How much is too much ?

[hntnnut]

With all the talk of stocking up /hoarding .22 ammo, I was woundering at what point does one become a hoarder. Is it 500 or 500,000 or somewhere in between? I can't seem to stop buying the stuff, I can't help myself I'd like to know if I should consider myself a hoarder or just well prepared. What say you?

Richard

[danfinger]

(A) Amount of ammo you realistically use per year.
(B) Number of years you expect to live.

A x B = Amount you 'need'.

Hoarders have more than they need.

[Garv]

(A) Amount of ammo you realistically use per year.
(B) Number of years you expect to live.

A x B = Amount you 'need'.

Hoarders have more than they need.

I like how you do math.

I have to stock up on a few more higher caliber things before Ammogeddon.

[sovereign2b]

(A) Amount of ammo you realistically use per year.
(B) Number of years you expect to live.

A x B = Amount you 'need'.

Hoarders have more than they need.

Good answer. From some of the rimfire ammo threads, it would seem that a lot of folks have more than they will ever shoot - or trade in a SHTF scenario, which is one reason that some people hoard.

[John Joseph]

First talk about ammo that's accurate and reliable.
If you're sitting on a pile of cr@ppy ammo just because you got it cheap--
You're hoarding.
Then consider what you plan on shooting with your .22---hunting? Training? Competition? Protection?
The difference between what is well supplied and what is hoarding should be obvious.

[JagerDog]

More than 10x your predicted lifetime use = hoarding.

[gatx105]

60,000 is 500 rounds/month x 10 years
30,000 is 500 rounds/month x 5 years or 250 rounds/month x 10 years.

Figure out how much you really go shoot but those two are pretty good references for deciding how much you need. Sadly most can't go out shooting every single month, and the above doesn't even factor in touching any of your other guns.

[TKM]

60,000 is 500 rounds/month x 10 years
30,000 is 500 rounds/month x 5 years or 250 rounds/month x 10 years.

Figure out how much you really go shoot but those two are pretty good references for deciding how much you need. Sadly most can't go out shooting every single month, and the above doesn't even factor in touching any of your other guns.

You can get about 6K in a 50 can. 10 ammo cans full makes a reassuring stack or coffee table.

[gatx105]

The biggest problem with hoarding a bunch of .22 is weight. All of those bricks add up fast, 6k .22 gets close to 40-50 pounds depending on the storage container.

[Junkie]

For a while I was putting 500 through my MkIII more weekends than not (ammo was easy to find at the time). Even if I call it 1000/mo, 12k/y, having 50k wouldn't be excessive (and I don't have that much).

[WMG]

I have been told that truly crazy people never think they might be crazy.
I suspect true hoarders may think along those same lines.
However I think it depends.
When talking to a guy who you have more ammo than , to him you're a hoarder ... in your mind you just have some ammo and even though it's a lot .... you may need more

[RawHP]

This thread is funny. Nobody was labeled a hoarder for buying ammo when it was plentiful and cheap. Just like saving money, I know a people that would just steadily buy a brick a month and keep what they don't shoot. I have a friend that would never go into a gun store (when they still had gun stores) without walking out with at least a 50 round box. Simple dollar cost averaging. And over 20 or 30 years, you manage to accumulate a nice pile of ammo. And just like money, I call those people smart, not hoarders. I've got a small pile of $7 a brick ammo, $12 a brick ammo, $15 a brick ammo....., and now sadly $60 a brick ammo. Looking back, I wish I would have bought more of the $7 a brick stuff.

You can get about 6K in a 50 can. 10 ammo cans full makes a reassuring stack or coffee table.

Or 26 sleeves of MiniMags, but if you know of a configuration that gets more inside, PM me.

The biggest problem with hoarding a bunch of .22 is weight. All of those bricks add up fast, 6k .22 gets close to 40-50 pounds depending on the storage container.

Simple rule, more that the floor joists will hold is too much. A steel cabinet distributes the weight more evenly.

For a while I was putting 500 through my MkIII more weekends than not (ammo was easy to find at the time). Even if I call it 1000/mo, 12k/y, having 50k wouldn't be excessive (and I don't have that much).

Can't dispute the math, but what about the wife and kids, or if you bring a friend or two along?

Bottom line is, I'm never going to let someone like Jerry Brown make me feel like I need to conserve my ammo rather than just have fun shooting. And when I retire and am on a fixed income, I don't want to have to make choices between food and going to the range because ammo has become triple what it is today. PM me in 10 years and we'll go shooting, my treat.

Edit: I ran an online historic interest calculator to see what would have happened if I would have put $7 in an interest bearing savings account (short term interest rate) in 1995, and withdrew it in 2015: $11.68. I'm glad I bought the ammo.

[HD4Jim]

When they feature you on the Hoarders TV show, you may have too much. I like to keep a good supply handy. If its on sale, I'm buying it.

[Teachu2]

I have three sons and 4 grandkids. We can burn a lot of .22 in an afternoon....

[gringo m]

Kinda like a car too fast or a girl too pretty......