How Much Ammo do you anticipate shooting in the REST of your lifetime ?

A better question is how the heck do you guys support your shooting habits??? If you calculate that the average center fire pistol round ranges from $.20 - $.50 per round, that is some serious dough.

When I first started shooting almost 20 years ago at 19 years old, I would go to the range once or twice a week and shoot close to 200 rounds per session. Back then, I was able to buy 9mm WWB for just $5 a box ($.10 per round). .40 S&W was around $12 - $14 a box and cheap .22 LR was only $2 a box. I wasn't into .45 ACP yet, but that was around $14 - $16 a box.

Due to time constraints, I probably get out to the range about every few months now. The price and scarcity of ammo is really clamping down on how much and how often I shoot. I have a decent stockpile of 9mm and .40 S&W, as well as a fair amount of .45 ACP, .22 LR, #8 birdshot in 12 GA, and some .223.

If I go every 3 months and shoot 200 rounds each time, that is 800 rounds a year. We can round up and call it 1,000 rounds each year in case I bring a friend. I'm 38 now so I hope to be shooting till I'm at least twice that. I'm guessing 40,000 - 50,000 rounds might get me through.

I have been supplementing my training with air soft and I am looking into some of the better guns that have blowback action. Draw and fire practice cannot be emphasized enough since the first person to put lead on target has the best chance of winning the gun fight. Air soft is much better for practicing shooting on the move and practicing quick draws since there is much less chance of injuring yourself or destroying anything. If you are inclined to do so, air soft also allows for force on force and clearing drills. For anyone that does not own a decent air soft, I highly recommend you buy one that is a good replica of you carry weapon.
 
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You bring up one of the points I was hoping would be discussed:

If you do have a stockpile of ammo, and know how much ammo you have, you can regulate how much of it you use based on factual information.

You mention the cost of ammo in the past: this is another point I was hoping to make. When ammo is cheap, you pile it high and deep. Prices only continue to go up on everything. Don't be the guy that buys 50 rounds, goes out and shoots it, and returns home empty handed. I used to buy some ammo every payday. And just like a savings account, I tried to have surplus so I could build up a supply for leaner times. How much surplus you try to achieve was the question originally posted: if you actually managed to buy and save enough ammo to last for the rest of your life, then the current availability or price of ammo doesn't matter.

So how do you support your shooting habit: well, that isn't easy. But, part of the answer is that you do it just like you would build up a savings account or a retirement account. You add a little on a regular basis and eventually it adds up. Another thing for me is that I only have a couple hobbies: but, I am keenly interested in those couple hobbies. I don't have a Harley, I don't have a boat, I don't have an RV, I don't have ATVs, I don't go on expensive vacations..........my spare money goes into these couple hobbies. And, if you think about it, how much ammo could you stockpile away for the price of a Harley ? I am in no way knocking people that buy these things; that is what THEY are interested in and they are having fun. I am just pointing out that I am not into those things and thus have the money to spend on the things I am interested in (just like they did).
 
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stephen426 said:
A better question is how the heck do you guys support your shooting habits??? If you calculate that the average center fire pistol round ranges from $.20 - $.50 per round, that is some serious dough.
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Most folks who shoot a lot are loading their own ammo and not spending near 20 cents a round and certainly not remotely close to 50.
15 cents would be quite high. Shoot commercial lead and you're around 10, cast your own and you're probably at 5.
 
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Again, when I use the word ammo, I am also including reloading components. When you buy primers, you don't just buy what you are going to use the next time you shoot. Bullets, powder........................ You don't wait to buy more until you run out. You periodically add to your stockpile a little at a time.

You get a little extra and put it on the back of the shelf. Over time, it adds up.
 
Point being, your prices are way high. A guy that shoots 1/2 a million rounds isn't paying 50 cents a piece or even 20.

500,000 rounds at .13 each is $65,000. Pricey, yes, but a far cry from $100,000 at .20 or $250,000 at .50.

And the guy who shoots that much is more likely to be spending .08-.10, making it $40-$50,000.

Sounds like a lot, but $50k over 50 years isn't that much money. It's $83 a month.
 
Wow... What the heck have I been waiting for??? I was thinking I didn't have the time to reload so I would just buy my ammo. I am pretty good about buying ammo whenever I find it at a decent price, but my average cost for 9mm is still around $.20 a round right now.

How is the availability of bullets, powder, and primers right now? I don't think I want to deal with casting my own, even though I know I can save more money. I am also pretty concerned about the health impact from lead since I have a 3 year old and my wife is pregnant. Unless I set up a hood I definantly would not mess with it.
 
Availability is spotty but improving. No need to shoot lead. You can get fully plated or TMJ for a decent price. You should end up at 15 cents or less each round, handguns. Rifles will range from about 30 cents up to 90 cents each, for common cartridges, you won't hit the high end of that unless you're loading really expensive bullets like the Barnes TTSX.
 
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I really don't know how you all have the time and money to shoot so much but good on you.

I'd say on the high end, I'll shoot maybe 2000 rounds a year.
 
No matter how much shooting I do for the rest of my life, I will never shoot up the accumulated duck and turkey loads I have.

I'm the poster boy for slick marketing buzz words and pretty duck pictures on the shell boxes.
 
I've never counted but I'd estimate I probably go through around 100 - 200 rounds a year. If I shoot for another 50 years, I should be around 5,000 - 10,000. Not a lot based on what others have posted but my father taught me that accuracy is far more imortant than how fast you can burn through a box of ammo.

Guess I'll never be accused of being the cause of the current ammo shortage. lol
 
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