Ammo Stockpiles

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DustyGmt

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For those of you willing to share,
How much is enough? Do you keep a certain amount and then rotate it out after a certain amount of time and how do you store it? Do you stockpile brass or steel cased?

I used to keep 1k rounds of my primary defensive calibers but I've changed my thinking lil bit. I'm going to buy and store brass and buy and shoot steel, for the most part. I've settled on a number of 5k for ea 9mm and 5.56. That sounds like a good healthy store for rainy days.....
 
I did a quick look yesterday and estimated conservatively around 6000-7000 rounds on hand. Though that’s totally under stocked as far as I’m concerned based on the number of different cartridges I shoot.

I’ve got components for another 2800 or so. So I’m pretty understocked right now all around. I’m actively working on my stockpile.

Since my loading, ammo, and gun room is in my attic, all ammo powder and primers are stored in chest coolers to help regulate temps.
 
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"6000-7000 rounds"

Is that total, or for each caliber? I have a few hundred each of some calibers I shoot rarely (.30 Carb, 38 SPL, 38 S&W, etc), but lots more for my regulars. I probably have at least 25,000 .22LR, and 6000-8000 each in 5.56, .308, .303, 9mm, etc.
I want to shoot for the next 15+ years, and then have some "gold" to sell for my twilight years.
 
If the police ever raid my house, I'll be sorely disappointed if the newspaper doesn't call it "an arsenal."

I might be more evil than you as I have lots of ammo and very politically incorrect firearms.. Even worse, I'm a Christian..

I have a lot of ammo. OTOH, I date back to when 1K of 7.62N in sealed plastic in a wooden crate was under $100, AK ammo was dirt cheap and 5,56 "battle packs" of M193 were over $30.
I have no clue what the self life is except I have WWII 45 ACP ammo. About once a year or so, I load a few mags and shoot it; it still goes bang with zero F2F.
 
Currently have 10 medium size ammo cans full of various caliber's. Starting to worry the floor might start bowing or just collapse. That reminds me I need to order some more.
 
Currently have 10 medium size ammo cans full of various caliber's. Starting to worry the floor might start bowing or just collapse. That reminds me I need to order some more.
Same here. I dont know how much I have of various other calibers but I know I have 7 ammo cans and a crate all full and it's all in the corner of the bedroom. I'd guess at least a few hundred pounds. Plus I have a plano tote filled with mags, probably over 100 easily... it's a good start. Not finished though.
 
I try to keep 2-3 range trips loaded, and about 1 year's worth of components. If I had to, I could take fewer range trips, but this is what I am comfortable with.
 
1k per centerfire handgun caliber, split about 70-30% fmj-hp
I started buying JHP because it was all too easy for me to grab a box of FMJ here and there. I had a few thousand stored up and it slowly shrank to nil because I kept dipping into it... I'm now looking for deals on JHP bulk. I did find 124gr golden sabers for $14/per box of 20. Pretty decent deal
 
Few boxes of handloads for each my deer rifles and hunting handguns. Enough to check my sights/optics and put some meat in the freezer.
 
The only ammo I stockpile is .22. I reload and cast for the rest of my firearms and try to maintain a 2-3 year supply of components.
 
[I reload 99.99% of what I shoot.]

I measure my loaded ammo in number of rounds. How much I want to have loaded up depends on the caliber - anywhere from 20 - 1,000 rounds....based on how frequently I shoot a particular caliber. I don't worry too much about loaded round count going down - as the only thing between components and ammo is time....which I have a lot of.

I measure my components in number of years: For each caliber I know pretty much how many rounds per year I shoot. So I count up how many rounds I can load with the components I have, and make sure I have enough to keep me shooting so many years. Generally I try to have 6-8 years of components on hand.
 
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DustyGMT asked:
How much is enough?

I knew my income was going to decline precipitously in retirement. Thus, I bought the components that - based on prior use - I believed necessary to load all the ammunition I would need for the rest of my life. The quantity was surprisingly small.

I load all of my own ammunition on a single-stage press, so what I have are components that over the course of an extended period of time could be turned into ammunition, but I have very little ammunition (under 1,000 rounds center-fire) on hand at any given time.

If I were preparing for either civil upheaval or a Ruby Ridge-type siege, I would buy MREs, medical supplies, veterinary antibiotics, and a composting toilet, not ammunition.

Do you keep a certain amount and then rotate it out after a certain amount of time and how do you store it?

No, as indicated above, I bought all the components I would need before I retired.

As to storage, please search my user name for discussion of storage. I have the unique (at least nobody has posted anything comparable) experience of having to leave ammunition components and loaded ammunition in various stages of the reloading process when I was stricken by a neurological disease and kept away from reloading for 20+ years. If you invest the time in such a search, you can read about losses associated with various storage methods when they are used long-term.

Based on that experience, no matter how you choose to store your ammunition, you should expect losses of between 2% and 15%. By losses, I mean the case corroding to the point where I was unwilling to shoot it. You may be pleasantly surprised, but plan for the worst and hope for the best.

Do you stockpile brass or steel cased?

All of the cases that I have bought are brass cases.

I own a single box of 7.62x39 ammunition with steel cases that was given to me by a friend when he owned a rifle that could shoot this ammunition. I have never owned a rifle that can shoot that cartridge.
 
Alot. All full except the 40 and 300 blackout. Whats not shown is the 4 tins of 762x39 on the first shelf and 2 cans of 420 rounds of 5.56 on strippers i have in the safe and 12 loaded 30 round mags of 5.56. Lost count on the actual round count years ago
 

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It's something individual for sure, and then again individual to the caliber in question. By far the most ammo I have is .22lr, which I have been buying in bulk since the time of The Great Ammo Shortage of 2008.

But in my dad's day (Great Depression era and on) all he needed was one box of ammo per caliber and he was good.
 
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