So since I bought my FAL and AR I've been buying 40rds of ammo each week for both rifles my local gun shop had cheap 5.56 and 308. So last week I walked in to get my ammo and saw that all the 308win the guy had in the store was all gone even the high priced hunting ammo. I asked the guy behind the counter if they had any more he told me that a guy came in the other day and dropped $2K on all the 308 ammo. Just joking I said I'd like to get to know that guy then walked away with my 2 boxes of 5.56.

Then the next day I just dropped but to pick up two more boxes of 5.56 (Wife was not with me!) I had gone to the section that had the 5.56 ammo and it's was all gone 200 boxes of 5.56. I look at the guy behind the gun counter and say same guy who bought all the 308win? He shakes his head yes and tells me the guys name who bought all the ammo and where about he lived and how he thought the guy was one of the crazy "Survival" people because who needs that much rifle ammo!


What I learned from that trip was a few things first was never expect ammo to be at a store no matter how much they have .Don't buy $2K worth of ammo at your local gun store. Next was just because a guy works in a gun shop don't talk to them to much because they might not be the minded as you are.

well there HAS been a buying frenzie because of the election going the way it did and alot of areas are approaching hunting season opening. but yes one needn't share too much with too many people. with purchases of large amounts of ammo all one needs to say is they have friends coming to spend a day out shooting. not that the supply is being built up! same with food purchases of large amounts, " we entertain frequently". or " we try to build up a food supply should it be a harsh winter, if not we eat that supply in summer cook outs with friends".

i never tell anyone even my friends just how much ammo n guns and supplies i have. people like to talk about things like this to others.  i have heard many convos about someone bragging about some friend of theirs who has alot of guns and such and soforth. i do not want to be the one that they are talking about.  never pay for your supplies in credit and dont make convos with the guy at the store. people like to talk, especially in a small town and the people with the big mouths are also the ones who will rat your ass out first chance they get.  



i was at walmart today, and altho i dont buy bulk ammo there, i was in the sporting section.  i noticed only a few boxes of handgun ammo, when months back they had plenty.

I am well stocked up, and that hasn't stopped me from accelerating my buying as of late. Just making sure I have what I want before things get really hard to get.

As long as I can still find good deals, I am buying. No credit card buying right now. I haven't used one in nearly a year.


I don't worry about OPSEC because I just don't have that many friends! The ones I do have are very important to me so they are welcome at my home during any type of SHTF.

The same thing could (and may) happen with food. Can you imagine going into the grocery store and find out that someone bought all the canned goods.

credit cards.... gotta love em!  

You're kidding right?   It happens all the time with food up here.  Everytime there is a big snow storm the store gets emptied of milk, bread, eggs etc.  

The standard belief to explain this phenomena is that french toast is the quintessential survival food.

I see a lot more people buying hamburger in chicken legs now instead of steaks and chicken breasts.  People are economizing now and they all ways should have but forgot about 7 years of plenty followed by 7 years of famine.  Anyways, I'm still adding all the time and expanding the variety of stored foods.

As I read the original post, a few thoughts come to my mind.

Break down if possible and order a case of ammo for each.  Usually cheaper to buy in bulk, and you will have it on hand.

I would be upset, being the guy who dropped $2k worth of business with this store, only to find out the clerk is blabbing to people about my purchases.  I would not give this guy my business.  Who knows what he tells others about your buying habits. "Who needs to buy 2 boxes of 5.56mm and 2 boxes of 308 every week!"  "Guy must be one of those survival nuts!"

There has been a HUGE rush on guns and ammo since Nov 4th.  I went to a gun show yesterday and words can not describe it.  Two day show, was sold out of all "assault type " guns and case lots of ammo withing two hours!.  Fire marshal cited the convention center for being way over their limit of people within the facility.

I give my face to face business to gun shops who are friendly, priced competitively, and who know the value of discretion.  I have purchased a fair amount of ammo via the internet.  I try not to do large orders all at one time.  Don't want the local UPS guy talking about the "nut" who he delivered 10 cases of ammo to yesterday, and by the way, here is his address...

Five years ago, $2k worth of 5.56mm ammo was a LOT of ammo.  At today's prices, it really isn't that much!

cash and carry. Don't use credit cards creating a record of your purchases. Not just to stay out of debt.
Go where nobody knows you. Buy all you want. Cash.

just keep in mind.... "no credit buying" translates to "no credit history" when applying for new credit. I paid off all my cars, bikes, house, toys, cards a while back and have been faced with lack of credit. Keep your credit going if only for small purchases and a good credit history.
FF
+1 on buy where nobody knows you or Al Gores internet!

That's why I buy online. Bulk saves ya money in the long run and I can find WAY cheaper deals online than local.

I think that ANY connection you make has the potential to be very helpful for you. Yes, there are wannabe predators and Gunkids out there, but I'd say most REAL survivalists aren't like that. I consider it worth the gamble, and I'd try to get in touch with the guy. Just letting him know that you agree with what he's doing could end up with you forming a long-term friendship and might even work out to you finding another possible place to bugout in case you need to.
I met a guy back in the late 80's while I was in the Army stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. He wrote a letter to American Survival Guide and they printed it. I looked him up in the local phone book and got in touch with him. We had plenty of conversations while we were both stationed there, and we've kept in touch since then, even though he's now in North Carolina and I'm in Arkansas. When either of us sees something survival-related we'll send it to the other.
I realize there is some risk involved in reaching out like that, but I think the benefits far outweigh the risks.
Just the first casual contact with him(IF he even wants that) should let you know what "kind" of survivalist he is. If he's just stockpiling ammo, then you don't need to take it any further.
I just remembered, I've also met people who saw me carrying around a copy of ASG or some other survival-related reading material.

I was talking to the sporting goods clerk at wal-mart and he said that a guy came in and got uber pissed off when they told him they didn't have a PALLET of 223 ammo in the back to buy. Not a box or case but pallet full of cases. That guy makes my ammo hording seem like a joke.

Hopefully you also learned not to tell the gun shop guy who you are & where you live. If he's spilling his customer's name & residence location to any Joe that walks in the store, I would not want to deal with him.

ETA: Looks like B-trash already covered what I posted. I did not read the whole thread till after I posted.

Yes I can.

Pandemonium would be a nice word for it...

It is a razor thin line that the US public walks on a daily basis. "Just in time" deliveries and all that...

Just my $.02

c0
____________________________
Failure to plan on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine.
http://Tpass.org

I visited my local gun shop today and the guy was working up an ammo order.  Had a big pile on the counter and a long list of things he had to order.  Said somebody was doing a pre(that socialist heading for the white house) ammo order.  Looked like at least a couple of grand worth.

discretion is one reason i like fun shows.  You can walk out with as much ammo as you can carry (or even use a hand truck if you want more) and nobody will even bat an eye.

This is what happened to me just after hurricane Ike blew through. Hell of a wake up call when there is no power to keep cooler foods so it all goes bad and the locals buy up all the canned stuff. The squirrels and deer got lucky, power came back on fore I ran outa lunch meat

I say that unless you have had a family pet crushed in a tragic ammo-fort collapse (w/pics) then you cannot post new topics

I've always been of the theory that you could cause a panic by organizing 10-20 people to walk into different grocery stores and buy as much nonperishable food as they could carry. Bonus points if they look scared while doing it.

Recent purchase from Ammunition to Go
500 rnds .308 Brown Bear            167.95
1000 rnds .223 Silver Bear           234.95

Total with Tax and Shipping         448.29


looking at same ammo and quantities in local gun shop yesterday

500 rnds .308 Brown Bear             367.99
1000 rnds .223 Silver Bear            489.00

Total Carry out would have been    856.99 + tax

And people were wheeling out dollies of the stuff.  I didn't even look at his prices on brass cased name brand ammo.  

I love shopping there.  Even now he is tough to beat on rifles/pistols, etc.
But ammo, forget it.  He is raping people on his ammo.  And people don't seem to care.

Ammo to Go, only thing was, I purchased it on the 10th and they just shipped it yesterday.

I guess folks just want to touch it now.

FYI, don't knock the UPS guy.  When I told him what I paid, he wrote down ATG phone number off the invoice.  I have also known this particular driver for better part of 20 years.

Here when I buy ammo at the gun show I have to show id and they write it down, plus charge me $3 to do that. I pay with the debit card so that may be the reason why but next time I will try cash.

So, when there's no ammo you need locally and you have to get on the net to find a distributor, how exactly do you place an order to buy without using a credit card?

Only thing I can think of is rechargeable credit card! You can always B.S the info on it. Not sure how you recharge it but I would think you could without giving up info on yourself.

just refill a walmart card, i think they use visa.

Went to a fun shop a while back the guy wanted $420 for 840 rounds, I said man that is expensive he goes well you know why that is don't ya, I said no tell me, he goes on about all the ammo going over seas, about face and walked out. went in to bomgaars a bout a week ago and they wanted $32 for 40 rounds unbelievable