Strategy for Ammo/Supply Shortages

[Trunk Monkey]

Horses for courses. What are your needs? If you're into serious competition you can easily go through thousands of rounds a year just in practice. I know hunters who maybe burn up two boxes a year, including "sighting in."
For HD/SD I want far more range ammo for training than defensive loads, so hand loading cast bullets works for me, also supplemented with .22lr for additional trigger time. A couple of boxes of defensive ammo lasts me an entire year.

What I'm trying to say is, it's not how much ammo (which can be a both costly and a liability) but how you intend to use it.
You're not defending the Alamo, or Corregidor. LOL!

Do you remember the ammo panic? It lasted for several years. The major manufacturers were running 24/7 for at least five years and couldn't meet demand.

California has already moved to limit the availability of ammunition for civilians.

It's not a question of defending The Alamo it's a matter of keeping enough on hand to continue to shoot through the next inevitable panic.

 

[gwpercle]

I buy everything I can , when I can , because it might be gone tomorrow and when it does come back it will be twice the price

 

[John Joseph]

Do you remember the ammo panic? It lasted for several years. The major manufacturers were running 24/7 for at least five years and couldn't meet demand.

California has already moved to limit the availability of ammunition for civilians.

It's not a question of defending The Alamo it's a matter of keeping enough on hand to continue to shoot through the next inevitable panic.

Like I posted, having enough of the right ammo and components is what's germane here, especially now in CA.
Decide what is right for you to keep stocked, or which calibers to handload, and keep the quality high if you intend on protecting your castle with it,
I've actually been pulling down some terribly performing panic bought ammo (it was relatively cheap) to reuse the primed brass and lead.

 

[bullseye308]

I’m not old(47), but not in good health. If I’m lucky I’ll be shooting maybe another 3 years, and I have enough lead, molds, powder coat, brass, and powder to last twice that long. Midsouth shooters is only 30 minuets from me and I just grabbed 12,000 Fiocchi primers on sale and expect to get another case for Christmas, so that should do me. My kids don’t shoot much now, but they will have 10,000 rounds each when I’m gone and components to load that much more, plus 5,000 rounds of 22 each.

I buy when I can if it is on sale, and have traded off a few guns I don’t need for components to put back. I have pretty much paired it down to 6 9mm’s, a 38, & a 357. Already decided who gets what and which ammo. The last few shortages didn’t affect me at all, I just grabbed an ammo can of whatever I needed and went to the range and shot what I felt like shooting. The next shortage will be no different for me and mine.

 

[1MoreFord]

I think the simplest way to prepare for the next inevitable ammo panic is to stock as much as you can reasonably afford now. We have an ammunition budget and whenever we find a good sale we buy a case or two. I try to keep a case or two of JHPs on hand as well.

Excellent idea. Wish I currently had that in my budget. Maybe in the future.

 

[JohnKSa]

Good Strategy:

• Budget for ammo/reloading components.
• Save your ammo/components budget until you have a significant amount to spend.
• Look for sales or shop for good deals.
• Buy in bulk.
• Shoot less than you buy.
• Continue the above steps until you have a decent stock on hand. Then you can continue with the steps, but modifying "Shoot less than you buy" to "Don't shoot any more than you buy" so you keep your stock level on hand for contingencies such as ammo panics.

Bad Strategy:

• Wait for an ammo panic, then stand in line to buy ammo when the prices are much higher than normal.

 

[Armored farmer]

A little diversity in your gun collection is a plus.
Even during the ammo shortage, i could find .22mag, 30-30, .243, etc.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Excellent idea. Wish I currently had that in my budget. Maybe in the future.

When we started we took an income tax refund and bought several cases at once.
Now we're far enough ahead that we can afford to save a little bit from each paycheck until we have enough to buy another case or two.

 

[Walkalong]

I think I said it in my first post but the first thing I did was dump all of my odd ball calibers and invest the money in ammunition and magazines for the 9mm guns I kept.

I kept all of mine, I just don't try to have a bunch of extra for all calibers. And components, for those who reload, are versatile until actually loaded.

 

[paulsj]

I have 100 9x19 cartridges and a case of 12ga quail loads $64/250 after mail in rebate. I'm all set.

 

[John Joseph]

I have 100 9x19 cartridges and a case of 12ga quail loads $64/250 after mail in rebate. I'm all set.

Do you hunt quail?

 

[Speedo66]

Do you remember the ammo panic? It lasted for several years. The major manufacturers were running 24/7 for at least five years and couldn't meet demand.

California has already moved to limit the availability of ammunition for civilians.

It's not a question of defending The Alamo it's a matter of keeping enough on hand to continue to shoot through the next inevitable panic.

So, forget the grass and coke, start smuggling some Aguila across the border. lol

 

[paulsj]

Do you hunt quail?

No but my shotgun weighs 6.5lb and has stock ending in checkered wood butt. Those shells are fun to shoot because recoil is low. Thankfully the gun has two triggers so there is no trigger reset mechanism to worry about. I forgot I also have 100 rounds of .45ACP.

 

[Riomouse911]

I just ordered a bunch of Berry’s bullets today to keep the reloading bench operational for a while...plenty of large and small primers for pistols and large rifle primers to spark Unique, Bullseye, Reloader 22 and IMR 3031. The Berrys will fall in line behind the Speer, Barnes, Missouri Bullets, Extreme bullets, Eggleston bullets...etc...

Stay safe!

 

[hdwhit]

doublehelix asked:
I asked the question about "how much is enough"

The simple answer is, What are you saving for?"

Are you only concerned about being able to shoot economically for the next three, five or ten years? Or is your concern about your being able to hunt and put food on the table? Or is it about living independently until the post-apocalyptic government comes and offers you the choice of surrendering your arms or dying?

Personally, I am not planning for an apocalypse. Well, truthfully, my plans put the odds of a future apocalypse at about 10%, so I'm primarily planning for a future where I can still own a gun and need it to put food on the table along with scavenging for gas to power my garden tiller.

The remainder of my plans call for about 11,500 rounds to be loaded for target practice, self defense and hunting needs over the rest of my life.

The reasons you're stockpiling ammunition and/or components may be different from mine. I actually hope they are. But, whatever the reason, buy what ammunition and components that you do buy consistent with your anticipated future needs.

 

[coloradokevin]

Stocking for recreation and need are two totally different things. During times of shortage I reduce the number of rounds I expend for fun. I'll always have more than enough on hand for truly troubled times.

 

[Doublehelix]

Stocking for recreation and need are two totally different things. During times of shortage I reduce the number of rounds I expend for fun. I'll always have more than enough on hand for truly troubled times.

I like this quote a lot, and it is a great point.

 

[Walkalong]

Stocking for recreation and need are two totally different things. During times of shortage I reduce the number of rounds I expend for fun. I'll always have more than enough on hand for truly troubled times.

Yep, which is far less than we need for recreational shooting.

 

[paulsj]

I just ordered a bunch of Berry’s bullets today to keep the reloading bench operational for a while...plenty of large and small primers for pistols and large rifle primers to spark Unique, Bullseye, Reloader 22 and IMR 3031. The Berrys will fall in line behind the Speer, Barnes, Missouri Bullets, Extreme bullets, Eggleston bullets...etc...

Stay safe!

The simple answer is, What are you saving for?"

Are you only concerned about being able to shoot economically for the next three, five or ten years? Or is your concern about your being able to hunt and put food on the table? Or is it about living independently until the post-apocalyptic government comes and offers you the choice of surrendering your arms or dying?

Personally, I am not planning for an apocalypse. Well, truthfully, my plans put the odds of a future apocalypse at about 10%, so I'm primarily planning for a future where I can still own a gun and need it to put food on the table along with scavenging for gas to power my garden tiller.

The remainder of my plans call for about 11,500 rounds to be loaded for target practice, self defense and hunting needs over the rest of my life.

The reasons you're stockpiling ammunition and/or components may be different from mine. I actually hope they are. But, whatever the reason, buy what ammunition and components that you do buy consistent with your anticipated future needs.

One must consider couple of things when planning ammo needs. One is age and the other future prospects of this country from financial perspectives with geopolitical implications. Being optimistic I would plan for 25 years. Obviously given decisions being made by those in power today (reducing taxation w/o needed spending cuts) it' hard to envision things continuing much past 15.

 

[John Joseph]

Stocking for recreation and need are two totally different things. During times of shortage I reduce the number of rounds I expend for fun. I'll always have more than enough on hand for truly troubled times.

Recreation is part of maintaining familiarity with your firearm. Games for developing marksmanship are important, but shooting a .22 or air rifle can lessen more expensive ammo consumption and save what you've got stored in your ammo can

 

[Ignition Override]

SilentStalker's comments prompted more true confessions. 7.62x39 vs. .308 ammo prices are one of the reasons I got into SKS and AKs, instead of FALs, PTR-91, M-1As.

Plastic target cubes/spheres from Academy, placed on Action Pistol berms (30 yards max.) or 50 yards on regular berms don't mind which ammo is used, and don't require classic western combat rifles.

Handgun practice with .22LR allows so many more rounds hitting metal target plates and at much less cost than with my 9mm German Sigs (P228 & P6), CZ 75D PCR or .380 Russian Makarov.
And when some rounds' recoil are too weak to allow the next .22 round to feed into the chamber (I know: Walther P22 prefers CCI Minimags), how do Actual failure drills hurt?

A friend's P22 (he seldom touches any of his multiple guns) has resulted in very little recent consumption of my 3,000 rds.of stored 9mm.

 

[Texas10mm]

SilentStalker's comments prompted more true confessions. 7.62x39 vs. .308 ammo prices are one of the reasons I got into SKS and AKs, instead of FALs, PTR-91, M-1As.

Plastic target cubes/spheres from Academy, placed on Action Pistol berms (30 yards max.) or 50 yards on regular berms don't mind which ammo is used, and don't require classic western combat rifles.

Handgun practice with .22LR allows so many more rounds hitting metal target plates and at much less cost than with my 9mm German Sigs (P228 & P6), CZ 75D PCR or .380 Russian Makarov.
And when some rounds' recoil are too weak to allow the next .22 round to feed into the chamber (I know: Walther P22 prefers CCI Minimags), how do Actual failure drills hurt?

A friend's P22 (he seldom touches any of his multiple guns) has resulted in very little recent consumption of my 3,000 rds.of stored 9mm.

Casting my own bullets and reloading gets my cost of 9mm to that of .22 LR or lower.