So..How much ammo is enough?

[searcher451]

You can never be too rich, nor too thin, nor have too much ammo.

Put another way: As long as they make it and sell it, I'm going to buy it. Who in their right mind would not these days?

 

[Kentucky Kernel]

I buy Wally World Winchester White Box 45 and 9 mm FMJ whenever they are in stock. I use these for leisure shooting at the range. On the other hand, I have about 100 rounds (each) of what I call personal defense rounds (+P, hollow points, etc in 45, 38, 357 and 9) that I use when I carry. I pray that I'll never need 1000's of rounds for my rifles, since that means the S really did HTF. I can't defend my family against an invading army, but I can defend them against a zombie or two.

KK

 

[Just Jim]

about twenty rounds should work if you have alot of nerve and can shoot straight

jj

 

[22-rimfire]

How much is enough is purely a personal decision. If you don't shoot, one box of ammo for each caliber that you have guns is sufficient. I don't practice what I preach.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I've also got enough components to load a couple thousand more 40 S&W rounds. Once I get a brick of large rifle primers, I'm good to go with 500 rounds of .308.

 

[John_galt]

I only have common calibers. (boring).
.22 LR ~3000
9mm ~4000
.40 S&W ~2500
.45 ~3500
.223 ~1000 (I know I'm working on it)
12G 100

I reload everything but 12G, .223, and obviously.22LR. Will start .223 soon which should help. Keeping up reloading is hard in the summer, shoot at least once a week. more and more I practice with .22 rifle and handgun. Don't have to pick up brass, since I shoot on a grass outdoor range.

 

[wally]

In practical terms, once you have more than you and your minions can carry, more is of minimal value unless you plan to barter it away.

As a recreational shooter, I'll buy more whenever I see a good price until I've got no place to put anymore. I really stocked up about 2+ years ago, literally parking our cars over columns of ammo cases sitting on the floor between the tires -- at which point my wife put her foot down and declared "no more". Now with prices what they are its "why didn't you buy more when it was cheap!"

I'm back into reloading in a big way again now.

--wally.

 

[JohnBT]

I'm not bartering or carrying mine away, I plan on shooting it all if I live long enough. Using it is what I call practical.

JT

 

[PT1911]

as sarge would say.... "just one round"

 

[colorado_handgunner]

Is it ever enough?

300 of .380 FMJ (for my LCP )
25 of .380 JHP
450 of .40 FMJ
70 of .40 JHP
4500 of .22 JHP with some solid lead
30 of 12 gauge 00 buck (need more )
10 of 12 guage 00 buck magnum 3 1/4"

I have two tool boxes locked and loaded with ammo!
I don't reload though, so I keep more on hand.
Still looking for more though.

 

[IndianaBoy]

My Dillon 550 has been busy. The only ammo I buy is 22lr and I have enough components on hand for several years of shooting, except for small pistol primers.

 

[bubbaturbo]

There are posts all over the gun forums where somebody complains about an ammo shortage and in the same post admits to buying everything available when they find some. What I find absolutely amazing is that people don't recognize that they are complaining about themselves. People are even buying ammo for guns and calibers they don't have. If I came on here and said I was buying all the tires I could find, regardless of size, even though I didn't have a car that used those sizes, everybody would think I was an idiot. The "ammo shortage" being discussed on gun forums is caused by the (endless) ammo shortage discussions on gun forums. It's one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. I haven't even tried to buy ammo in months. I'll wait for the prices to come back down when some realize (or their wives realize for them) that they are buying so much only because of these forums.

 

[Jefferson Herb]

mmcsret

Senior Chief MM? I know what you mean . You get into obsolete cartrige,muzzleloader,modern, Military,Hot rod cal's.There are just too many gun groups to have fun with,and the threat of limited ammo just makes it worse.
Maybe I should downsize to what I can carry.......NOT !!!!!!

 

[Mags]

I try to keep 500 rounds of all my different calibers on hand in target loads.
For defense loads I like to keep 200 rounds of 9mm and 100 rounds of 45ACP along with 210 rounds of 223 just enough for seven 30 round mags 1 in the gun and 3 in each pouch.

 

[Poor East Texan]

Let's put it this way...

If I have money and find ammo I'll get some.

Case in point I found 3 boxes of CCI CB Long at gander Mountain yesterday. They cost too much ($9.99 per 100) but I NEVER see them anywhere anymore so I got 300 rounds.

I'm well over 2K of .22

 

[mbt2001]

For sometime now I have been rethinking my arsenal and how to segment it so that I do not go broke trying to "stockpile" increasingly more ammo / mags / holsters for an increasing array of guns.

I think that re-segmenting them as shown below is the way to go. This list isn't exhaustive or anything, but I think it is an idea that may help some of you.

SHTF Guns:

4 x Glock 19's - 10,000 rnds (9mm)
4 x Sub2000 (Keltec glock mag)
2 x Rem 870 Riot Guns - 200 rnds (12 gauge)

Hunting:

1x Ruger 257 Roberts - 100 rnds
1 x Win 30-30 - 100 rnds

Collecting:

1 x SKS - 1,000 rnds
1 x Mauser - 400 rnds
1 x Moisin M44 - 400 rnds

Concealed Carry:

1 x Colt 1911 Commander - 100 rnds
1 x Bersa .380 - 100 rnds

I don't know if you can ever have enough bullets and if you do, then I wonder if you haven't sacrificed your mobility to an extreme degree. That is one of the reasons, am becoming a believer in segmenting my rounds out.

Although one of the other posters had an idea that I considered, just buying guns for the ammo that is available.

I paid $50 for a box of .38's at Gander Mountain yesterday. Wow... That is getting out of control.

 

[rdhood]

I plan on living and shooting at least 30 more years.

Per month, I (currently) want to shoot 400 22lr, 300 9mm, 200 .40s&w, 200 .45acp, 60 7.62x39, 100 .223, and 50 .308.
How much is enough?

30*12 = 360 months of shooting

144,000 rnd of .22lr
108,000 rnd of 9mm Luger
72,000 rnd of .40 S&W
72,000 rnd of .45ACP
36,000 rnd of .223
21,000 rnd of 7.62x39
21,000 rnd of .308

That is how much ammo is currently "enough". That would make sure that I am able to continue shooting my guns without interruption for the forseeable future. This is not even what I would consider "hoarding" because it is only what I anticipate I will require.

Note: this is not how much I have. This is "how much ammo is enough" if I were buying for my anticipated use. I have about a 1000 rounds of everything, and replace as it gets used up.

 

[rojocorsa]

I'm pretty sure many people are really capitalizing off this "artificial" inflation. And perhaps they would like to keep it that way. If the US did not have the means to sufficiently manufacture large enough quantities of ammunition, it would not be able to stay in Afghanistan or the Sandbox.

I think there is enough ammo for everyone, it is just those pesky speculators. I think that this is like the fluctuating petroleum market. Like a roller coaster.

 

[VonClausewitz]

I keep an inventory of about 1000 rounds for most guns I own and replace as I use.

Dont forget storage conditions. Light lubrication (gun grease), seal in plastic against moisture, and lock it away somewhere cool. Be especially mindful of shotgun ammo.

 

[Poor East Texan]

It bears note...

At Gander Mountain where I found .22 there was no 9mm or .45ACP to be found. Plenty .44, .38 Super, 10mm and some others.

There was quite a bit more .22 besides the CB Longs I got, and I'd have gotten much more had I been able to afford it as .22 is all I shoot at home.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

For The Record

I wish to go on record as saying that I have NO ammunition for any firearms nor do I expect to buy any!

 

[JohnBT]

"I plan on living and shooting at least 30 more years."

I'm 58 and my father is 87. I've done the math, too.

See ma, I'm not hoarding.

John

 

[lionking]

I'd rather not shoot my guns than pay the outrageous prices due to horders out there buying every single box they can thus driving up the prices for everybody.

Which some of guns are doing just that staying silent for now.The day will come when prices go back down,and if they don't I'll shoot sparingly,you don't need to blow 500 rds in one shooting session to practice.

Yes I'm a little agitated,when I see companies like "cheaper than dirt" price a box of Wolf ammo 7.62 for $15.Only a idiot would pay that.So are you guys replacing your stash with $15 a box Wolf now?

Good new is a least a local Walmart has thousands of .223 Federal and Winchester USA in stock and nobody is buying it all up.Soon handgun ammo will be on hand again to hopefully.But the price of metals has dropped yet the companies will continue to gouge because some think they must buy a lifetime supply now before the dreaded Democrats ban it all.And some posters spread the fear by constantly trying to sway people that the ban is starting tommorrow.

 

[Jeff]

My inventory is fine for now:

.45 acp-- 650 rds
9mm-- 541 rds
.357 mag-- 197 rds
.38 Special +P-- 46 rds
.308 Win-- 111 rds
.22 LR-- 1,346 rds
12 Gauge 00 buckshot-- 113 rds

Can't imagine I would need or want more than that.

 

[Tamlin]

This thread got me thinking. Just did a spreadsheet: What I want to have on hand to save; what I want to have on hand to shoot; Total of what I want to have on hand; what I have now; what I need to get. This is for each caliber I own. Example: I want to have on hand to save 500 rounds of 45 acp; I also want to have on hand 200 rounds of 45 acp to shoot. The "to shoot" will be replaced as I shoot it; my target goal, therefore, is 700 rounds, of which I will not drop below 500.