes you should be able to plug them as well) Cross Fit,General Aerobic Fitness,strength training etc. (can't shoot straight when you are huffing like a train) and of course everybody's favorite thing  DRY FIRING

 

the situation will dictate the "operational" amounts of ammo,  look at a 3 gun shooter at a major match, they look over the course of fire and adjust their belt to match the possible outcome unless you shoot the IM which case you carry all your gear in one division the entire match think they call it TROOPER  in that case see earlier listing on Cross Fit and Aerobic fitness

 

 Duck hunters carry 20 rounds Deer hunters carry 5 a Marine overseas carries alot more Cops carry a handgun with a shotgun or rifle in the car  every person and situation is a different need and to say X number of rifle rounds and X number of pistol rounds is simplistic answer to a complex question

 

:cool:  Would love to chat about it more but time to go catch my CardioWeights workout then Yoga for flexibility before dry firing regimen while studying up for my TacMedic class before kayaking across the lake and back to practice LandSea Navigation and Bushcraft on a small undisclosed island while my brass from the last range session is wet tumbling.   :tinfoil: :taunt:                         :hat:                                                :hiding:

Edited February 14, 2014 by LngRngShtr

[Guest theconstitutionrocks]

 

I still get the feeling the OP is here from a government agency or anti gun group on a fishing expedition.

OK...no problem...you go right on thinking that.   :tinfoil:

[tnhawk]

The "right" amount of ammo is about 20-25% more than I have.

[45guy]

All I can afford.

[hipower]

All I can afford.

 

Now this is a sensible answer!

[sigmtnman]

yah bunch of hoarders!

[TrickyNicky]

yah bunch of hoarders!

Hey, I resemble that remark. ;)

[hipower]

yah bunch of hoarders!

 

If the shoe fits..... :rock:

Edited February 21, 2014 by hipower

[gregintenn]

OK...no problem...you go right on thinking that.   :tinfoil:

Well, you DO ask some weird questions.

[vontar]

depends on the situation.

 

Some Situations, as much as you can swim with.

Others as much as you can afford.

[Raoul]

I have quit buying ammo so you guys could have more.

[TNoutdoors]

I just get as much as I can every here and there (maybe a small box per weekend or so) without having to explain to my wife how and why I spent loads on ammo.

 
I went to the Lebanon gun show this past weekend, and only one dude had .22, and 2 boxes left. I got one, left one.  I'm personally stocking .22 up more than my other rounds/shells  (.380, slugs, and buckshot) right now so the amount of .22 is at least double the others since its the cheapest.  Thats just my outlook.   I keep em all in separate metal ammo cans, .22 being the smaller-type can.

[jphillips63]

I'm approaching very close to the 7 digit mark on stored ammo. I don't have exact breakdown here at work of each caliber Sent from my Droid RAZR Maxx HD using Tapatalk Pro