Planning for Retirement, bought all the 22lr

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Reload Ron,
I always smile when i read your post in these "how much ammo you got?" threads. Funny
 
Congrats on the retirement, I wish you a long, happy and healthy one. I'm just a few years younger, but any retirement for me lies far in the future. Sure am wishing I'd planned better now.

I've been trying to gradually prepare for my someday retirement by transitioning to cartridges that are more affordable to shoot and then putting back some extra ammo for down the road. I've also tried to stick to the mantra, fewer guns, more ammo, as I believe having the means to use those arms I do have is better than aquiring a collection of safe queens. YMMV.
 
I retired three years ago today. That being 2010, back in 2006 (after Katrina) I started stocking up for retirement, both commercially loaded ammo, and reloading components. In those days, brass was still available on Ebay, and I literally got enough .223, .38/.357 and 9mm brass to last a lifetime. I slowed down on stocking up on "bricks" of 22LR somewhere around the 20K mark. I don't actually shoot my 22's much, so that will probably last, and leave some for the heirs to pick over. Acquired a Mosin, so had to get a couple tins of x54R, of course, along with a good supply of Monarch SP back when Academy was selling it $6 or $7 a box/20. Then came the SKS, and the need to stock up on x39. So by the time I retired in 2010, I thought I was done buying ammo (or components for reloading).

Then a year ago I bought a Ruger GSR, and more recently a CMP M1 in .308. So, of course, I had to stock up on .308, right during the latest craziness. Finding it wasn't so hard. The hard part was paying for it! You know, that part about being retired and living on a "fixed income." :(

Retired or not, my rule of thumb is 1K of rounds per center-fire firearm minimum, 5K if semi-auto or used regularly, and for 22 a minimum of 20K. These minimums are for commercially loaded ammo. Reloading components for calibers I reload (.38/.357, 9mm, .223, and I've tooled up for .308) are 1K of brass (at least; for the pistol calibers, I have a lot more), with enough powder, bullets and primers for 5K.

I only shoot occasionally.
 
Congrats on the retirement. I was forced to retire several years ago because of health issues. I don't really like not working to be honest but some folks love it. I'm 57 now. I've probably been retired for about 8 years or so.

I ordered a case of CCI SV about this time last year because I worried that Obama might drive the market into a free fall again. He caused the first big shortage in 2008. But instead it was Sandy Hook that really drove this panic. I had quite a bit of .22 before I bought that case so I'm not in real bad shape still today but I can't shoot anything like I was shooting. That's what irks me. I find rimfire ammo here and there but not consistently by any means. I'd like to have at least double what I have now. I probaby have about 15k rounds I guess. I'd like to be one of the people that have 90k rounds of it. I do have quite a bit of centerfire for all my weapons whether it's pistols, rifles or shotguns. The thing is the only ammo we could get in the last shortage was .22 so I didn't worry enough about getting more of it. But I bought enough centerfire to last me a good while no matter what gun I'm shooting.

I actually sold a .22 rifle yesterday so that's one less rimfire to feed. I had to throw in some ammo to go with it though. It was for a good cause though. The guy wanted to teach his young nephew to shoot. I'm going to put the money in on a scope for my .223.
 
I plan to start reloading soon. I just got my Forster Co-ax from brownells this week. I don't know how long I waited but luckily I had requested an email. which I got on a Saturday evening and got the box by Tuesday. My main reloading will be for 223, 38/357,45 cal, and 30-06. The 30-06 I won't load yet as I have about 6 to 10 years before I use it all up which is my main hunting round which goes the same for 30.30 and 35 rem.

I started buying components for loading about 3 years ago this way I could be ready and would not be a big expensive after retirement.
 
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