Ammo Stockpiles

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It would have been a very big chore to move these quantities. I think, and this isnt to say professional tradesman dont have the capacity to be shady. Of course they can be, but usually somebody whose chosen a life of hard 40-50hour work weeks, years of study and schooling, etc... generally aren't the type of people going around stealing from people. But yeah, I get your point. I wouldn't invite people in to get a look at what I got and I'd be very cautious about workers in the home. OpSec 101
The tradesman might not be shady but what about his BIL? Friends? They might drink a few to many and blab. Not saying you would but others might. To me it's better to be inconvenienced then to come home to a empty house. This and I stash things ammo hidden for the most part through out my house. In box's in closet labeled winter clothes. Or behind a stack of canned food. Make it harder for someone to clean me out completely. If the worst happens.
 
Sort of getting ready to move, I've unearthed 13 various cans, not counting what is already packed, and plastic boxes stacked in closets.

I hate moving.

I live in Colorado. So far.
 
Recently, I got an experimental Excel program to test out and it is proving to be very interesting.
According to what I have entered, I have "collected" over 15K rounds of .22LR & Mag ammo. Some of the LR stuff is in sealed containers and has been there for 20 years.
None of the other 9 calibers even come close, but that is because they are so small or low-powered, I don't keep more than 2 boxes on hand. These include .25 ACP, .32 ACP, and .32-20. Others just don't get shot enough to keep more than a couple of hundred rounds on hand. These include my .380 and a .243 rifle. I have ~1,500 rounds of various 12 ga. ammo and about 1,000 rds. of 7.62 x 39. I reload for the .243, the .380, and the .38 Special/.357 Mag only but don't have an accurate count on those yet as many of the first two are in sealed containers like the .22LR stuff.
 
I have a pretty respectable stash of several calibers, kept in several places I might add.
Mostly .22lr.
I wont go over numbers because I dont know....zactly.
I'm slacking big time in 22lr. It's one of the calibers that's been relegated to back burner status because I have a few odd calibers I've been wanting to build up first and since I havent got around to those, my 22lr is a lil sparse. Since I have been finding 555rd packs for $14 flat I should be buying more.

Runnings usually charges $20ish for the 555's but they seem to be on sale every couple months for $14. That's pretty killer. I think 5k rounds for sub $150 is way decent....
 
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Most of what I shoot is pretty common calibers (9mm, .380, .45acp, .38sp/.357 mag, .223/5/56, 12ga, 20ga) and I've got around 1000 rounds for each of those, except the 9mm where I have closer to 2000 rounds. I figure that's enough to last me 1 year on everything. Oh, and probably only 100 rounds of .270, and 300 .44 mag, but I can't remember the last time I even shot either of those guns. I also have components to reload between 1000-2000 for 9mm, .38, and .223, and will work on building up .45 bullets (I've got the brass). I also have roughly 20k rounds of .22 lr., I learned my lesson on that round 10 years ago when I was down to my last brick.
 
I do a lot "junking" flea markets, pawn shops, yard sales, etc.. I buy every nearly box of under priced ammo I find. Especially in calibers I use. I store it in sealable metal 5 gallon containers with desicate (sp). One day this stuff will not be available or very difficult to find, and it will dramatically appreciate in value. Plus I always have ammo. Usually I shoot new ammo cheaper than I can reload it. I even bought a .38Super 1911 because I found over 2500 rounds for less the 7.00 a box. Cheaper than .45..
 
Guys, guys, guys! Caliber is not equal to cartridge.

Caliber is .308, cartridge is 30.06, .300 Win Mag, .30 Carbine.

You don't buy or stockpile calibers. You buy and stockpile CARTRIDGES.

I know you don't go to the store and ask for a box of calibers.
 
I have not done an inventory but I believe I have enough 22 federal automatch to last me for several more years of the bullseye league I shoot in.

If you run out of places to store it you may well have enough. Either that, or you need to find more storage space. :)
 
Guys, guys, guys! Caliber is not equal to cartridge.

Caliber is .308, cartridge is 30.06, .300 Win Mag, .30 Carbine.

You don't buy or stockpile calibers. You buy and stockpile CARTRIDGES.

I know you don't go to the store and ask for a box of calibers.

You mean to tell that is not what I have been loading in my clips for all of these years?
 
I buy ammo in quality online because it costs a lot less than the local store front or Wally World. Having a lot of brass to reload is a need. Where it gets complex, is some of my pistols are picky eaters or they prefer ball ammo and other shoot JHP or ball.
 
I have a 3/4 ton Dodge.

If I put all the ammo I have in the bed the truck would ride a lot better.

If I put all the components in the bed with the ammo I'd be a rolling bomb.

Normally when going to the range I have somewhere between 5-7k rounds in the truck.

Geez! How the hell you shooting 5-7k rounds?? You must have some really tired hands loading all of those mags up!
 
Two times you can have too much ammunition:
If you're drowning or on fire.
The attack of the mutant ninja zombie bears isn't likely, but retirement, fixed incomes, reduced spending and increased prices are all realities.
So stock up now to ease the pain in the wallet down the road. I consider several thousand rounds for each caliber to be adequately stocked.
 
Two times you can have too much ammunition:
If you're drowning or on fire.
The attack of the mutant ninja zombie bears isn't likely, but retirement, fixed incomes, reduced spending and increased prices are all realities.
So stock up now to ease the pain in the wallet down the road. I consider several thousand rounds for each caliber to be adequately stocked.

No matter what ammunition will never again be cheaper than it is today.
 
I don't keep as much as a lot of folks. A few hundred loaded with components for several thousand is usually what I have. With .22 stuff, usually 2-3k rounds.
I try to concentrate more on powder, primers and lead than loaded ammo.
 
I don't keep as much as a lot of folks. A few hundred loaded with components for several thousand is usually what I have. With .22 stuff, usually 2-3k rounds.
I try to concentrate more on powder, primers and lead than loaded ammo.

Components for several thousand rounds is functionally several thousand rounds
 
Some guns I have several thousand rounds for, over 1k loaded in magazines ready to go in one case. Other guns I have less than 100 rounds for, depends on the guns purpose, and how much I shoot it.

Come to think of it, I think I have a 270 and 0 rounds of 270 ammo.
The answer to the question is..”it depends”
 
Some guns I have several thousand rounds for, over 1k loaded in magazines ready to go in one case.

I've seen where alot of people come down on leaving mags stored loaded. I used to keep a bunch loaded full cap but I felt like I could see a lil distortion in the feed lips after a couple years, so now whatever I keep loaded I keep to around 80%. If it's a 30 rounder I keep 20-25rds max. I dont know if it truly makes a difference or not....
 
I've seen where alot of people come down on leaving mags stored loaded. I used to keep a bunch loaded full cap but I felt like I could see a lil distortion in the feed lips after a couple years, so now whatever I keep loaded I keep to around 80%. If it's a 30 rounder I keep 20-25rds max. I dont know if it truly makes a difference or not....

As I shoot I rotate and reload the mags, been doing it that way for a little over a decade and haven’t had any problems, and honestly if I did I’d just toss the bad mag in the trash and replace it. I will say though the mags I leave loaded are not cheap plastic stuff, they are quality mags.

I don’t leave all my mags loaded, again, it depends on the gun. Like my Remington 788 mags, the springs fatigue on them so fast they should be disposable.
 
I'm slacking big time in 22lr. It's one of the calibers that's been relegated to back burner status because I have a few odd calibers I've been wanting to build up first and since I havent got around to those, my 22lr is a lil sparse. Since I have been finding 555rd packs for $14 flat I should be buying more.

Runnings usually charges $20ish for the 555's but they seem to be on sale every couple months for $14. That's pretty killer. I think 5k rounds for sub $150 is way decent....

.22 was the first caliber I “maxed out”...albeit I’ve bought more since hitting my revised “comfort level”. About a third of my .22’s are the solid nose Mini-mags, which I find run best in my pistols. Also have a Good supply of CCI standard velocity, the most accurate round in my 10-22’s. Then, a boatload of decent but cheaper stuff to bring kids and new shooters out or “loan out” should times get tough.
 
If the police ever raid my house, I'll be sorely disappointed if the newspaper doesn't call it "an arsenal."
The problem is the lack of specificity in words chosen by the media to either obfuscate or actually out and out mislead the unwary.
I looked up arsenal and the results were all about a soccer club. I added "definition" to the search results and came up with this result:
"A collection of weapons and military equipment stored by a country, person, or group."
Even that is unspecific as "weapons" could be edged weapons (my old Boy Scout knife?) as well as firearms and "military equipment" could be a canteen and an entrenching tool.
Besides that, "collection" could be 3 .22 LR single shot target pistols. Hardly guns that would be the first choice of any miscreant.
Words can be used to shade an argument by the perceived meaning vs the actual meaning and the general level of ignorance among the populace at large is fertile ground for the media farmers of misinformation.
 
No matter what ammunition will never again be cheaper than it is today.
I suspect in general you are wrong. The ammo manufacturers have brought a lot of new capacity online in the last few years. That will tend to moderate any increase in prices.

That does not mean you should not stock up now and then when an especially attractive offer comes along.

In inflation adjusted prices, ammo and firearms in general have become incredible bargains the last decade.
 
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