How much ammo should I have for, say, a two week SHTF? I have just started reloading and I dont have that much money, so just buying a shitload is out. Any ideas?Edit: Guess I should have added, G22, .30-06, 12GA, .22LR, AR in 5.56.

i would try for at leat 10 magazines full for the rifle and pistol if you survive that you are doing pretty good.

.

If you are lucky, you won't need any ammo at all.  

Figure on 7 full magazines for each "go to" rifle, about 5 full mags for each primary handgun, and two boxes each of slugs and buckshot for each shotgun.

Couldn't hurt to have a 550 pack of .22s for each .22 caliber firearm you possess.

You will note that this is under 250 rounds per firearm, except the .22s.  Some folks will say you need more, some will say less.  But this is a good start point for determining your ammo needs based on your own situation and finances.  

Your Mileage May Vary

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Quoted: . If you are lucky, you won't need any ammo at all.  h Couldn't hurt to have a 550 pack of .22s for each .22 caliber firearm you possess. You will note that this is under 250 rounds per firearm, except the .22s.  Some folks will say you need more, some will say less.  But this is a good start point for determining your ammo needs based on your own situation and finances.   Your Mileage May Vary

Any one else? How about some good reloading info? I have a Lee challenger press, dies, etc.

it'd all depend on if you're spending a couple of weeks in beruit or in the woods.

We have a reloading forum for that information.  I am a beginner reloader and don't plan on posting any info here, I read the reloading forum and figure any threads on that stuff will get moved there anyway.

As far as how much ammo to have, what are your expectations?

10 20rd mags for my fal keep me comfortable when visiting friends.

If I have a shotgun I tend to have a variety of shells with me even if specifically using it for one thing like deer slugs for deer hunting.  But the number of shells is well under 100.

For a 22lr a 500 or 550 rd pack is a good starting point.

If your 30-06 is a bolt gun then it is set up that way.  If it is a bar mag fed semi auto then I would treat it like my fal above.

I personally figure on relying on one handgun and one rifle the most.

The handgun might get 100 rds of ammo and as mentioned the rifle would have 200 rds of ammo.

The other stuff just gets what I have sitting around.

I do not intend to go into harms way and I do not intend to get into running gun battles.

I intend to defend me and mine and if I need to put some rounds through something to get through it, like a car or tree or other concealment, I want some extra rounds so I don't worry about using a mag to put holes through something that someone is hiding behind.

I.B.T.J.W.R.L.

in before the james wesley rawles list

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Quoted: I.B.T.J.W.R.L. in before the james wesley rawles list

HUH?

Quoted: Quoted: I.B.T.J.W.R.L. in before the james wesley rawles list HUH?

the list that says you  need 20 k per weapon or youll die..

Quoted: Quoted: I.B.T.J.W.R.L. in before the james wesley rawles list HUH?

rawles is considered by some to be the highest authority on all things survival - i'll opine that he knows a lot, but his is just one opinion.  he has stated that you must have a certain number of rounds per weapon.  iirc, it's 6k  or somewhere there abouts.  

regardless of rawles' opinion, ndenway pretty much nailed it when he said it's situation dependent.

P master,

Alright here is some reloading advice.

223 556

Go to the EE and pick up 1K of PROCESSED brass. If you get once fired lake city, you have a bunch of work to do with the primer pocket, I would suggest avoiding this for your situation.  

Then pick up 1K of pulled bullets, load them up with some varget or your choice of powder. and you got a quick cheap 1k of decent 223 ammo.  You should have about 225 bucks in the brass,powder,primer,bullets.  

Next you want to pick up extra bullets, the brass you can reuse.  Stock up bullets, primers, powder.


30-06,  Probable best to pick up some surplus.  Reloading in bulk is going to get expensive.   I really only load 06 for hunting purposes.  

22    Wal Mart 550 packs, stack them high and deep.  They are cheap compared to other ammo.

12 guage,   Wal mart sells the 100 packs of #7,8 for about 20 bucks,  uck shot and slugs- check your local big box hunting place this fall, it will all be on sale.  


Big tip of the day,

Find a friend that reloads and have them "teach" you the basics.  

personally, make sure you have at least enough to keep all the magazines you have loaded. After that i would say... at least 250 per firearm, although i would prefer to have 1000 per firearm..... sadly i dont though i apparently shoot too often.

Looking at historical "two week" long SHTFs, you might not need any ammunition at all. Katrina, maybe. San Fran earthquake? St. Louis ice storm? Blizzard of 78? NE US/Canadian blackout? April 3-4 1974 tornado outbreak? LA Rodney King riots? Mt. St. Helens? Look at your area, figure out how long before the average unprepared sheeple gets hungry or otherwise feels their life is threatened, figure out where they'll go and what they'll do when they get there and plan accordingly.

Military types usually look at 7 to 10 MBR magazines full per firefight, plus 2-3 full magazines for their sidearm. But they have trucks to bring more for the next day, also combat support like artillery, air, etc that you probably won't have. Define your objectives. Do you plan to hold off a great host, or pull back and snipe them till they leave?

Look at your storage space, how much you can stockpile before you're tripping over it every day.

Look at your finances and how much you can afford.

Finally, look at balance across the preparedness spectrum. 10,000 rounds of ammunition won't fill your dependant's belly when they're hungry, just the same as a pantry full of canned food won't fight off an attack.

Before we begin, I reload a lot.  Unfortunately, I am always "adjusting" my load.  I am a perfectionist, after all.  

I also have a metric shit ton of ammo.  Thousands of rounds.  Most bought before the recent price increases.  A lot of SA battle packs and other surplus .308 and .223.  I think I was keeping Barnaul and wolf in business for a while.  (Steel case ammo is not going to harm your weapon.  Keep the damn thing clean after you fire it, and keep a few spare parts, firing pins/ a spare BCG or 2 and your golden.  Keep at least one spare set of springs, orings, etc and your gun will outlast you.  I have put thousands of rounds of dirty, nasty wolf ammo through my AR's and never had any problems.  

Now, back to my main point.  Having almost unlimited rounds is not always a blessing.  If you have a seemingly endless supply of lead to sling, you tend to not practice as much as you should.  We need to get back to the days when your father sends you out with his old deer rifle and 1 shell.  You miss and you don't eat that night.  Learn to shoot well.  

As my grandfather, who thinks that anything that isn't a revolver is a "toy", would say: If you can't do it with 6 shots, you can't do it.  Hit your target with one shot.  Stay hidden.  If you have to fire multiple shots, then everyone in the area knows where you are, then you are in a running gunfight.  I would imagine that would suck.  

Remember, I am not in the military.  I am diabetic and they wouldn't take me. :'(
I have never engaged in a gunfight.  I may just shit my pants and cry if I ever do.  You never know how you will react, until you are there.  

Also, everyone who thinks they can just hunt every day for the rest of your lives, are wrong.  You can survive on nothing but fruits and vegetables.  You would get all the nutrients you would need to survive and likely be more healthy for it.  Protein would have to be added, but not too difficult.  However, you can't live on meat alone forever.  

Vitamins and minerals are a good thing.  
Stock seeds, Heirloom seeds to be precise.  Start a small garden.  Learn what varieties of vegetables and fruit trees grow well in your area.  Learn to can.  Store a variety of foods, so that you are not tempted to put a bullet in your head from boredom with the same old crappy MRE's for 20 years.  

YMMV
Remember, I am not a survivalist.  But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Patrick

My thinking is, as much as you can afford and store for each caliber weapon.  More is better.  

Another thing to remember is that if you do happen to use your firearm for defense during SHTF  and the police is still able to arrive and investigate, they will confiscate your firearm until everything is cleared up.  So it might not be a bad idea to have a backup handgun/rife.

Idaho for two weeks?  Good people up there, so, 5 rounds max?  I can't imagine using over 100 rounds per gun in two weeks in any part of Idaho unless you're looking for trouble.

That said, try to get 1K for the G22 and AR, 100 for the .30-06 (I assume this is a bolt action hunting rifle? If it's a battle rifle, then 1 K), 500 in mixed game loads (birdshot, buckshot, and slugs) for the shotgun, and 10,000 for the .22 because it's so stinking cheap there's no reason to not have a ton of it.

What I had before the boating accident.
~1300 9mm, with 1000 of that being in a locked sealed ammo can that's not for target practice.
~9000 .22.  Went shooting a week or so ago and need to buy a couple more boxes from walmart.
~640 7.62x54R
~600 12 gauge, with about 500 of that being bird shot.
80 7.62x39, need more, lots more.
40 .308 (no gun for that caliber)
100 .38 special (no gun for that caliber)
200 20 gauge (no gun for that caliber)

Honestly, in a real SHTF scenario, my ammo will most likely outlive me.  I really doubt that if I actually have to us the nearly 12,000 rounds of ammo I have at home I'd survive all those gun fights.

Most of the stuff above is great for buggin in.

If you are asking for bugging out then personally I would go with a 22 rilfe and 22 ammo because you can carry so much more of it.  If you know how to shot a 22 can get game for food and work for self defense.  Not to mention if you are only shooting one shot at a time the report is so much softer.

I have carried both 308 and 223 in combat and you can't carry enough.

Bugging out you could pack 5 to 10 bricks of 22lr in addition to your other supplies that's 2,750 to 5,500 rounds of ammo, you can't do that with any of the others mentioned.  Bugging out in a SHTF situation you should prepare for no ammo resupply and it's a bonus if it happens.  

Plus in a SHTF 22lr can be used as money for barter.

3 - 6 M-16 mags on you and 6 more in your pack

2 - 4 pistol mags on you and 6 more in your pack

Back before I got married, I used to have money.  I bought ammo. Lots of ammo. Ammo for guns I didn't even own.  Right now, spread throughout our apartment and my parent's house, I have:

~52,000 rounds of .22LR, a large chunk of it Wolf MT
~10,000 rounds of .30-'06, all USGI surplus
~15,000 rounds of .223 of various (new) manufacture
~20,000 rounds of 9mm, mostly WWB but with a few K of Hydrashoks
~25,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39, all Wolf
~10,000 rounds of 7.62 x 54R
~15,000 rounds of GP11 7.5 x 55
~300 rounds of .50 BMG

And probably some more that I've forgotten. Basically, if I saw I gun that I wanted to own someday, I bought the ammo. Don't ask me why, but I had a feeling that ammo was going to get stupidly expensive, and guns weren't going to go up that much, so I'd better buy ammo now.  And I'm damn glad that I did. It's all stored inside in the A/C, so it's not like it's going to go bad or anything. If you find a deal on a common caliber, or one that interests you, buy whatever you can.

Quoted: Right now, spread throughout our apartment and my parent's house, I have: ~52,000 rounds of .22LR, a large chunk of it Wolf MT ~10,000 rounds of .30-'06, all USGI surplus ~15,000 rounds of .223 of various (new) manufacture ~20,000 rounds of 9mm, mostly WWB but with a few K of Hydrashoks ~25,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39, all Wolf ~10,000 rounds of 7.62 x 54R ~15,000 rounds of GP11 7.5 x 55 ~300 rounds of .50 BMG

In an apartment and someone else's house?  

I have a lot of ammo, in the tens of thousands of rounds as well, and just moved to a new house.  The weight and cube of what I have (I have a spreadsheet log and know the total) was immense, and I have less than what you list.  I simply cannot imagine having anywhere near that in an apartment or elsewhere in someone's else place.

Quoted: ~300 rounds of .50 BMG .

Wow, you don't mess around.

delete

Quoted: In an apartment and someone else's house?   I have a lot of ammo, in the tens of thousands of rounds as well, and just moved to a new house.  The weight and cube of what I have (I have a spreadsheet log and know the total) was immense, and I have less than what you list.  I simply cannot imagine having anywhere near that in an apartment or elsewhere in someone's else place.

Not just someone else's house, in my parent's house. All three of us kids moved out within two years, and they can't sell, so they didn't mind me keeping the stash there. The apartment is just until I graduate next year, after that I'll get to move it all in my house. That'll be fun.

On the other hand, I know people with a lot more ammo on hand then that.

Quoted: P master, ................12 guage,   Wal mart sells the 100 packs of #7,8 for about 20 bucks,  uck shot and slugs- check your local big box hunting place this fall, it will all be on sale.   ................

Some of the WalMart offerings are weak and won't cycle my Benelli. Would do for a pump or double barrel.

My theory is to have enough ammo that I (as a small group) wouldn't hesitate to drop 1000 rounds or more of 5.56 or 7.62 ammo each just to get the point across that this is not an easy target.

That means you have to have enough that you wouldn't even miss a thousand rounds. To me that puts it in the 10K+ region for comfort.

Shotguns - 50 - 100 slugs and 00 buck. If someone might use a shotgun.
Pistols - 2-3 times the capacity of all your magazines (for defensive weapons) in quality JHP ammo and whatever you like to keep around in ball.
.22 - doesn't figure into my SHTF game plan very highly because I don't see much likelyhood of safely hunting after the sheep run out of food. But I have a few thousand rounds for kicks.

<protus> ymmv </protus>

Quoted: My theory is to have enough ammo that I (as a small group) wouldn't hesitate to drop 1000 rounds or more of 5.56 or 7.62 ammo each just to get the point across that this is not an easy target. That means you have to have enough that you wouldn't even miss a thousand rounds. To me that puts it in the 10K+ region for comfort.

So, what you are saying is, after the first 10 people wander past your BOL you will be out of ammo?

Quoted: Quoted: . If you are lucky, you won't need any ammo at all.   Figure on 7 full magazines for each "go to" rifle, about 5 full mags for each primary handgun, and two boxes each of slugs and buckshot for each shotgun. Couldn't hurt to have a 550 pack of .22s for each .22 caliber firearm you possess. You will note that this is under 250 rounds per firearm, except the .22s.  Some folks will say you need more, some will say less.  But this is a good start point for determining your ammo needs based on your own situation and finances.   Your Mileage May Vary Any one else? How about some good reloading info? I have a Lee challenger press, dies, etc.

A good reloading info would be reloading manuals like Speer, Lyman, Sierra, Lee, Honardy, and such.  Lots of tips, reloading trouble shooting and load recipes.  Your Lee Challenger Press and dies should serve you well.  

As far as amount to keep on hand it varies by opinion.  I have ammo cans filled with mostly reloaded ammo which is enough for me.  I can crank out more if needed.  For a two week SHTF scenario taken in consideration  not getting into a gun battle with multiple assailants then a 250 rounds per weapon would suffice in my opinion.  

Quoted: Quoted: My theory is to have enough ammo that I (as a small group) wouldn't hesitate to drop 1000 rounds or more of 5.56 or 7.62 ammo each just to get the point across that this is not an easy target. That means you have to have enough that you wouldn't even miss a thousand rounds. To me that puts it in the 10K+ region for comfort. So, what you are saying is, after the first 10 people Zombies!!!!!! wander past your BOL you will be out of ammo?

Fixified it for ya!

Not quite - the RoE here does not cover people wondering by. But if they are zombies it's one shot one kill.

ETA - Your math assumes I'm only comfortable. I could be filthy comfortable.

I havent read all th eposts but I only have a total of around 3k rounds for the 4 guns I have an to me that is def not enough... I would like to have 2k per gun at least, working towards that...

You just never know in a SHTF situation what you will need... You could go through 500 rounds in an hr or you could shoot 0 rounds during that same time.....

If you live in a rural/country area I can see yourself bugging in and having tens of thousands of rounds of ammo.

If you live in an urban area bugging in would seem less likely and you will probably  bug out in a vehicle.  Depending on how far you have to drive, your vehicle will eventually break down, run out of gas, flat tire, get attacked etc.  

On foot its whatever you can hump in your LBE and ruck (or cached away) so its not going to be too much ammo unless you are one in shape mofo.

Country living is sounding better.  

I would also like to add that if you do live in a major urban area you will conversely and most likely NEED more ammo as gangs, hoods, thugs etc will be unchecked by a very busy police/LE.  Also the liklihood of your average joe neighbors getting hungry, scared, and desperate will occur.

The only advice I have is this:

If you think you have enough, you definately should go buy more.
My wife buys yarn, I buy ammo. I buy it when others buy a cup of starbucks or pizza.

Now go get some more ammo private!

I do not think that you can have TO MUCH ammo unless you are on fire or swimming.  I try to keep 2k per caliber with a third thousand round case that I shoot out of.  I try to replace the case I am shooting out of before I run out and rotate the new case.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: My theory is to have enough ammo that I (as a small group) wouldn't hesitate to drop 1000 rounds or more of 5.56 or 7.62 ammo each just to get the point across that this is not an easy target. That means you have to have enough that you wouldn't even miss a thousand rounds. To me that puts it in the 10K+ region for comfort. So, what you are saying is, after the first 10 people Zombies!!!!!! wander past your BOL you will be out of ammo? Fixified it for ya! Not quite - the RoE here does not cover people wondering by. But if they are zombies it's one HEAD shot one kill. ETA - Your math assumes I'm only comfortable. I could be filthy comfortable.

fixed that for ya.

stan, country living is the way to go.  we left the confines of the city 6 years ago.  now, my closest neighbor is 400' away, and i'm feeling a little crowded.

There are so many types of SHTF that I frequently wonder what poeple are thinking when they use that abbreviation...  I live in a county of just over a million people and we occasionally see hurricanes with extended power outages.  As a result of not having electricity, phone service (both land lines and cell lines) go down until the power comes back...  Curfews are imposed when the sun is not up.  To me, this is a reasonably, real world SHTF - no electricity (other than generators) and no communications.  I don't really think of the Hollywood SciFi movie SHTF as realistic...  WIth that in mind, I think it unlikely (yeah, I know...  SHTF by virtue of its nature is unlikely... blah, blah, blah...) that I will ever be involved in a war zone style fire fight.  In my "real world" SHTFs (2 hurricanes in 2004 & 1 in 2005) - I have never fired a single shot and have never been close either (FWIW).  I am armed well enough to defend myself/my castle and family from attackers likely to show up on my door step.  I am more armed than 95% of the general population.  In real world SHTFs, most of the BGs you will run into are snot nosed opportunistic a-holes that will turn tale and run for cover given the possiblity of lethal resistance...  I don't have anything that a BG or group thereof can't get from a much easier mark so I can't imagine a multi-perp assault on my castle that couldn't be turned away with a few trigger pulls.  Always remember that defensive firearm use is a thinking man's game - your most valuable weapon is between your ears.  A tactically "aware" individual should be able to simply avoid most shoot/don't shoot situations...  Get "training" wherever and whenever you can - you can never get too much.

Having said all that (yes, I am wearing my asbestos underwear) - I have a tendency to use the KISS principle wherever and whenever I can (it makes FUBARs less likely)...  Here's my solution for your ammo requirements for a "real world" SHTF >>>

First, I think you only need 3 firearms - 1 pistol, 1 18" barrel, 12 gauge pump action shotgun, and 1 semi-auto high-capacity rifle (here, that would be an 5.56 AR!).  The '06 (with a scope) is a long(ish) range hunting/sniping tool - you won'd need it.  The 22LR is redundant - your 5.56 is a high performance 22 - it'll do anything you would use a 22LR for!

I have heard it said that a pistol is a tool you use to fight your way back to your rifle.  With that in mind, 1 box (50 rounds) of pistol ammo is enough - if you want to be extra-special prepared, make it 2 boxes.

The shotgun is not your primary weapon either but does add versitility and some back up capabilities to the mix.  10 slugs, 25 rounds of 00 buckshot, and 25 rounds of your favorite bird shot should be sufficient.

Since the 5.56 is your primary weapon - enough ammunition to load 3 to 6 30 round magazines (100 to 200 rounds) should be adequate.

So, here's what you do - get a 50 cal ammo can and put in 1 (or 2) boxes of pistol ammo, then put in the 12 gauge ammo...  lastly put in 100 to 200 rounds of 5.56.  If there is any room left over, put in 2 spare magazines for the pistol and the rifle.  If there is still room left, put in anything that you think you need more of...  (if you really want to go "overkill", use a "saw box")

Once you have put together your 50 cal SHTF ammo can, everything you need is in one place and secure.  and, if you need to bug out, just grab your guns and your can and you're good to go!

Last but not least, although these are my suggestions for a simple, practical, real world, "SHTF" situation - I have not taken into account any recreational shooting that you might want to do over the 2 weeks to keep youself entertained!  If you're like me, you could easily shoot everything in the can in 1 range session!  If you want to engage in recreational shooting, pack more cans!

As fictional as it seems to some, put yourself in the shoes of the townsfolk in Jericho.
That is what I prepare for.

There is no such thing as "too much" ammo.

height=8

There is no such thing as "too much" ammo. ...unless you have to carry it...

Quoted: How much ammo should I have for, say, a two week SHTF? I have just started reloading and I dont have that much money, so just buying a shitload is out. Any ideas? Edit: Guess I should have added, G22, .30-06, 12GA, .22LR, AR in 5.56.

I'd say don't worry about .30-06 if you're in the city/suburbs like myself with no big game around or clear firing lines beyond 100 yards and don't plan on moving out for two weeks.  

For my situation out in the suburbs, I wouldn't expect it getting bad enough where i'd have to worry about 12 guys rushing into my little old house and need to spray down a tactical rain of 30rd mag dumps from my ar (but i have enough ammo/mags for that too if ned be) .  For me, I already have a good stash of 12ga slugs and bought about 500 rounds of #8 winchester super x game shot (on sale from academy for 4$/25rd box) that i would protect my house with.  Plus i can use the #8 shot to go skeet shooting with for good moving target practice :)  I'd image the #8 shot would be plenty to nock down some squirrels too if i needed.

Either way, if you want a stock pile, just buy a little at a time and you'll amaze yourself how much you can collect over a year.

Quoted: it'd all depend on if you're spending a couple of weeks in beruit or in the woods.

Naw , Beruit is quite these days.

Really depends if you live in Mosul or Birmingham ,AL  

Serious , Have about 100 times Food, Meds , Friends and Water to Ammo and you will be fine

Quoted: There is no such thing as "too much" ammo. ...unless you have to carry it...

I'd rather have way too much ammo, and have to leave some behind locked up;
As opposed to needing more than 6 mags worth (which was suggested as "enough") and not have them.

I plan to carry 4+1 30rd mags for the AK74, and enough ammo to reload them in the BOB.
Stashed at the BOL is another 6K+, which to me feels more comfortable.

Food, water, and shelter are a lot more important.
But come TEOTWAWKI, you will be able to grow more food, purify more water, and build more shelter.
Good luck constructing more ammunition.

My thoughts are - if you have to ask - you don't have enough.... but anyway

The JWR List:

Ammunition (courtesy of Jim Rawles)

Minimum:

2,000 per battle rifle
500 per hunting rifle
800 per primary handgun
2,000 per .22 rimfire
500 per shotgun

Comfort:

6,000 per battle rifle
1500 per hunting rifle
2400 per primary handgun
6,000 per .22 rimfire
1500 per shotgun

taken from usedlions.com/preplist.htm

Quoted: How much ammo should I have for, say, a two week SHTF? I have just started reloading and I dont have that much money, so just buying a shitload is out. Any ideas? Edit: Guess I should have added, G22, .30-06, 12GA, .22LR, AR in 5.56.

Your setup is a lot like mine actually.  I have downsized my setup to what it is now, a bit more than what you have, but not much.  I don't expect a short term SHTF situation to devolve into a constant firefight with all my neighbors.    I wouldn't be surprised to see rioting and looting in certain situations, but I don't think that will last very long, since people tend to want to survive, and getting shot at is a poor plan for survival.  

Once I came to that conclusion, I relaxed a bit, and have allowed myself to downsize.  Doesn't mean I don't still stock up a bit, but I am no longer hoarding as much as I used to, and I have actually sold off some of my stocks in order to upgrade firearms.  

I would think that if you had:

- 300+ rounds Pistol,
- 200+ rounds for the AR-15,
- 50+ rounds (00 buck & Slugs) for the Shotgun,
- 50+ rounds .30-06,
- 1,000+ rounds .22lr,

that you would be pretty well set.  

Realistically, things would have to devolve pretty far to go through that much ammo in a 2-week period like you described.  

Doesn't hurt to have more.

I tend to have a bit more than that on hand, but I am low in some calibers.  Plenty enough though.  

I think a couple hundered .223, maybe 100 rounds each for the 30 06 and 12 ga. and a few bricks of .22. Few hundered for a pistol too. ...This would be more then PLENTY and to be honest I cant really see where you would be shooting a fraction of this. I wonder how many rounds the avarage armed surviver of Katrina shot...I bet it would be closer to zero then to 100 let alone "1,000s"

To you guys that are saying you need  1,000s of rounds what are you planning on shooting during this 2 week SHTF event?....With a 1,000 rounds ...Lets figure you are a bad shot and only 1 in 10 of your shots actually connect, Naw, lets say you are Really, really bad shot and only 1 in 20...whats that like around 50 people you are planning on having to shoot in two weeks ?...Lets be serious do you really think you are going to be getting into that many gun fights [and surviving]?. If so I think you need to rethink your planning.

Sure I have lots of ammo , many 1,000s  rounds, but I don't see me ever "needing" that much to survive any SHTF event....Todd

Enough to use in our lifetime and your next generations lifetime.

My question is this. Do you want to be barely scraping by? If you do end up using your rifle, and pistol for self defense during a unspecified SHTF senario, then you are experiencing an event that is unprecedented in the history of this country. We are not talking about regular old self defense like the store owners during the LA riot. This is on a whole new level and we really don't know how much ammo we might need.

I am not taking any chances that I will not have enough. I will continue to buy as much as I can afford. Also, I like shooting. Practice makes perfect, and I like to practice alot. If you want to be ready for SHTF, you need practice.


Do you plan on having only the bare minimum of food on hand for this unspecified scenario?

Quoted: Sure I have lots of ammo , many 1,000s  rounds, but I don't see me ever "needing" that much to survive any SHTF event....Todd

Well, think of it like this: Do I need 150,000+ rounds of ammo for a two-week "event"? Dear god I hope not. But, what if it lasts longer then two weeks? Two months? Two years? What if we have a black death-like event and two thirds of the population is dead? I'd rather have enough ammo to last me as long as possible then try to figure out where I can *ahem* obtain either more ammo, or more reloading supplies.

Do I think this is likely? Hell no. Possible? It happened 700 years ago, I'd say we're about due.

If I knew the event was only going to last two weeks? I'd only bring what I could carry, probably 11 loaded magazines for my AK and five for my pistol (A Springfield XD, in my case).

Quoted: Hey, I'm impressed you guys can count your ammo.

Personal Attack!  Reported.  

Quoted: Back before I got married, I used to have money.  I bought ammo. Lots of ammo. Ammo for guns I didn't even own.  Right now, spread throughout our apartment and my parent's house, I have: ~52,000 rounds of .22LR, a large chunk of it Wolf MT ~10,000 rounds of .30-'06, all USGI surplus ~15,000 rounds of .223 of various (new) manufacture ~20,000 rounds of 9mm, mostly WWB but with a few K of Hydrashoks ~25,000 rounds of 7.62 x 39, all Wolf ~10,000 rounds of 7.62 x 54R ~15,000 rounds of GP11 7.5 x 55 ~300 rounds of .50 BMG And probably some more that I've forgotten. Basically, if I saw I gun that I wanted to own someday, I bought the ammo. Don't ask me why, but I had a feeling that ammo was going to get stupidly expensive, and guns weren't going to go up that much, so I'd better buy ammo now.  And I'm damn glad that I did. It's all stored inside in the A/C, so it's not like it's going to go bad or anything. If you find a deal on a common caliber, or one that interests you, buy whatever you can.

Quoted: Hey, I'm impressed you guys can count your ammo.

I'd be more impressed if they measured it by square yardage