# How much ammo to store?



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Since this section is about guns AND bullets, I thought I would make a post about bullets (okay ammo). This is fresh in my mind as this morning I took 3 cart loads of ammo from the garage to the man cave and then I had to find places to stash it. Even I was a little surprised to find I had more ammo than my mental estimates indicated.

I buy up ammo like 'they' are going to raise prices every day until they finally stop making it in 2025. Not because I started hoarding after a school shooting or night club massacre, or even because a politician vowed to come after our guns. I started because I shoot a lot and because my Dad instilled me the mentality that "ammo never gets any cheaper". So I buy what I can when I can. I bought 10,000 rounds of .22lr from the CMP in 2013 for $130 and not too long after that you couldn't find 22lr anywhere. Of course I have overpaid as well. Over the course of my life however I am betting I come out ahead way more often than I don't.

My stores of ammo fall into 4 categories: practice ammo, hunting ammo, defensive ammo and it was just too good of deal to pass up or just because I shoot it ammo. I once bought 1,000 rounds of .38spl +P+ simply because it was on clearance for next to nothing. I also have 500 rounds of 9x18 Mak, even though I no longer own a Makarov. On the list is lots of .303 british and 7.62x54 just because I have several rifles in those calibers. But I primarily stock .22LR, 9mm, 5.56mm/.223, .308 and 12ga. I don't have a specific number of rounds for a specific reason, I just always buy more than I shoot. If I go through 4,000 rounds of 9mm year then I make sure I buy at least 5,000 rounds a year. Then my stock is perpetually growing. But at some point I really should put pen to paper and see how much I really need and/or can/could use is things go to hell in a handbasket.

If you want a calulator to help you decide what you need, you can go to Rational Survivor and us theirs. I did and am happy to report that I exceeded their suggestions by a large margin. Woo Hoo!

So how much ammo do you think is enough ammo? Or perhaps you focus more on reloading components.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

Well that pic looks like a good starting point! My answer is to keep buying as I can because there will never be enough and prices will always trend upward. sometimes it'll drop as it has the last year or so, but almost always creeping up.
I don't have anywhere near what is in the picture. But I try and keep a balance of what I have/use and what weapons are liking to eat more than others and purchase accordingly. I also purchase along your lines of Target, carry ammo, bulk, and for specific needs. I have tried for the most part to keep with similar calibers so the spread of needs is less. I did break down and pick up a long wanted Marlin 30-30 last year, so I'm working to build some stock for that. I've also started reloading and am trying to build stocks there as well in certain calibers.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

As much as you can afford to buy & store.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Thats not going to last long when your officers start showing up. I'd double it....


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

terri9630 said:


> Thats not going to last long when your officers start showing up. I'd double it....


The ammo storage area of the department armory makes my stores look tiny. I don't think a month goes by without a shipment of ammo coming in for the 3 firearms instructors. That's the nature of having a Chief who loves guns and shooting. He also refuses to get rid of "retired" guns as "you never know when we'll have to appointment a bunch of extra officers to help maintain the peace". We are sitting on several dozen Remington 870's, Glocks and Bushmaster AR-15's along with a pallet or two worth of ammo. He even told the supply officer to keep the old Safariland 295 duty holsters.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Sentry18 said:


> The ammo storage area of the department armory makes my stores look tiny. I don't think a month goes by without a shipment of ammo coming in for the 3 firearms instructors. That's the nature of having a Chief who loves guns and shooting. He also refuses to get rid of "retired" guns as "you never know when we'll have to appointment a bunch of extra officers to help maintain the peace". We are sitting on several dozen Remington 870's, Glocks and Bushmaster AR-15's along with a pallet or two worth of ammo. He even told the supply officer to keep the old Safariland 295 duty holsters.


I'd ask if you worked for my husband but your not a desert dweller.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

;lrkityhuyjtthygufreiwolpq;


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## tmttactical (Nov 23, 2015)

Caribou said:


> I would suggest a thousand rounds per gun as a starting point. I don't count things like a .25ACP which is only a gun by definition, or an antique that you only fire to say that you have. In that case fifty or a hundred might be fine.
> 
> I have a 30-40 Krag that I only have a hundred rounds for and trying to find any brass for was impossible. My friend with the ammo factory only had one box in stock and couldn't find any brass. I found five more boxes at one LGS, after searching, and left one box for the next poor slob that needed some.
> 
> ...


As I acquire a new firearm / caliber I also plan to stock 1,000 rounds of that caliber. All firearm / ammo are budgeted (to keep my from going off deep end). Once all the budgeted items have been purchased, then more ammo will be stockpiled. I do not plan to be a fire arm collector. About six or seven firearms is enough to deal with any future needs. Once the base purchases have been made, then reloading equipment and supplies go on the purchase list.

We will continue to stock up on other 'Prepping" supplies, just like normal but I have a special budget just for fire arms and home defense.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

My Dad is a big time hunter and now retired LEO. He has a pile of hunting rifles & shotguns, several handguns and a few riot shotguns. I don't remember a time where he wasn't sitting on a pile of ammo. A few years ago I bought (assembled) an AR for him as a gift. It was a 16" middy with 6 pmags and 1,000 rounds of ammo. He loved it. A year later he suddenly had over 15 pmags and 2,000 rounds of ammo. Now that same AR-15 has a 1-6x illuminated optic, an Inforce WML light, he has over 30 pmags and sits on a minimum of 3,000 rounds of ammo. Now he is hinting that I need to build up an AR-15 for my mother. Something in a lightweight 16" A1/A2 version with a red dot. He is in his mid 70's and still preparing for disaster.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

Unfortunately my Money Tree died, so I obtain Ammo when, and as I can. Right now I have enough Fire Power to give anyone a run for their Money, but there's always room for more.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I used to be a volunteer range officer at my local gun club. I put in at least 2 shifts a week, sometimes more. By the main counter there was a table with a garbage can. Next to that table was a series of 5 gallon pails and some small brooms for range brass. I used to set out a series of reinforced cardboard boxes on a table and I marked them "9mm", "40SW", "45ACP", "38SPL", etc. I would throw a half dozen or so loaded rounds into each box. That's all, no sign, no instructions, nothing. People would come to the range and shoot like 45 rounds out of a 50 round box of 9mm. When they went to throw away the box they would toss those last 5 rounds into the cardbox box. There were busy days where I would harvest 200+ rounds of mixed leftover ammo. I had to inspect each and every round for primer dents, bullet set back, bad cases, proper caliber, etc., etc. but then they would go into 1/2 gallon zip lock bags marked "mixed range ammo". I kept most of it but the .40 which I would trade off 2:1 for 9mm. It was not unusual to collect 6-7 bags of ammo in most major calibers a year. To this day I still have well over a dozen bags of mixed range ammo in the man cave.

My point is that one can build up an ammo supply without spending a ton of money. Although ammo was much cheaper back then. No serious shooter or reloader every tossed in those extra 1-10 rounds, but a whole lot of casual shooters and weekend operators did.

I also once traded a guy 2 days of labor clearing out an old houses where the occupant had passed away, including some lawn work and tree removal, in exchange for a few old guns and all the ammo the old fellow had left behind. I cleaned up and traded the guns for ammo I could use and did the same with the ammo. I still have a few boxes of unusual ammo I got from that deal. I remember calculating out my per hour value and I came out way ahead.


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## phideaux (Nov 7, 2015)

I keep sufficient stocked up ammo for Calibers from .38 spcl to 45-70 to 300 wm. All of which I reload.
Everything in between, that you can think of.

Like Caribou, I have capabilty to mfg those calibers ammo , if I started today , would never finish using up all my supplies before I die.
The kids and GKs will have plenty supplies when I;m gone.

*Powder Coating some .30 carb bullets*








*Casting some bullets*








*Partial supplies at the reload bench*








Rimfire ammo is well stocked also...those I have to buy.

Jim


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

If we are going to talk about "how much ammo" to have then the question of how many magazines you have is just as important. The next question is how many guns you have that fire the same round and the same magazine.

I plan for emergencies, not for play time at the range. 

I look at one of my guns and then how many rounds I can have magazined-up to be fired when I'm being attacked. How many 1000's of rounds I have will not help during an attack if they are not already in a magazine.

If you have 1000 rounds on you when you are attacked in a parking lot, only the rounds in magazines count as a deterrent to the attack, there will not be any time to reload the magazines.

I see my ammo as what I have stored and what I have loaded and accessible in magazines. I may have 2000 rounds of 9mm stored but I also have over 100 rounds in magazines and very near the firearm.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

rnbyvuico emnrbtvyuio


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Tweto said:


> If we are going to talk about "how much ammo" to have then the question of how many magazines you have is just as important. The next question is how many guns you have that fire the same round and the same magazine.
> 
> I plan for emergencies, not for play time at the range.
> 
> ...


There is indeed a direct correlation there. This is why my officers carry 2 mags on their body (+1 in the gun), but also have an active-threat bag with 4 more handguns mags and 6 rifle mags (+1 in the gun). We also issue 3 additional mags with red base pads for range use so their duty mags are always at the ready. Supervisors carry ammo cans of extra loaded mags for both handguns and rifles in their vehicles to resupply officers if need be.

As for me, I am a Level 7 mag whore with a filing cabinet filled with loaded mags. Not including what is in safes, bags, vehicles, etc. For collectible guns and range toys I am okay with only have 4-5 mags. For serious guns I have a whole lot more. But I also have numerous extra springs, basepads and followers in my "gun part" preps. Mags wear out and if I survive long enough to get to that point I want to be able to rebuild them.


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## RedBeard (May 8, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> My Dad is a big time hunter and now retired LEO. He has a pile of hunting rifles & shotguns, several handguns and a few riot shotguns. I don't remember a time where he wasn't sitting on a pile of ammo. A few years ago I bought (assembled) an AR for him as a gift. It was a 16" middy with 6 pmags and 1,000 rounds of ammo. He loved it. A year later he suddenly had over 15 pmags and 2,000 rounds of ammo. Now that same AR-15 has a 1-6x illuminated optic, an Inforce WML light, he has over 30 pmags and sits on a minimum of 3,000 rounds of ammo. Now he is hinting that I need to build up an AR-15 for my mother. Something in a lightweight 16" A1/A2 version with a red dot. He is in his mid 70's and still preparing for disaster.


And the coolest grandpa ever award goes to...... Your dad!


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## mosquitomountainman (Jan 25, 2010)

For those who reload ammo, be sure to keep a very large supply of primers on hand. That's the most difficult component to make yourself.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Sentry18 said:


> I used to be a volunteer range officer at my local gun club. I put in at least 2 shifts a week, sometimes more. By the main counter there was a table with a garbage can. Next to that table was a series of 5 gallon pails and some small brooms for range brass. I used to set out a series of reinforced cardboard boxes on a table and I marked them "9mm", "40SW", "45ACP", "38SPL", etc. I would throw a half dozen or so loaded rounds into each box. That's all, no sign, no instructions, nothing. People would come to the range and shoot like 45 rounds out of a 50 round box of 9mm. When they went to throw away the box they would toss those last 5 rounds into the cardbox box. There were busy days where I would harvest 200+ rounds of mixed leftover ammo. I had to inspect each and every round for primer dents, bullet set back, bad cases, proper caliber, etc., etc. but then they would go into 1/2 gallon zip lock bags marked "mixed range ammo". I kept most of it but the .40 which I would trade off 2:1 for 9mm. It was not unusual to collect 6-7 bags of ammo in most major calibers a year. To this day I still have well over a dozen bags of mixed range ammo in the man cave.
> 
> My point is that one can build up an ammo supply without spending a ton of money. Although ammo was much cheaper back then. No serious shooter or reloader every tossed in those extra 1-10 rounds, but a whole lot of casual shooters and weekend operators did.
> 
> I also once traded a guy 2 days of labor clearing out an old houses where the occupant had passed away, including some lawn work and tree removal, in exchange for a few old guns and all the ammo the old fellow had left behind. I cleaned up and traded the guns for ammo I could use and did the same with the ammo. I still have a few boxes of unusual ammo I got from that deal. I remember calculating out my per hour value and I came out way ahead.


People are actually stupid enough to throw away ammo?? Who doesn't finish the whole box???


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

terri9630 said:


> People are actually stupid enough to throw away ammo?? Who doesn't finish the whole box???


I got the idea because some many were tossing boxes in the trash with a few rounds left in them. When 17 rounds magazine became the thing they did not round up to a perfect 45 or 50 creating this issue with a certain type of weekend shooter. These are the same people who buy a Taurus, shoot two mags through it and then write internet reviews about what a high quality reliable gun it is. Also the same people who would buy a box of 9mm makarov or 9mm kurtz and could not figure out why they did not work right in their 9mm parabellum.

They are why we had range officers in the first place.


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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

camo2460 said:


> Unfortunately my Money Tree died...


That's why I turned to reloading. Boring to add bullet, pull lever, add bullet, pull lever, add bullet, pull lever, add bullet, pull lever add primers, brass and powder, add bullet, pull lever...BUT I can reload 3 to 5 times cheaper then factory ammo so the end result is 3 to 5 times more ammo on hand.

Sometimes the cost savings are greater because the son or I scavenged unwanted brass at gun ranges.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

uytresxcv bnm


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## bugoutbob (Nov 11, 2012)

How much ammo? Way more than I have. Way more than I can afford. Way more than I can safely store. Slowly adding a bit here and a bit there. I keep adding more than I short and incremental batches add up over time.


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

I'm in awe of this thread and the posters here. Why? Because I have catching up to do, because you are so organized and because I have catching up to do. LOL

Great thread.

I agree too, 1000 rounds is a good starting up point, I need to diversify more though. I stick to what I have, when I should grab others when I find a deal.


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## cqp33 (Apr 2, 2012)

I have several AR mags, 10 mags for each pistol and my cabine. I also keep a tac vest loaded out with 6 AR mags and 4 pistol mags. Also keep a tac light, kinfe (kabar) and a few other handy items in the vest. I also rotate the P-mags out every few months so the springs get to relax a bit.

As for ammo I don't have that in the photo but I am making purchases as i find a good deal or feel the need to allocate funds to ammo instead of other things.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Those of you who have an AR15, 
1 what's yours chambered in? 
2 If you have the 223 what's it really good for? I just find it a really small caliber.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Flight1630 said:


> Those of you who have an AR15,
> 1 what's yours chambered in?
> 2 If you have the 223 what's it really good for? I just find it a really small caliber.


Most of my AR-15's are chambered in .223 Wylde versus a straight .223 or 5.56mm chambering. The reason I tend to go "Wylde" is because the chamber is slightly modified so it is sufficient to handle the hotter 5.56mm load without worrying about chamber pressure while providing the improved accuracy that's common in most .223 rifles. It's a best of both worlds sort of thing and means I can shoot either caliber in my AR-15's without concern. The same reason I usually build them with a 1:8 twist, which provides the best all around twist rate for a variety of bullet weights.

The .223/5.56mm is not that greatest caliber in the world but I have used it to take down deer, fox, coyote, etc. And it more than sufficient for eliminating enemy combatants and bad guys of the two legged variety. Like 9mm you sacrifice a little potency for weight and capacity, but you still have enough potency to get the job done if the guy behind the firearm does his job.


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## Flight1630 (Jan 4, 2017)

Sentry18 said:


> Most of my AR-15's are chambered in .223 Wylde versus a straight .223 or 5.56mm chambering. The reason I tend to go "Wylde" is because the chamber is slightly modified so it is sufficient to handle the hotter 5.56mm load without worrying about chamber pressure while providing the improved accuracy that's common in most .223 rifles. It's a best of both worlds sort of thing and means I can shoot either caliber in my AR-15's without concern. The same reason I usually build them with a 1:8 twist, which provides the best all around twist rate for a variety of bullet weights.
> 
> The .223/5.56mm is not that greatest caliber in the world but I have used it to take down deer, fox, coyote, etc. And it more than sufficient for eliminating enemy combatants and bad guys of the two legged variety. Like 9mm you sacrifice a little potency for weight and capacity, but you still have enough potency to get the job done if the guy behind the firearm does his job.


Ok thanks Sentry. Up here in Canada the RCMP ( Roral Canadian Mounted Police) (federal police) consider the Ar15 a restricted gun (something to do with trigger mechanism) idk. So in order to get it you have to take the restricted class for guns. Yep it sucks but if I want to get one that's what I have to do.


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