How much ammo and supplies should a person have?

PaulS

Well the memory of the three to four year ammo shortage is all but gone here in the states and I am wondering what the consensus, if there is one, is regarding the amount of ammo or reloading components one should stock.

I have always thought that a three year supply, based on personal usage, was a good rule of thumb but lately I have been questioning that.

So help me out and share your own views if you will.

Gil Martin

It depends what you prefer. I reload and keep enough components to see me through a long dry spell the actual period varies, but I suspect it is several years. Regarding ammo, I shop the sales for .22 l.r. because it is cheap and not reloadable. I got through the last ammo and component shortage without a hiccup. So it depends. All the best...
Gil

Vince

I’m a bit like Gil in that my holdings vary. The one round I do keep plenty of is, again like Gil, .22 rimfire...I have maybe 5000 rounds. There are two reasons for this...possible shortages down the track and also the cost. I can’t say I’ve ever seen a product drop it’s price significantly except when on sale, and that is only short term.

Centrefire ammo, I try to keep all my cases loaded...about 400 - 500 each of .223 .243 and slightly less 30.30 Win. Shotgun, I have around 200 .410, maybe 100 x 20g and 12g maybe 500 factory...HIGHGUN www.theshotgunshop.com...ammunition , very good 12g ammo that a mate designed and has assembled in Spain and imports to Australia.

In Australia, well Queensland, ammunition doesn’t come under the Police Firearms Licencing system...it comes under the Department of Mines because it is considered an explosive. We have a few very officious and “one eyed” Inspectors who view ammunition in the same manner and class as a high explosive, say TNT or gelignite. There was talk a little while ago that there was no requirement for anybody to hold more than a 12 month supply, and you would have to prove how much you needed or wanted. Luckily idea this seems to be all too hard and to have died a natural death.

pete4d

" Luckily idea this seems to be all too hard and to have died a natural death."

Vince , looks like you and all the good guys lucked out on that . They're trying their best over here across the pond too take all our toys. Cheers

I take spells on my shooting ,, so I try and keep more than just a few boxes on hand ,of the loaded (store bought) and the reloading supplies . Wink

Censored on what I really have . Only about 40-lbs of lead for my casting , so I'm running short on that . When ya only get 12-16 45-caliber bullets out of a pound it doesn't last very long. Scratch

Elvis

about 300rounds shotgun...100 of .223 50ish of other centrefires with components to make another couple of hundy
.22lr normally only 50-100 rounds....it just doesnt see the usage it once did.

RePete

That would depend on your laws.

We are only allowed 20lbs of powder in the residence. Loaded ammo not included.

Loaded ammo is a reasonable amount. 100 rds may be reasonable for you and a 100000 may be reasonable for me. I'n not finished but I'm sitting on about 25000 rds of reloaded and factory. And I don't know what I have in shotgun, but I have about 300 slugs in 12ga.

At the moment I have about 8000 primers, need more bullets and I'm not too bad for powder.

Bushmaster

Amount of loaded ammunition on hand---Nunya
amount of factory ammunition on hand---Nunya
amount of reloading components on hand [including prepped cases]---Nunya

But it's more then two or three rounds.

gelandangan

Two words:

NEVER ENOUGH

Very Happy

Pumpkinslinger

I'm kinda with Bushy and Gelan...

PaulS

I understand, and expected, the "nunya" answers. Smile

I shoot a lot of 22 LR because I shoot smallbore silhouette. It takes between 40 and 120 rounds for a match and I shoot around 150 each month for live fire practice. I too buy when the ammo is on sale and in bulk. I have a bit over 5000 rounds and will need to buy more soon.
The rest of my ammo is based on how much I shoot. New guns get shot more so I get comfortable with them. I go through 100 +/- 9mm each month, about 60 rounds of 223, 25 in 357 Mag, 20+/- in 257 with the rest getting used just to stay familiar with the gun around 10 rounds a month.
I need to keep more powder, primers and bullets on hand because one powder only gives me 1200 rounds from an 8 pound container, 2800 for another in 8 pounds, 2250 from another, and 13000 from 8 pounds of pistol powder. I keep my powder in a fire resistant magazine but I think I am going to have to build another magazine to hold another 48 pounds of powder just for a two year supply.

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

I have enough I'm now buying ammo thinking future presents to grandkids that don't exist yet. Smile

-DallanC

PaulS

I already have great grand kids and they might get my reloading gear but my son has made it clear that he is getting all my guns.
I told him he has to out live me to get them and he will likely have to put new barrels on them because I plan to shoot them until they melt.
I'm trying to teach him there is no such thing as a free lunch.:)

English Mike

I have my limit here in the UK, which is 250 rounds each of 22-250, .243 & .270 & 1,000 of .22lr.
Just to show how stupid the law is, I also have enough components to produce rather more than that.

On the west side of the Pond I've rather more, like 2,700 .38spl when I left to come home in November & 400 .45LC, 2,300 .45ACP, 2,000 5.56x45, 4,000 7.62x51...
All my own handloads & done on an RCBS Junior. Very Happy

Can't remember the last time I bought commercial centrefire ammunition but it might well have been 6,000 rounds of surplus Portuguese 7.62x51 back in 2009 - all long gone as smoke offerings to the spirit Hoplos. Wink

PaulS

If I didn't practice and only shot the summer matches of 22 silhouette I would need to buy more before the summer was over. Do they let you buy more to keep the 1000 round limit?
I admit that I have over ten times as much here. Wink

English Mike

PaulS wrote:

If I didn't practice and only shot the summer matches of 22 silhouette I would need to buy more before the summer was over. Do they let you buy more to keep the 1000 round limit?
I admit that I have over ten times as much here. Wink

I buy more .22rf as soon as I'm down a couple of hundred from the limit, as we've had "dry" periods here, where my favoured type has been unavailable for a couple of months (UK produced Eley subsonic; accurate, consistent & reliable).