Forgive me if this topic has already been beaten to death. I did a search and didn't find anything.

Earlier today I walked into my local gun dealer searching for a mag pouch for my HK USP45. I walked out instead with four 500rd cases of Lake City M193, four more Thermold 30rd mags, and five surplus 7.62 ammo cans to hold it all. It was a great deal and I couldn't pass it up.

This got me to thinking, how much ammo should someone have onhand to feed two HBARs if things ever got ugly in the world? Todays purchase will bring my total to about 4000rds (although 1000 of that is Wolf FMJ that I bought before I knew better).

Am I being paranoid, or not paranoid enough?

Also, any tips on how to tell the wife I just dropped $400 instead of the $25 that I was planning to?

Thanks in advance

In a SHTF scenario, ammo will be the currency of the world.
So, how much money is enough?

Keep buying. When you have enough, send the rest to me. Then buy some more.

"Also, any tips on how to tell the wife I just dropped $400 instead of the $25 that I was planning to?"

Don't offer up anything! Just put the stuff away and don't mention it. If she asks about the stuff, quote what wifes all over the country tell their husbands.
"Honey, think of how much money I saved us!!

[argue]

there is never enough ammo!! PERIOD.

There is no such thing as too much ammo.  I used to shoot a few hundred rounds each of various calibers at a routine range outing.  I started to buy ammo in 10,000 round lots (shipping to Alaska just kills us up here so we order in bulk then part it out).  Now I end up shooting CASES of ammo at a routine shoot.  I always bring at least a case or half a case of each caliber I will shoot to the range.  I actually load up to 20-40 magazines for each gun, dump them at the range, then go home (don't waste time loading mags).  I'm kind of strapped for cash these days, but still don't have time to reload, so I am glad I horded tons of ammo.  Next investment?  Probably a Dillon 1150, a lot of components, and some vacation time to start reloading by the case. [;)]

Yes, this is an excessive amount to shoot but if it helps you understand why, I'll just say this - don't buy any machineguns, especially belt feds, otherwise the ammo bills will put you in the poor house.  I am shooting more black powder these days just to slow me down.
[50]

If you don't want that Wolf ammo, I will gladly take it off your hands. [:D]

OK, to go one step further, how many mags does everyone have?  I am woefully low on the 30 rd mags.  Planning on a substantial purchase soon, but how many?  I know, I know, you can never have enough.  Just wondering.

Thanks
Doc

How much can you transport?

I now have 18 Thermold 30 rounders, a couple of nice steel 30 rounders, and about 24 Colt 20 rounders. I also have a couple of crappy 30 rounders that I don't use.

Heh [:)] Well, if ammo becomes currency I could probably use the Wolf as my "barter" ammo if the SHTF and keep the Lake City for myself. Besides, my dumbass neighbor would probably need some and be willing to pay $15.00/box for it.

You guys have almost got me convinced to go back tomorrow and buy the two cases he has left. I knew that registering on this board would be expensive [;)]

Well....

Are you a rifleman, or a bullet sprayer?

Think about it. IF you dump mags left and right at possible targets, 1000 rnds will go quick.

If you make every shot count, you can take out the majority of a small city with your rifle.

[B]Are you a rifleman, or a bullet sprayer?[/B]

That line of reasoning doesn't cut it.  Does that mean you would go into battle with 10 rounds in your magazine because you only needed to kill ten men?  Of course not, ammo is cheap until you don't have any.  

A CQB scenario could easily eat up a supply of ammo, so could suppresive fire rescuing a wounded team mate.  

The truth is that you will never have enough ammo.  If you get out and shoot very often, and especially if you have a decent range, it will be all you can do to try and stay ahead of the power curve.

The question is clearly " how much ammo is enough if SHTF"

How much is enough? as in minimum? one well placed round per BG is typically more than enough.

How much shoudl you have? Well, unless you hit 100% of your shots, always have extra. That's kind of a given.

Also, when you go off to war/deployments/etc, you don't know how many tango's you'll engage. Plan ahead. However, there is no reason why you should be empying mags without hitting shit.

Every shot shoudl count. IF you don't have a good target, or you don't have a good shot, DON'T SHOOT.

Marksmnaship in the military has gone down the shitcan in the past decades.
Back when you had a bolt action, or a garand, you made your shots count.

With the advent of the M16, it became popular in Vietnam to dump mags. don't even aim at charlie, jsut point in the general direction and empty the mag.

3 shot burts seems to have helped a bit however.

If the stastistics were avaialable, i would be willing to bet: Take every round fired in WWII, and every round fired in Desert storm, or our "second Gulf War". WWII will have more hits per rounds fired.



Bottom line, you can never have enough. But don't allow the abundance of ammo to let yourself get sloppy.

Well, I can burn through 500-600 rounds easy in a day at the range. I don't intend to use this M193 though aside from a couple of boxes to make sure it feeds and fires properly. All four cases have already been placed into the ammo cans with a few silica packets thrown in for good measure. I'm going to put them in the ammo locker and forget about them. I generally load my own for the range anyway, todays purchase was purely for my own piece of mind.

I'm not a "sprayer", but on the other hand I've never shot at anything besides paper before. The only thing that sucks for me in a SHTF scenario is that every relative in my extended family will probably show up at the door looking for a handout. Back in late 1999 the standard family line was "if anything bad happens I'm coming to [b]your[/b] house...". I'm not the freakin Red Cross, but that's how my family sees me.

In that case, be prepared. Make them earn their keep. Take them out shooting now. Make thme get good with a rifle. 300 rounds of ammo and one rifle isn't bad, but it's much better to have 10 rifles with 30 rnds each. you never really can have enough ammo. IT doesn't really go bad liek food...

Ditto...
There may be times when as [b]Stickman[/b] said you don't have a choice and you may have to shoot as fast as you can...

But, when I go to the range I practice [b]Marksmanship[/b] [i][blue](you fight how you practice)[/blue][/i] it's the old aim small miss small rule...

Look at it this way, your ammo will last longer if you make more rounds count than not...
In a SHTF world, I'd want my ammo to last as long as I possibly can.  If the other guy runs out quickly, then he who has the last round wins... [naughty]

[sniper2]

Sorry to tell you guys but there is one time that having to much ammo on you can kill you.  Hopefully you will never have to swim with all straped to you.  I've humped alot of heavy loads (like 150lbs during GW1) but, once the bullets start flying there is no such thing as too much.

You also know you have alot when you have to build your own bunker/root celler/magazine just to store your ammo.

De Oppresso Liber

lol...

I found a LBV in EE form a fellow ARFCOMer. IT hols all the standard LBE goods. IT also has built int foam pads. These foam pads have been certified by the Coast Guard, and make this LBV also a legal life preserver. [;)]

lol....that ought to help hump that ammo while swimming.