A local farm and ranch store recently had Winchester/LC 5.56 ammo on sale for $7.00 a box of 20. I told a buddy about it who had mentioned to me he needed to stock up on ammo. Talked to him the next week and he bought three boxes...

Myself, I think I'm good. We've moved three times over the past 10 years and I cuss my ammo supply every time.

quote:

Originally posted by SIG228:
A local farm and ranch store recently had Winchester/LC 5.56 ammo on sale for $7.00 a box of 20. I told a buddy about it who had mentioned to me he needed to stock up on ammo. Talked to him the next week and he bought three boxes...

Myself, I think I'm good. We've moved three times over the past 10 years and I cuss my ammo supply every time.

That's $3-4 less per box than the average going rate around here. I typically see $10-12/box

I'd have stocked up a bit at that price

I'd like a few hundred more of 5.56, 9mm and 40. I began buying some here and there back before Jan. 20, 2017. After that day in history, I slowed down purchasing it. My mistake....

ETA: was checking on magazines over the weekend and was shocked that I had only three for my G19.
Have eight for my G42, etc. Job#1 tomorrow is to hit the LGS for at least four more G19 mags.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rat2306,

Dumb question I know... But I am going to ask it.

I have better than 10,000 rounds of various types of 5.56, 9mm, and .22. <-- Much better

I have a couple of 1,000 rounds of 308, 30.06, 7.62 X 39, 300 BO and shot gun shells.

All kept in a climate controlled home.

I keep telling myself I have enough. It is just me and the wife. No kids. A couple of friends that I would rely on for mutual defense that do not have weapons or ammo (I would have to supply).

Am I blinded by my pile so much so that I think I am safe. Would you fellas buy more if you had/have the same quantities?

Minimums I would want to have (and I dont have these quantities myself) are:

- 556 5000 rds
- 9mm 2000 rds
- 308 2000 rds
- 22 1000 rds
- 12 ga slug 500 rds
- 12 ga 00 500 rds

This doesn’t account for range time and zeroing optics. Add another 20% per year.

Bare minimum. Double this is much better.

It seems to me that the primary reason to have a large supply of the ammunition one uses isn’t because it would be necessary to have to survive extended firefights. I won’t debate about how likely that is, but if that’s one’s concern, I would concentrate on the two, possibly three, cartridges that would actually be useful in such a situation. Then I’d have at least two guns chambered for each cartridge. Then the spare parts for the weapons, and finally, the skills, knowledge, and tools to work on those weapons oneself.

All that said, though, my concern isn’t being in an extended fight for my life, but rather interference with the ammunition supply line and therefore leaving me with a safe full of guns that I could no longer shoot as I wished (or at all). There are many reasons that could happen and I’m actually surprised that restrictions like California’s aren’t much more common. And what if it’s not just restrictions but, “Nope, no more,” period? As unlikely as that may seem, it’s far more probable than being forced to defend one’s homestead (or at least defending it effectively, no matter how much ammo we have).

Somewhere in all of that, did you answer the question?

The thing I have always struggled in this area is exactly what kind of ammo am I trying to have in quantity. For example, having lived through a number of shortages, I have adequate supplies of what I would call range ammo. FMJ rounds in the calibers I need so I can practice between these shortage events without sweating supply (plus a bunch more since nobody knows the length of the supply problems). But I certainly don't have adequate rounds of premium long range center fire rifle ammo for any extended periods of use, but I can never reconcile in my mind that somehow I am going to be doing lots of shooting in any emergency at 3-500y or more. But maybe I'm just being cheap and I should suck it up and get deeper supplies of the truly good stuff...

Oh, the question?
I believe I am fixed to hold off a zombie or two, but probably no more than that if they know anything about proper combat assault tactics. (I admit, though, that I am not very familiar with zombie lore, and therefore could be mistaken about either scenario.)

If the ammunition supply line is cut entirely and there is no hope of its being restored, I’ll still be able to continue my usual activities for quite some time before getting down to the “Save the last bullet for yourself” level. Because of what I learned about previous ammo shortages, during the last two or three I continued my normal expenditures without breaking into a sweat every time I looked at my personal supply. And of course when the shortages eased, I resupplied.

In summer 2016, I took your advice and stacked it deep when it was cheap. Many months of buying more every time I got a paycheck.

I got into motorcycling so in nice weather I hop on the bike instead of heading to the range. Therefore, well stocked.

I could use more 308, 30.06 and buckshot. As for feeding my ARs/AKs, pistols and 22s, I’m good. Should we hit another golden age like the Trump years, I’m sure I’ll add to the stash.

There's no such thing as "enough" of anything.

I have "enough" that I can transport all of it easily if we have to GTFO by car, too much if I have to walk.

Illinois snuck that law in restricting mags and banning AR/AK's with no warning, so I'm stuck with a minimum number of mags. I managed to pick up a G47MOS, but I don't have any standard mags for it unless the Supreme Court steps in and saves us. I'll probably get more G19 and G23 mags, not so sure about needing more for my P229 since it's so bulky to carry other than during winter-coat time. Too bad, I've got a fair amount of Speer Gold Dot 357 SIG.

I've been checking out relocating to either South Dakota (I'm on the jobs list that the governor set up a couple months ago) or Texas, which would be my preference at this point.

The last few months, since I finally made some progress getting my health back, I've spent about $500 per month more than I make, all on guns and ammo. This has to end shortly.

I have enough that I'd likely get overrun, shot, or blown up before I had to worry about running out of ammo in a defensive situation. If we had to leave our home quickly, I'd have to leave a bunch of stuff behind.

The problem I have is accumulating enough for recreation and practice long-term. I like to shoot regularly, and things got pretty thin when menufacturers stopped filling the shelves for a couple of years. I can only afford so much, and storage space is also an issue.

I don't. But I have been working on it.

This falls into the "get it while its quiet" theme.
I am pretty good on mags, i try to buy 1 or 2 each time I am at a gun store even if I am just looking.
I am close on a few pistol calibers but my main needs are 9mm, 5.56, and 12ga.

I am thinking about adding another basic AR, a P320F in .357sig, and looking at the Mossberg 940.
I haven’t given much thoughts to spare parts, i will have to add that to the list.

Good here, but always looking to get better. And that's all I have to say about that.

My M1 Garand is well supplied; I'm old school (I could be better in 5.56). However, this is one reason I have handguns in 9mm, 40 S&W, and 45 ACP, you never know what may be available. In addition, having guns of the same design and model but in different calibers is an important consideration IMO.

I'm pretty good on magazines and clips as well.

Edited to add: During the last shortage, I could still find BP products fairly easily. As such, I made a significant effort to increase my 777, caps, balls, etc. for my Hawken rifle. My theory was they are fun to shoot and can help keep your skills sharp while preserving modern ammo. I have a BP pistol for the same reason.

I have consolidated my pistol calibers (not counting .22LR) down to :
9x19, .380, .38 Special and .357 Magnum.

Still nowhere near where I wish to be in quantity. But only having 4 does simplify my purchasing and component searches. I cast, I handload, my practice ammo is 90% stuff I load.

I can never seem to get enough primers and casting alloy.Lyman #2 especially is hard for me to hold on to. Powder is not bad and my use of Winchester powders for 75% of my hand loading sure helps as they are locally available and cheaper than competing brands.

My factory ammo target ammo is purchased in a parsimonious manner but seems to last a very long time. My social factory ammo is slowly accumulating. I need to ramp that up a bit.

I need more rifle and shotgun ammo too but I won’t get into specifics.

I will add to my earlier.

I also have some for those that do not think as we do but who are capable and who's eyes will be wide open on "a day of".

On that day, a will take any "ex-atheist in my foxhole.

All this is great. Most of us are fine.

Skill sets matter. Shooting, medical…. Adding people with skills to your list so you can have a few guys and women to share the burden and add more guns in the fight.

Adequate, I think…

Note my tag below!