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Ammo

9K views 63 replies 19 participants last post by  MUSIBIKE 
#1 ·
What do you consider to sufficient amounts of ammo to stock for your rifles? Pistols?
 
#2 ·
"Sufficient" for what? The answer for "no more available, better stock a lifetime supply" versus "how much do you keep on hand for weekend range visits before you re-order next month" is gonna vary a lot. Also, what is the purpose and caliber of the firearms? The .30-06 bolt action deer rifle may get a whole box of 20 shot through it every year between pre-hunt sight verification and the actual hunt, a few hundred rounds would be an almost lifetime supply for that gun and the tasks it is normally used for. A belt fed 1919A4 with a crankfire attachment? Real easy to go through a thousand rounds in an afternoon, that's just 4 belts.
 
#4 ·
I agree with the last post. 500 pistol and 1000-1500 rifle is a good start. i also keep at least 250 00buck stocked with a random assortment of shot as well as a few boxes of slugs, too. 12ga ammo is some of the most prevalent inthe world and will be easy to find.
i also stock pile cases of the federal .22lr ammo. i also shoot the daylights out of my marlin.22 anyways
I also have a marlin.17 hm2 with 500 rounds on hand .
then again, carrying all of this, along with guns, will be very difficult if we have to dip out in a hurry.
From a purely survival standpoint, its wise to have a pellet rifle.
I know that it sounds silly,but i also keep a ton of .177 and .22 air rifle ammo on hand if I need to hunt for food and don't want all of the noise that comes with a powder burner.(to keep your position concealed)also for those pesky squirrells and raccoons too.
i think of having ammo as not only a defensive measure, but for trading and bartering if the world goes down the toilet and we all have to fend for ourselves for water, food and shelter, etc.
This may sound unpopular, but when the fit hits the shan, I expect that the ak47 will become nothing more than a really cool paperweight due to ammo constraints after the dust has settled. look at 7.62 ammo now-hard to get and really expensive. Almost ALL of it is imported. so i keep multiple caliber rifles in my home with enough ammo for all of them. My doctrine has changed in the past 6 months. Instead of buying cool new guns, i now spend that money to keep the ones that i have fed!
stick with the 30-.06, 12 and 20 ga shotgun and .22 lr ammo. .45 acp and 9mm, .38 ammo have all been around for decades and can be found almost anywhere.
just my rant:rant:
 
#5 ·
I have found that the amount of ammo that you can afford is probably the best reply to the question. I have failed in that at least one time; back when we could get 8mm for pennies I only bought a few thousand rounds... I have regretted it ever since. Remember that some calibers will become harder to get ammo for. I remember the day when we thought we were getting ripped off for 7.62x39 at $70.00 , and last month I purchased 3k rounds at $179.00 per case... it could well be that the ammo will dry up as it did for the 8mm or rise significantly like the .223 or other rounds.
 
#6 ·
I want to recreationally shoot long term, and see ammo prices going up and availability going down. My goal is 1,000 rounds stored per long gun and pistol, with 10,000 rounds per .22. Aim for a high percentage of reloadable brass in your stockpile. I periodically swap out ammo to keep it fresh.
 
#9 ·
I want to recreationally shoot long term, and see ammo prices going up and availability going down. My goal is 1,000 rounds stored per long gun and pistol, with 10,000 rounds per .22. Aim for a high percentage of reloadable brass in your stockpile. I periodically swap out ammo to keep it fresh.

Well said. With that, .22lr "bulk ammo" (sold in the 500-550 count boxes-Walmart) are very cheaply made and should not be considered reliable by any means. These are meant for plinking and target applications.
I CANNOT begin to tell you how many times I have had a squirrel in my sights, only to pull the trigger and a loud "click" gives my position away.

The unreliable nature of these rounds can be attributed to lax manufacturing standards as well as the fact that they do not always have a fixed amount of primer in the bottom of the rimfire shell.The nature of rimfire ammo also makes them more succeptable to moisture. I used to keep a spare box (about 40 shells CCI) in the garage, untill I tried using them a year later.
EVEry single one of these shells left the barrel with little more than the power of a thrown rock. They made a very muffled, retarded "pop", not the crisp SNAP" that a .22 should make. These rounds did not penetrate the untreated 2x4 that I aimed at, they all bounced off. I have moved all ammo inside, and into waterproof ammo boxes along with the other emergency supplies.
Before a shoot, I purchase a new box of whatever shells I will be using, and take the older stock with me to shoot(replacing it with the new box).
I have since repeated this experiment with Remington and federal-all with the same results....."duds"
CCI, Hornady, remington, Federal etc-sold in the smaller packs are a much better choice. Not like you'll ever need to use a .22lr for self defense(hopefully), but If you were presented with a survival situation and had to feed your family, every meal that gets away, may never return.
 
#7 ·
Bug out? I guess if you hear over the tube type radio that survived the EMP that a massive ground force was moving in you direction. You would Bug out someway with the UZI, a couple of the AK's, several of the AR15's plus, several of your pistols. Every mag stuffed with one in the chaimber too. That quick escape ammo crate should have several boxes of the ammo for all of these weapons. If you know early enough to pack more. Grab the MAUSER and a case of 8mm too for the run. That one can hold off plenty of melons coming at you. The one next to them sees there Head/melon explode and they pull back.

Solar panels with a good series regulator will keep you able to listen to news. Forget about transmitting. They can set your point in a minute for Artillery.

Canned food and an opener. A couple of good sharp knives. Something that can hold water.

In the city or in the out and open? I don't know which would be best? Lots of cover in the city. Lots of other targets besides you.

At the farm, clear open line of fire. You would be the only target. Attractive point for the enemy to occupy a safe point away from police and military.

The most important thing is to keep your wits about you! Don't just start shooting at folks you see walking around with weapons. Those folks can be your allies?

If you have to take some enemy out, drop their communications first. And then, nail long range weapons implacements. AND TRY NOT TO BE NOTICED!!!! Keep your position covered.

Obtain some gas masks and have for last resort use. Extra filters are a must have item. Know how to deploy these mask under stressed conditions.

If you have kids, please teach them how to load mags and dress wounds.

GOD help the elderly which will be left behind helpless.

Yes the prices for ammo and defence articles have gone way up. But, it is better to sting a bit now and get it. After the democrats win later this year, we will be on a straight down crash in almost every way toward dissolution of this country.

Too many are standing with their hand out voting for someone who will promiss to carry them on the working man's dollars.

It is great to see all of you thinking ahead for the times that are coming. It just may be possible for some of us to survive and regroup as a nation like this once was again? However, it is going to cost a lot to do again.

MUSIBIKE
 
#8 ·
I finally got my wife to come out with me and the other guys(along with their wives). My wife took to shooting like a duck to water.
The other wives sat out after pulling the .40 trigger twice.
She got my mossy 590 pump, rem 700 .308, WASR10, .357 magnum, .17 Marlin, XD40, Ruger 9mm and 1911 .45acp.
My 4 year old even shot a ruger mark2 .22lr a few times and loved it.

Teach your loved ones to use and respect firearms. It may save their lives one day.

Nobody should be afraid of guns, be afraid of the nutjob pointing the gun at you.
 
#11 ·
It depends on the scenario. Lets say Meltdown of Society, or really rough times.

Since my main handgun would be the .357 for versatility, I would elect to have no less then 1000 rds. 4-500 of those being .38spl since I also have some .38s. The reason being is that .357 can be used on white tail and the .38s on smaller game. The rest of the handguns would only get fed a couple of hundred. This is provided I have powder, bullets and primers for my wheel guns.

As for rifles. I view 1000-1500 per caliber for the Aks/SKS or AR15 if you go that route. And at least 400 for your bolt guns. Currently the only thing I'm lacking on is ammo for my AK/SKS. I need about another 1000 rds case to get up to speed on that.

Now if it is invasion of the US by some other nation, I dont think I could put a limit on it. I would like to have several ammo dumps in each neighboring town as well as a few here in mine.
 
#12 ·
Being on an open road highway is NOT good. There is no place like home. Strength in a degree of comfort. ALL of your fire power ready to go. Unless there is absolutely no way you will survive a massive attack assault.

Some gangs with guns would just bring me more weapons and free ammo. There would be body discard detail though. Like dragging your deer out of the woods on a trail bike from where your stand is.

What would blow it for us is if a concentrated high number of personnel did a pass through our subdivision. If well trained and armed division size forces made their way through here, we would be wasted. Or, a tank was sent in to clean out hot spots like us.

Set up cover to where Night vision heat sensors may not pick you up. Helicopter patrols would find a lot of us.

Do not transmit. Directional radio convergence is all too easy now. They can X you right in within minutes.

If our own military comes in to ICE down known large capacity weapons holders, that will be a real big mess on its own. But, that most likely will not happen if we are assaulted by foreign power. The military will be expended on them.

Keep your wits about you and don't over react. Conserve your resources. Stay covered. DON'T SHOOT UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO.
 
#13 ·
Here's how I look at ammo.
When I think I have enough I buy more.
Then I buy some more just in case that's not enough.
Just to make damn sure I buy just a little bit more.
And then I wonder, do I have enough ammo? Not sure, I guess I should buy a little more.
Point is, you will never have enough cause you don't know how long the shit storm you find yourself in will last. I don't ever want to have to fire that last round.
 
#17 ·
I'll second that......and order yet another crate of what I have the "least" of provided it's on sale. I always take advantage of sales and buy a lot of what's going for the best price. In that way I've managed to squirrel away a "nice" supply of many calibers at the lowest cost.
 
#15 ·
With it all looking like it is now, it is recommended that all should get a few extra ammo boxes for safety. Make sure what you keep in your home is well and operable.

This site is plenty able to contribute coaching and or advise on how to properly use firearms.

If you are one of them who are afraid of guns, think about how you will feel when an intruder points one in your face. The time is almost here.

Be ready for what IS TO COME!!!
 
#16 ·
Yeah, preparation is the key to success and survival!
I mentio ned earlier that I also keep a box or two of ammop for weapons that I do not own(yet) or know that other family members DO own on hand.
JIC, you never know what fate holds in store for you.
So I have a box of .357 sig and 9mm although I don't own either caliber weapon. One box was a mistake purchase(from the pimple face behind the gun counter at wal mart) the other box was given to me.
I also like air guns because they offer a relatively quiet way to hunt/eat while not giving away your position to someone. So I keep several tins around(they go fast)
 
#18 ·
How Much??

Excellent as a gift for any occasion...birthday,house-warming,wedding,Christmas,etc. Stockpile as much as your finances allow...ammo is definitely a valuable "trading stock". Everyone has their own "comfort zone". I suggest---.308 5-6000rds,30.06 3-4ooords,7.62x39 10-12,000rds,.22LR 15-20,000rds,.223 1,000(battlefield pick-up the rest),& of course handgun ammo(couple thousand ) in each of your favorite calibers and in the most common such as .45,9mm,.38,.357. Also a supply of 8mm(3,000rds) for mausers --use of a bolt-action definitely conserves your ammo.
 
#24 ·
I saw something on you tube a couple weeks ago on new 12ga military rounds.HE,Armor pearcing,etc.Kinda like scaled down rounds for the M79/M203. At the fun shows in Ohio a vender sells drilled out 12ga foster slugs to incert a 209 primer?I guess were walking on thin ice here. No more real bird bombs,just noise makers.
 
#26 ·
Ammo and supply storage

We all know that when it comes to stocking up on ammo and supplies, you are most likely and probably relying on defending your home and staying put there(because it would be impossible to haul around a ton of ammo food and water)
What is the best way to cache or store ammo? Where to stash it from prying eyes? Same with water and food?
Someone earlier made a suggestion that these supplies be "buried" or kept in "sectional incrememnts" for easier access. I would also think that if someone found one of the stashes, your whole supply would not be lost?

I dont have a basement( a true basement) but I do have an attic and a newer poly shed in the woods behind my home.
 
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