How many rounds

[AK Hunter]

There a lot of things to figure in on how much ammo you buy.
1. What kind & amount of shooting are you going to do with this new gun?
2. What is the price of your ammo & how available is it?
3. Do you have proper storage for large amounts of ammo.
4. Are you going to need varying types of ammo for this caliber?
5. Does your local laws allow large amounts of ammo to be stored?
6. Do you foresee an increase in price of this ammo?
7. Do you foresee a stop in production or ban of this ammo?
If everything is good buy lots of ammo because it's best to buy it cheap & stock it deep.

 

[WrongHanded]

Until you know enough about the relationship between you and the gun to answer that question for yourself.... don't buy more than a few 50 rounds boxes at a time.

I personally have 100 rounds of JHP and 100 rounds of FMJ-FN available for carry between two guns. I have 100 of each in reserve in the safe. When I dig that out, I have the components available to replace it. I also generally have between 100 and 200 rounds of range ammo assembled, and the components to replace it many times over.

So, what @.308 Norma said.

 

[Ignition Override]

Howland937: To contradict my main ammo policy, that is a factor I had forgotten about. Good point.

Years ago I had a superb Spanish FR8, large-ring Mauser carbine --very nifty rifle-- which had been converted to (complex story, I know) Spanish NATO 7,62, but had plenty of strength for commercial .308. And matching bolt-receiver, little wear....

Anyway....I never could get the right sight picture, regrettably sold the rifle and about 400 rds. of fresh 7,62x51 ammo still on the belt links.

This is the only time when I bought some excess ammo. Luckily Armslist was very efficient and simple back then.

 

[Pat Riot]

I selected “none” because buying 500 or 1000 rounds of untested ammo in a gun might sour one on a particular gun. I would buy 50 round boxes of a few different brands and loads to see what the gun is most accurate and reliable with.

 

[wayneinFL]

If it were a 9mm, get a case of FMJ. since it's a 10mm, try different stuff.

What are you planning to use it for, and are you planning to reload for it?

There are hot defensive loads for it. There are 200 or 220 grain hard cast for hunting. FBI light loads, like a 40.

As others have said, I wouldn't tie myself down to 500 rounds of the same ammo.

 

[ilbob]

So I ordered an assortment.

 

[ilbob]

Report back on how long it takes to get your S&W rebate if you would. Says 8-12 weeks or something. I got mine 6 days after submitting online.

I meant to report back on this earlier but forgot. I don't remember exactly how long it took to get the reward card back but it was within two weeks. Mine expires in October of 23 though so I need to make sure I use it up.

 

[doubleh]

I didn't vote as I reload. If it is in a caliber I don't already load for I'll buy around 100 rounds for brass to get started. In fact I just did that very thing.

 

[JR24]

With the cost of 10mm I’d spend some of that money on a cheap single stage press, dies and primers.

Even with primers tripling in price the past few years it’s a fair savings.

Oh, hey! That’s what I should do with all those 180 rain FMJ projectiles I have laying around (I don’t shoot my .40 much), I should dust off my 10mm

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

DEFINITELY don't go whole-hog in buying a large amount of bulk ammo until you've shot it a bit.

(My opinion.)

Buy a box or two of a handful of different types/brands and shoot them first.

What you want to do is first verify the gun has no problems, and second see if it's persnickity with any particular type/brand of ammo.

The last thing you want to end up with is a case of ammo the gun doesn't like.

So I always advise trying a variety at first. Then buy whatever quantity you like of whatever it is you want afterwards, knowing you had no problems with it.

 

[LiveLife]

So I picked up my new gun today. It is a Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 in 10 mm

I don't have any ammo for it

FWIW, I would load 40S&W cases longer and perhaps add a bit more powder to practice.

Hey, call me cheap.

 

[JR24]

FWIW, I would load 40S&W cases longer and perhaps add a bit more powder to practice.

Hey, call me cheap.

Every so often someone at my range will leave a whole box of 10mm brass scattered about.

Im usually glad that I’m at the range alone so nobody can see me do my happy dance as I gather it all up.

Here’s to you, Mr Glock 20 (or 29) shooter who doesn’t clean up their brass.

 

[Archie]

I would buy only as much as you plan to shoot at the first range session and I would buy a variety, not all of one kind. You might take it to the range and hate it--I've had it happen--not often, but often enough. And I've run into guns with ammo preferences often enough that I don't like to buy a huge amount of ammo if I don't know the gun will like it.

If you like it after the next range session and find that it shoots one of the types of ammo well and reliably, then how much you buy depends on what you plan to do with it.

For range toys, I like to keep around 1,000 rounds on hand.

For carry/self-defense guns, I like to have 100-200 rounds of carry ammo for testing/practice/use and maybe a few hundred more rounds of range ammo for practice.

You didn't ask, but I like to have at least 5 magazines for any gun that takes detachable magazines.

I'll agree with the start small and do some testing. For reliability, accuracy (in your pistol) and agreeability to you and your hands.

Presuming you find one you like, I usually buy 500 rounds for serious work. Then find a commercial load with the same bullet weight and velocity (at least close) that hopefully prints on the target close to the point of aim for practice and playing. Or reload the same specification of weight and recoil if you wish.
I do not pay attention to the boogeyman of not using reloads for defense, but do find getting a small pile tends to be more uniform and just simpler. Agencies use the same round for qualification, but they have more attractiveness to lawsuits (and more money to pay) and a greater budget (of tax money) to buy ammo.

 

[jmorris]

I have a number of firearms that simply have never been fired 1000 times, others that have gone through more than 100,000 rounds.

I don’t keep the same amount of ammunition for everything.

 

[Hangingrock]

I reload. Thus a standard load for the 9x19mm and 45ACP. Those loads are utilized in several different handguns..

 

[Pat Riot]

Every so often someone at my range will leave a whole box of 10mm brass scattered about.

Im usually glad that I’m at the range alone so nobody can see me do my happy dance as I gather it all up.

Here’s to you, Mr Glock 20 (or 29) shooter who doesn’t clean up their brass.

Last year I thought I would like to have a 10mm. I was at my range when it opened for the day and this guy was there shooting several 10mm guns. He and I were the only ones on that side of the range and the floor was clean except for our brass. This fella was shooting new ammo from boxes. As he was getting ready to leave I asked if he was going to keep his brass. He looked at me, smiled and said “You can have it.” and he left. So I swept it all up, separated my 9mm from the 10mm and put the brass into 2 separate quart bags. Then I left. I figure there were at least 200 cases in there.
The next time I went to the range a couple days later I had somehow left the 10mm brass in my range bag.
There was a gent in the next lane shooting and he asked if it would bother me if he used the broom to drag his brass back to him. He was shooting 10mm. I asked how he liked the gun and he said he loved it but the components were expensive. As I was changing targets I would pick up cases and hand them to him. He told me he was disabled and on a tight budget so he appreciated me picking up his brass.
When I went to leave I gave him the quart bag of brass I got from the other guy and wished him a good day. You’d have thought that bag had gold in it. He was very happy to have it.
I still don’t have a 10mm.

 

[InTheSwamp]

(The Number You Think Is Good) + 1.
And keep adding.

 

[JR24]

Last year I thought I would like to have a 10mm. I was at my range when it opened for the day and this guy was there shooting several 10mm guns. He and I were the only ones on that side of the range and the floor was clean except for our brass. This fella was shooting new ammo from boxes. As he was getting ready to leave I asked if he was going to keep his brass. He looked at me, smiled and said “You can have it.” and he left. So I swept it all up, separated my 9mm from the 10mm and put the brass into 2 separate quart bags. Then I left. I figure there were at least 200 cases in there.
The next time I went to the range a couple days later I had somehow left the 10mm brass in my range bag.
There was a gent in the next lane shooting and he asked if it would bother me if he used the broom to drag his brass back to him. He was shooting 10mm. I asked how he liked the gun and he said he loved it but the components were expensive. As I was changing targets I would pick up cases and hand them to him. He told me he was disabled and on a tight budget so he appreciated me picking up his brass.
When I went to leave I gave him the quart bag of brass I got from the other guy and wished him a good day. You’d have thought that bag had gold in it. He was very happy to have it.
I still don’t have a 10mm.

Great story! Good on you for being so kind.

My 10mm likes to launch brass into the next county so I rarely manage to bring back all my brass, so any surplus is as good as gold.

 

[lee n. field]

So I picked up my new gun today. It is a Smith & Wesson M&P 2.0 in 10 mm from PSA. Came with four magazines and a holster, and a $100 rebate.

It's my first 10 mm so I don't have any ammo for it. I was thinking of ordering 500 or a thousand rounds. I can have it shipped for free for about 40 cents a round these days if I buy 1,000.

How many rounds?

Do you handload? What is the intended purpose of this gun?

At this point you don't even know how well the gun is going to work for you.

Start off with a hundred rounds of something, FMJ range ammo. See how well it runs, and how well you like the gun.