Question for those stocking up on ammo.

[naz]

Someone with 34 posts wants to know how much ammo each of us keeps?. That?s not SUS at all?.

I don?t stock pile ammo, officer. Orange slices are enough to keep me safe

[LBDamned]

Someone with 34 posts wants to know how much ammo each of us keeps?. That?s not SUS at all?.

I don?t stock pile ammo, officer. Orange slices are enough to keep me safe

And he never posted in his own thread again... no response to any of the replies... hmmm...

Well, let's see if he/she responds to his/her own question...

Those stocking up on ammo now, how much do you feel comfortable with for each caliber?
Many have been buying and stocking up in the last couple of days.
For instance 1000 rounds - 5 thousand -10,000 for each caliber?
I understand it depends on how much you shoot. I'm just curious of the "norm".

How many do 'you' keep on hand? Did you 'stock up' ?...

[Capybara]

Owning any amount of ammunition isn't illegal. Yet.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

...Bottom line, everyone has their own individual ammo strategy. With the cost of factory ammo these days, you have to be wealthy to own a LOT of ammo, whereas ten years ago, we could still buy and find relatively cheap ammo. Those days are gone forever.

^^^ This.

It's not about what you feel 'comfortable' with. It's about what you can afford set against what you prioritize.

Do you mostly or exclusively 'plink?' That means, on balance, you're likely to have more rimfire than anything else. Can rimfire be used for self-defense? Sure. But, what if you prioritize self-defense over plinking? That means you're more likely to have centerfire ammunition as it is more effective or 'forgiving' when it comes down to it. What if you prioritize hunting over either self-defense or plinking? What type of hunting? How much hunting do you engage in? Where do you pursue it?

All of those questions will dictate a level of normality in the context of ammunition. This is the troubling part in terms of the cost and availability of ammo. Each type of activity engenders a certain level of ammunition in relation to the level of performance by the individual. Likewise, what level of performance is desired by the individual will engender a certain necessary supply of ammo.

It's why many take up reloading in that, primarily, the overall cost, over time, works out to be lower and the ammunition conforms to an individual's perception of an acceptable level of performance. Unfortunately, that has always been subject to the manufacturers' being driven by where the profitability lies. That means that components can be difficult and/or expensive to obtain. (For example, look at what's happened to the price on primers.)

Reloading is often perceived as taking up less space than storing factory offerings. I've never been convinced that is completely true. The same with the overall cost being 'lower.' In one sense, over time, the per round cost is reduced; but, you initially spend more and if you 'experiment,' it means more still.

So, again, it's not so much about 'comfort level.' It's about what you feel you can afford to dedicate in terms of resources (i.e., money, time, space, effort, etc.) and what other priorities one has (e.g., living accommodations, familial responsibilities, financial commitments, etc.). Such prioritization fluctuates and changes over time and for a variety of reasons. Just like when I used to shoot competition, the amount and type of components/factory ammunition was decidedly different than it is now. Why? Because, my priorities are different. Thus, the 'norm' changes.

As Capybara and many others have alluded to, when you could 'buy cheap, stack deep' in an objective sense, more options were available. Now, 'cheap' and 'deep' are subjectively relative and the options are more limited. Thus, the 'norm' changes.

Do I always try to keep 50 rounds of pistol ammo and 200 rounds of rifle ammo available to 'go' at a moment's notice? Yes. But, that too depends on the intended use and what I'm 'going' to. In fact, given the changes which have occurred to my physical abilities over the last few years, even that 'norm' is being re-evaluated.

[LBDamned]

When ammo becomes cost prohibitive, whiners will tell everyone how much easier they had it (housing cost thread reference).

Put down the latte and buy yourself some ammo. < unless the latte is more important, then don't whine.

When ammo was cheap, wages were lower... all things are relative.

"But, but, but ammo went up xxx% wages didn't" ...

STFU and buy what you need.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

When ammo becomes cost prohibitive, whiners will tell everyone how much easier they had it (housing cost thread reference).

Put down the latte and buy yourself some ammo. < unless the latte is more important, then don't whine.

When ammo was cheap, wages were lower... all things are relative.

"But, but, but ammo went up xxx% wages didn't" ...

STFU and buy what you need.

My 'wages' didn't go up with inflation. I retired and my income went down.

Not 'everyone' is made of money or drinks lattes or chooses to spend their money solely on firearms.

Life is structured around priorities and priorities are structured around the availability of those resources (such as money) to subsidize them.

Likewise, not everything is 'relative' in terms of not only the cost of something, but the priorities at this or that stage of Life.

If you can STFU and buy all the ammo you want, congratulations. Enjoy.

On the other hand, given what we know and/or suspect regarding some of what has played into the price increases and the frustrations many are experiencing even acquiring factory ammo or components, it's not necessarily 'whining' to utter a few gripes.

[LBDamned]

STFU and buy what you need.

If you can STFU and buy all the ammo you want, congratulations. Enjoy.

In your attempt to be clever, you inadvertently made my point for me...

Some people can't differentiate 'need' from 'want'...

If you interpret 'buy what you need' as 'I want ammo' - then you are what I'm referring to. Congratulations. Enjoy.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

In your attempt to be clever, you inadvertently made my point for me...

Some people can't differentiate 'need' from 'want'...

If you interpret 'buy what you need' as 'I want ammo' - then you are what I'm referring to. Congratulations. Enjoy.

Nope.

Need and want are two different things.

However, there is often a blurry line between need and want.

A want can be so strong (so highly prioritized), it becomes akin to a need and a need can be so weak (or low priority) that it is little more than a want.

The differentiation you're referring to is in how one prioritizes. Unfortunately, how someone sets priorities is based on the resources available and, too often, there are not enough resources to cover the needs, let alone the wants. But, if an individual gets to thinking a want can help fulfill a need...

The bottom line is that it's nice to live in a black & white world. Unfortunately, reality is often made up of varying shades of gray, sometimes to a point where what is perceived as 'white' is really 'off white' and what is seen as black is actually a darker shade of gray.

You see, it wasn't about me trying to be 'clever.' When you said to buy what you need, bear in mind that, in a black & white world, one doesn't need much, if any ammo. How many gun owners have ever actually needed ammo for use on something so as to actually survive vs. wanting ammo so that they could survive if...? In fact, the same question could be asked about firearms. How many gun owners have ever actually needed a firearm to survive vs. having a firearm so that they could survive if...?

That "if" is what blurs the line between need and want.

Just like practicing. The more you practice, the better your chances of hitting what you aim at. Is 'better' indicative of a want or a need? You mean there are no absolutes and 'better' is the 'best' you can hope for? What was that about shades of gray?

[LBDamned]

^^^^ I rarely know what you're trying to say, because all your posts are novels.

The fact that you are retired explains a lot. Too much time on your hands.

[2761377]

That's quite a conundrum.

How can one be both retired and "trapped" in California?

[LBDamned]

That's quite a conundrum.

How can one be both retired and "trapped" in California?

Some just make excuses...

Or pretend to be under uncontrollable circumstances, so they can complain about things and pretend they have no option.

Not saying that applies to him (that's why I said 'some')... but who knows, maybe it does.

[TrappedinCalifornia]

That's quite a conundrum.

How can one be both retired and "trapped" in California?

Some just make excuses...

Or pretend to be under uncontrollable circumstances, so they can complain about things and pretend they have no option.

Not saying that applies to him (that's why I said 'some')... but who knows, maybe it does.

Or, perhaps, the retirement was recent and there are still factors which keep me here which cannot, as of the moment, be cut loose just yet that I don't need to share on a public board as they are... personal.

Of course, there are also the physical limitations I still have recovering from the 'brain bleed' I did post about and the doctors which I don't want to have to find anew somewhere else, for now.

Excuses? It all depends on how one defines 'excuse' vs. 'responsibility' and 'reasonable.'

[naz]

I saw some posts saying 1000rd is a lot of ammo

It?s a good reminder of how little some people shoot. Hope they are doing a ton of dry fire to keep up their skills

[LBDamned]

I saw some posts saying 1000rd is a lot of ammo

It?s a good reminder of how little some people shoot. Hope they are doing a ton of dry fire to keep up their skills

I've seen media refer to a handful of guns and a few boxes of ammo as 'arsenal'.

Perception varies widely between different people.

Of course with media, sensationalism trumps reality always.

[NapalmCheese]

If you don't have 10k/cartridge/gun are you even a shooter?