Stocking ammo - how much until you feel prepared?

[Cali-Shooter]

Um, trying to have enough ammo for your guns is a vicious cycle...
Just when you think you have enough (IF you do), you go on a range trip or shooting trip with your buddies and you burn thru 200-300+ rounds. Then you have to buy 500 rounds to replace what you shot. Rinse and repeat. After all this, your stash has grown exponentially, and it's STILL not enough!
The only true "fix" I can think of, is to get a reloading press + extras, and then maybe, just maybe, you might think you have enough ammo, when you run out of ammo cans, cardboard boxes, tupperware containers, and ziplock bags to hold your mass production babies, AND you trip over a pile of reloads on your way to answer the door, which you have trouble opening due to the bags of pistol ammo stacked beside it as a makeshift doorstop...

[bsg]

about twice a month i pick up a box or two of ammo for hoarding purposes; slow process, but over time the pile grows.... i keep at least 8 magazines for each semi auto i own.

[Rob454]

That would be my response.

I would like to have at least 2,000 rounds of ammo per gun. Any extra you would have would be able to be used as currency if needed. It also depends on how you plan on weathering whatever storm your storing for. If you are stockading yourself in a home; you would be able to have more ammo with you. If your moving much over 2k per would take up a lot of space in a vehicle or trying to carry all of that ammo would be rough.

Happy Shooting,
LuckyGunner

Loose ammo in a ammo can fits a lot more than prepackaged ammo. I personally feel that 1000-1500 rounds for your guns is adequate. Unless you are a pack mule there is no way you can carry that much on foot. The most you are gonna be able to carry is maybe 800 rounds total. ( say you have a rifle pistol and a shotgun. If you are gonna get in a prolonged fire fight from inside your house with a few peopel be prepared to have your house turned to swiss cheese in a matter of minutes. Your house woudl be the worse thing to try and take cover in. Stucco and drywall will not withstand any rifle caliber with the exception of a small caliber like a 22.
Unless your house is completely fortified there are way too many easy entry spots. Hell All I gotta find is a bulldozer throw some 2 inch plate steel on the cab and go house wrecking. Unless you are Rambo you will not be able to stop a few determined people from getting in. And if those guys have any military CQB style training forget it. If you are gonna get in a 10 000 round fire fight i doubt you will win it. Besides the chances of being attacked by a single person is nil. Most likely you will be attacked by more than 1 person.

[tools2teach]

If you had to leave your home if SHTF...the question is how much ammo would you bring with you keeping in mind the survival gear and the weight of the ammo? You could have all the ammo in the world, but if your not holding fort then what is the purpose?

[SG_Niner]

Not enough is my call on this, everyone is talking about shtf stuff and bugging out.
I am out in the sticks have a 15k gal water supply, 10k generator and 500gal fuel tank and have plenty of game to survive around here. The extra ammo is worth more in trade and value in a situation that would make you bug out than cash.As I see it Ca wants ammo to go the way of the dodo bird and I do not see me myself getting by on 50 rounds a month and I hit the range a lot! So to answer your question I buy ammo when ever I see a deal regardless of how many rounds I already have.

[damndave]

1500-2000 in each caliber except for shotgun. When I get down to 1000 i buy more.

Each weapon has 5-6 magazines each.

[sephy]

I'll just say that I have more than I can carry by myself.

[CaliforniaLiberal]

There's lots of reasons to have a large store of ammo.

Some to use today, some to hold off the platoon of jackbooted thugs coming for your guns tomorrow, some to trade for food after the cities fall.

Maybe there will come a time when ammo is no longer sold in stores even if civilization still thrives. How much will it be worth then?

Perhaps it will double in price before the next Presidential election.

Pass on whatever's left over to your kids, it won't go stale.

If nothing else it's fun to stack up and count.

[BillCA]

I guess it's relative to your living situation, where you live and what kind of catastrophe you think you'll have to deal with.

For "normal" situations -- i.e. defense against typical criminals/crime, having at least 100 rounds for each gun should be sufficient.

For those who believe they have something of value that multiple theives working together might try to take in a violent encounter, 200-300 per gun might be enough, depending on your preparedness for the event.

If you live in an area that sometimes has to evacuate quickly due to fire, flood, muslides, etc., then having tons of ammo may result in a financial loss because you can't move it all in 10-15 minutes.

Planning for TEOTWAWKI (aka the Zombie invasion) might mean stocking up on several thousand rounds of 5.56 and 7.62 ammo, plus a few hundred for any other arns. In this kind of event, if you stay put, the more the merrier.

Note: You know you're storing too much ammo when the USGS tracks an anomaly in Earth's magnetic field to the ammo cans in your garage.

[liberty08]

Totally varies but I'd have to say at least 20,000 rounds per weapon. Anything else would be paranoid... OK I am joking.

[Cyc Wid It]

Well according to "The Road", you only need 1 per person...

[bsg]

according to "The Road" you take off running when you have 2 rounds of ammo and the bad guys come; i'm in agreement....

[sfmiller_73]

I'd say about 1 rounds per gun should work.

When they come knocking, shoot them, and take theirs.

[Go Packers!]

There's lots of reasons to have a large store of ammo.

.....

If nothing else it's fun to stack up and count.

True!

[GMG]

I guess when the garage is full, will be enough!