Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

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JustinR
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Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by JustinR »

"You can never have enough fuel unless you're on fire, and you can never have enough ammo unless you're drowning."

So as a result of the political situation as discussed over in the Cruz thread, and NPR's comment about "define 'enough' ammo," I've been contemplating. I've also been dedicating some time each night I'm home to start reloading again and turn all the components I have into ammo. I opened up all my ammo boxes and took stock of what I have, and to figure out what I don't have. I think another run on guns and ammo is coming, and the time to stock is now.

So, a two part question:

1. How much ammo for your major calibers do you have on hand NOW? (Rough estimate.)

2. How much ammo would you stock for when the SHTF? Now, obviously there are some categories here...combat loading that you would carry on your person, amount you would throw in your car should you need to bug out, and/or amount you might need for bugging-in for societal collapse for let's say a period of one year. This is a bit of a thought exercise, I'm curious as to y'alls thoughts on the matter. Obviously you could translate the one year period into how many years you plan to live after TEOTWAWKI, which may or may not be how much you choose to have on hand (or can afford.)

Since the anti's view anything over about 50 rounds as a "stockpile," I'm sure this thread would cause their heads to explode. I hope so.

In answer to #1, after my inventory, I found I only had 650 rounds of .40 S&W, but after I finish loading I'll have 1,350 rounds. I have 900 rounds of 5.56, I need to buy some brass and I'll be up to 1,500. I have hardly any 12 or 20 gauge bird or buckshot, only a few mags worth of premium carry ammo for my 9mm (which will be a problem if we buy my wife a full size 9mm soon), about 2,000 rounds of .22, 150 rounds of .308, 100 rounds of 7.62x39 for the SKS, and only 20 rounds of .300 BLK since I just bought a primer pocket reamer to be able to load the Hornady brass I discovered had a primer crimp. I also have a few odd boxes of 7.62x54R and 40-65WCF for guns in the safe.

In other words, I feel woefully short on ammo.

As for #2...I would think the absolute minimum would be 180 rifle rounds per person (6 mags), and three mags of pistol ammo for a combat load.

I can throw most of what I have in my vehicle (SUV), but I need to get a few extra ammo cans to fit everything and make it portable. It will easily fit with the grab and go box and rifle cases.

Now, for bugging-in, I feel like I barely have enough for four people to maintain proficiency for a year, let alone anything after that. 100 rounds per quarter isn't enough to maintain real proficiency, let alone train. Even then, that's 400 rounds of pistol and 400 rounds of rifle ammo, or 1,600 rounds of each for myself, my wife, and two brother-in-law's if I'm to believe they are minimally competent shots in a stressful scenario. I'm already short.

We have the advantage of raising chickens, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, and sheep, so I wouldn't necessarily need to be using .22 ammo all the time. But if we had to hunt, maybe 10 rounds of .22, 20 and 12 gauge a week? So about 500 rounds of each per year. We have lots of fat pigs on the Army Core of Engineers lake property (and a few deer), 10 rounds of .300 BLK per quarter, round up to 50 per year.

Your thoughts?
'
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Jered
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by Jered »

I...don't have that precise of a count.

If the fecal matter hits the rotary air impeller, you need to be thinking about camouflage, not a firefight. If you shop at a store that carries ammo, pick up a box or two on a regular visit. It adds up pretty quickly.

In the event of an event, the last thing I want to be doing is advertising, "People here" by discharging a firearm.
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D5CAV
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by D5CAV »

At least a case for every caliber I own.

I've gotten rid of rifles because they were oddball calibers that I only had one rifle for (like .338 Win Mag), just so I didn't have to worry about the ammo.

For "required" calibers, many cases.
7.62 NATO
5.56 NATO
7.62x39
9mm

For "common" calibers, several cases
.30-06
7.62x54R
.40 S&W
.45 ACP

Not that I would classify that as "enough" ammo, just what I can afford.

I have friends who measure "required" calibers in pallets. They have the money and space for that. If I had the money, I'd have more.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Netpackrat
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by Netpackrat »

Strange, that people live in places where the .338 Magnum of Win can be considered oddball...
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

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Weetabix
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by Weetabix »

I recently decided to start shooting .22 again. I'd been squirreling it away when I found it for several years against the time I'd have time and inclination to shoot it again.

Anyway, I rounded it all up and got a rough count: 10,000 rounds. :o

So the advice to buy a bit at a time, and it will add up appears to be true. :D

I'd think 1,000 rounds per major caliber would be good for one person as a basic number. Maybe fewer per person the more people you have because you'll have a higher round count, but fewer people probably using it as intensely. But I'd modify that by your usage plans, too.
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Steamforger
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by Steamforger »

I think it depends largely on your situation. I recently moved from a population density of 4000 people per square mile to an area that is 25 people per square mile. Also, the events you may be subjected to are important to consider. For me it will either be Mt St. Helens, or some other Cascade Range volcano exploding (and I'm outside the blast zone for all of them) or the Cascadia Subduction Zone does its thing. If that happens there wont be any survivors west of the Cascades, from Vancouver to Northern CA to worry about. Basically, anything that happens in Seattle/Tacoma/Portland is going to pull .gov resources to there, while things that could force goblins to come this way would be national disasters on a scale never experienced before in North America. The leeches that make it over the range will be few in number comparatively and I expect a most of them to be in shock and non-functional. We're 72 years overdue for that, by the way....

I've been laying in components for some time now. I have about 150 lbs of clean wheel weight ingot laying around. That's a little over 1 million grains.

I have been buying bullets when deals pop up, once-fired cases when deals pop up, been given other people's empties, scavenged what I could here or there, etc. Every time I go to the LGS I make it a point to pick up a Pmag and a 1 lb. jug of 4895. I have at least the Lee Kit for every caliber I shoot, dies and other goodies for when I have the time to sit down and do some loading. I packed it all into the Rigid 3 toolbox stackable set and it can all be in the Jeep in minutes.
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arctictom
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by arctictom »

For SHTF cals, imho 3k , for odds and ends 500 ,my rule of thumb . I have some specialty cals that I only have 40 or 60 rounds for , such as my 348, but for anything I am serious about I have at least 3k.
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D5CAV
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by D5CAV »

Netpackrat wrote:Strange, that people live in places where the .338 Magnum of Win can be considered oddball...
Perhaps I should qualify "Oddball for me".

I had one .338 Win Mag that was a nice rifle, but I shoot a lot of heavy .30s, like .300 Win Mag, .300 WBY and .300 RUM. I've got 2 or 3 of each.

I also have 3ea. .375 H&H rifles that I really like.

I found that whenever I felt a need for something heavier than a .300 RUM, I would always grab one of my .375 H&Hs, so the .338 Win Mag was a lonely safe queen.

I finally [strike]sold it[/strike] effectively gave it to a friend.
None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
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Netpackrat
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by Netpackrat »

.338 Win Mag is just about the best all-around anti-bear cartridge ever created.
Cognosce teipsum et disce pati

"People come and go in our lives, especially the online ones. Some leave a fond memory, and some a bad taste." -Aesop
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slowpoke
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Re: Question: How much ammo is "enough?"

Post by slowpoke »

Netpackrat wrote:.338 Win Mag is just about the best all-around anti-bear cartridge ever created.
I thought the Carl Gustov was the best anti bear.... :jacked:
"Islam delenda est" Aesop
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