How Much Ammo Do You Stockpile?

[JohnH]

Really the question is as much about filling philosophical needs as hard and fast needs. I don't stockpile very much at all. I shoot in my backyard and generally only load what I'm shooting at the moment. Occasionally, a neighbor and I will get together to shoot, and more often than not, I will have to load some blammo before we shoot. This page, http://www.awrm.org/ has some useful guidelines, but they are a bit beyond what I think my needs are, and in that may well be the crux of the question, how does one give an honest evaluation to determine what their needs are. Perhaps I just answered my own question; decide what you would like to have on hand, (use whatever criteria you like for that (war, civil unrest, zombies) any ideas for what that criteria should be?) add to it what you'd like to be able to grab up and take to the range, and then add some figure to account for ones laziness to replenish that drain on the stash 'cause you don't feel like loading today... Thoughts?

[HarryT]

1000 rounds per firearm stockpiled (10,000 per machine gun). Carry no more than you can swim with.

[Wayne Smith]

Depends on the caliber. The easiest to shoot have the most! I have probably 1,000 rds of 45ACP loaded, mostly because I pick up the brass free at the range. On the other hand, the 405Win has maybe a hundred loaded at any one time. When I am working up a load, not many. When I have settled on a load then what brass I have tends to get loaded.

[jsam]

There is no such thing as enough ammo.

[multigunner76]

I kinda went with the 1000 round minimun too. Well kinda.

[casterofboolits]

I like to load in two thousand round batches for my pistol rounds. 9mm, 38 Super, 40 S&W and 45 ACP. When I get down to five hundred rounds, I start a new batch of two thousand. These are mainly shooting inventory, not a stockpile.

I cast the same way, I'll have at least two thousand boolits of each caliber ready to go on the bench. Right now I have five thousand H&H #275 09-125-SWCBB, two thousand plus H&G # 309 09-125-TCPB, two thousand Saeco 38S-145-SWCBB, two thousand 40-145-TCPB, Two thousand H&G #68 45-185-SWCBB waiting on the bench. The 45s will wait for awhile as I just loaded up a batch of 2,400. Currently loading nines.

Of course I still have my Magma Lube Master that cranks out 4,000 boolits an hour and my casting is done with six and eight cavity molds.

[quilbilly]

I don't stockpile that much complete ammo - maybe a hundred rounds per caliber - mostly because I play with loads all the time fixing things the "ain't broke" (a bad habit hard to break). As long as I have plenty of primers and powder of choice, I don't see much reason to overdo it especially since, like you, I have ranges at home and shoot all the time.

[seaboltm]

I am with Wayne Smith. It depends. I have 1000's of rounds of 40 and 223, most of it accumulated during my law enforcement days. I just don't shoot either caliber very often. 45-70, 375 H&H, and most other rifle rounds, I keep maybe 20 on hand. 308, 9mm, 45 ACP, 500 or so for "just in case".

[btroj]

Most of my stored ammo is in pieces.......

[runfiverun]

if the box i'm storing them in is full i got enough if i need more to fill it i don't.
conversly if i have more brass i need a bigger container or more of them.
same with boolits.
if i have enough to fill all the brass i have then i got enough, if i don't i make some more.
if i wanna experiment i either pick out a lot of brass to work with or get another one.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Numquam satis

[Crash_Corrigan]

I generally keep less than 500 empty cases of any caliber at home. Once I get to 500 empty cases it is time to assemble some more ammo. I have buckets of cast boolits covered with Saran Wrap in the home awaiting reloading. I generally lube and size the boolits immediately after casting as they tend to harden some over time and make lubing and sizing more difficult after a week or so. I shoot a lot of calibers so I have a lot of ammo stored in my home. I run 8 presses and two lubers to process all these. I have 3 Dillon Square Deal's dedicated to .38 Spcl, .44 Spcl. and .45 ACP. My Dillon 550B is set up for .41 Maq and my XL 650 for 9 MM. I run small batches thru my Lee Classic Turret Press, Lyman T press and Rockchucker. My only hobby other than shooting and reloading is messing with my guitar and camera.

Right now it is about 108 degrees on my front porch and I am not about to go to the range until September as that only decent time to go shooting is as about dawn. I am not an early riser. At the present time I have buckets of .38's, 9 mm's, 223's and .45 ACP's stored in my ex's garage along with a large stash of ingots and primers. Recently I have been intrigued with 45 Colt, 41 Mag and .44 Special revolvers. They are such a blast to shoot. I have a goodly collection of Ruger BH's and my first Ruger Vaquero in 45 Colt is on the way.

[JohnH]

Numquam satis

[Beagle333]

I'm with the OP.
Normally less than 50 rounds on hand. I usually load for the situation.


lemme clarify that though..... cast boolit ammo.

Commercial ammo is a different category altogether.
Dove season is a' comin' up!

[10mmShooter]

lots and lots

[GoodOlBoy]

Sir! SIR! I do not stockpile ANYTHING! I must go to town each day just to procure provisions for that particular day! If I load or buy ammo I shoot it up immediately! Nope no stockpile here!



GoodOlBoy

[M-Tecs]

I normally do a minimum of two to three year's worth at my normal shooting rate.

[MOcaster]

Never enough...

[FLHTC]

I plead the fifth

[dragon813gt]

I lost all my ammo and firearms in a tragic boating accident this morning.