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Posted: 11/23/2002 11:43:29 AM EDT
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I was just wondering how much ammo you guys/girls keep around for SHTF, TEOTWAWKI, etc. What is a good amount of M193, M885, and special application ammo such as, Hollow Points, Tracers, TAP and such. What would be a good amount of each for 3-4 AR's? BTW: Sorry if this is a lame thread |
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All you can get your hands on, within reason. I bamber up ammo and all the reloading components that I can get my hands on. Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. Ammo could one day could become a currency if SHTF or TEOTWAWKI. IMO. MM419 |
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However much you can afford and realistically expect to need. Most people give the 1000 rounds per rifle number as a minimum requirement for each rifle you own. That's ok if you can afford it. Some have much more. But seriously, if a lone actor is in a situation that requires the use of 4000 rounds of ammo.....dontcha think he/she is gonna be dead long before running out of ammo? LOL. In short, buy what you can afford, when you can afford it. If that's 100 rounds, 500 rounds, etc, so be it. The ammo you have is better than the ammo you wish you have. Being prepared for the unknown is ok, and prepardness is a good thing. Just be careful not to get too caught up in this SHTF business and go overboard. |
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Whatever you are comfortable with. Nobody else knows your situation (financially, housing, SHTF, bugout, etc). Buy what you'll think you want to have on-hand for the situation you envision, then decide if you want to just store it or rotate it through your regular shooting needs. If you're planning on rotating it through you're regular shhoting activities, increase your estimates by about 10% so you aren't caught short. |
| I recently purchased 2 tubs of SA (2700 ea) at $279/tub and 4K of wolf 7.62x39. The 7.62x39 was $66/K at SG. Heck, I can't load it this cheap. I remember when I first started shooting the AK in about '92, it was like $99/1200 rounds. Then they slapped the steel core ban on the 7.62x39, and almost overnight it jumped up to ~$300/case. It might take me a while to burn 4k through the AK, as I don't shoot it that much, but if and when the ammo prices go back up, I'll still have plenty of cheap ammo. After the first of the year, I might get a little more of the 7.62x39 if it is still that cheap. The surplus Portuguese 7.62x51 at around $140/k is a real good price right now, too. Might pick up another K or 2 soon, also. Ammo prices are great right now. |
| I tend to think in terms of ammo per rifle. That number hovers around 2500-3000 rounds, strippered, bandoleered and in ammo cans. Occasionally, 2000 rounds of "free safety" ammo is also floating around. It all depends. Still, I rarely dip into the 2000 rounds per rifle stash unless I have some new stock in. |
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I probably have way too much stockpiled, but, I figure I will eventually use it----if you store it properly, good quality ammunition is good to go for 50+ years. I have a tendency to "stock up" when I come across a good price. I am reminded of that old saw from the Duchess of Windsor to the effect that "you can't be too rich or too thin". Similarly, I don't thing that one can have too much ammunition!![^] |
| I used to think my last 2 bandoleers of trusty LC 72 was plenty for SHTF, since I also reload. Then I started visiting this sight - last count was about 4.5K of 5.56 thanks to this years sales on XM193 and SA, supplemented with 600 rounds of .223 factory match and reloads. About 10% of the 5.56 is of the M855/M856 or specialty variety. For TEOTWAWKI I tried to figure the most I would try to carry on a hike (1,000 rds 5.56 or 400 rds .308) times two for each rifle. Oops, it looks like I need some more .308. [:D] |
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I wish you guys would quit writing about this. Everytime I read a new thread, I run out and buy a few thousand rounds to store. Getting ridiculous with over 6,000 rounds of .223 plus 9mm, plus .45, plus..........plus.... You get the idea. Doesn't sound ridiculous, sounds like you're just getting caught up [;)] I realized I was down to about 7k of 5.56 (M193 and M855, I don't include the couple k of specialty ammo I have in that count), so I ordered another tub of SA. There's around 50k rounds here in various calibers, which still puts me way under the tatjana 2/k rounds per gun metric, but I don't plan on needing all the guns in a SHTF scenario. [}:)] |
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After putting away my 500 rounds of M855 I got for AmmoDay, I surveyed my inventory and pondered this thought. I started out with two ammo cans and now I have......a bunch of ammo cans. I try to keep "ample" supply for all my firearms. I usually run short on my pistol ammo as I shoot it more often. I get paranoid that I will run out of Mil ammo for my M-1, so I buy M2 ball when I see it. Actually after surveying my AR-15 supply, I use it as an excuse for another rifle. "Honey, we've got plenty, but we'd be more effective with two guns for cover fire!" |
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About a year ago there was a post about a guy who got busted in one of the NorthWest states. He had the typical low rent "arsenal" and around 10K of ammo. The quote from the local sheriff was "You don't need 10,000 rounds of ammo to shoot a turkey, do you?". So for a short while ammo amounts were given in units of turkeys. I guess you had to be there... [:P] |
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I keep too much!!!!!! I typically buy my ammo by the case or battle pack on sale and buy faster than I shoot them up. The rule of thumb from my Army days is keep only as much as you can carry. 400 .223 and 100 9mm. Most of us range heads are this way. The idea is unless you live in a bomb shelter that is very defensible and have years of freeze dried food, then when SHTF, you will have to travel to survive. |
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Like most everyone else here, I buy as much as I can afford. I always buy 2 to 4 thousand rounds of ammo and plan on storing it, but I end up blasting it all away on the range on those nice summer days [:D]. So I watch for good sales and try to keep a decent amount handy at all times. So when you buy some ammo, try to think of how much of it you might end up taking to the range and how much, you'll actually save for emergency use. And while buying ammo in bulk amounts is usually cheaper anyways, order at least 500-1000 rounds of what you need, if you can afford to. [b]ArmaLiter[/b] |
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Get all you can afford if the price is right. Nothing worst than someone having a sale and you don't have the funds. Get together with the shooting buddies to increase buying power. Skip lunch and save the money for ammo. Just got in a deal with some buddies on 5 tubs of SA and 10k of Wolf at an incredible price (@$250 and @$85). Skipping lunch really helps. |
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I've got 2000 rounds of M855 strippered and in cans for my 2 ARs, I'm low on .308 for the FAL, only about 400 rounds, but hey, that stuff is heavy... who's gonna hump around 1k of .308? I also have 300+ rounds of various shotgun ammo, equally mixed with some slugs, buck and upland game shot. Then I have about 1200 rounds of 9mm for my Oly carbine... I know this isn't really a SHTF weapon, but I'd rather supply sobody with that than nothing at all. |
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4k m193 and 2500 SA for my bushy, ~2200 7.62x39 for the SAR1, 1500 9mm, AND only 200 .45 (situation that will soon be remedied) I need to get some bird and buckshot for the 12 and let's not underestimate the importance of .22lr! I would recommend at least 1k of these. |
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long term torage.... 5,000 .....XM193 lot 1 1,200......IMI M193 4,800.....IMI M855 3,000.....IMI M80 BALL 7.62X52 2,000......imi 45ACPFMJ TO SHOOT 1,000....XM193 lot 6 2,700.....sa m193 1,200....IMI M855 1,000....WCC 7.62x51 2,000....IMI 45 ACP thousands of once fired brass n components LONGHUNTER |
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GackMan, I would not want to be in your situation. During the summers our family shoots a lot of ammo and I can usually get a discount when buying five cases at a time in each caliber. Going through a move with all this ammo is not something our family enjoys though. The movers come and move all the furniture and we have to rent U-Hauls for all the guns and ammo. THISISME |
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It was a joke. in a dark humor way I was implying that I could just shoot someone and take their 10K stash. seriously, I have about 1500 rounds of winchester 55 gr white box. and 500 rounds of 50 rg hollow points and a couple of battle packs of the SA that I am shooting through. If I get close to 1000 then I just go to good old ammoman.com :) not a s critical amo: 1200 for the HK91 1500 9mm ball 750 .45 ball (500 more on order :) ) 500 12 ga 00 250 12 ga slug 800 (or so haven't counted recently) 7.62x39 there there are a bunch of odd ball ammo cans on the floor of the closet and I ain't gonna inventory just for you guys :) |
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I know it'll probably never happen in the USA but the folks in Australia thought the same thing. I want enough ammo that if they ever stop selling it, I'm covered. I want 10K for my AR 5K for my handgun 5K for my 12 gauge 3K for my snipe ALL in mags or belts of some sort for (as easy as possible [:)]) access and portability. These #'s are subject to change as I learn more. I also want the ability to reload every caliber I shoot with PLENTY of reloading material. I NEVER want to run out. What good are the weapons without bulletts, might as well get a pocket rocket. |
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I have 500rds of XM193 loaded on stripper clips in a .50cal ammocan. Also have 100rds of Speer 9mm 124gr+p HP's in there. It's all I can afford to "stash away". The rest of the ammo I buy, I like to go to the range and shoot it. [:)].. I would absolutely love to stock up like some of you guys do, but right now it's impossible. Other than that, if it comes to a time where I can't buy anymore commercial ammo, I'll be able to load up a whole bunch of my own.. |
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