What do you consider a fully stocked ammo supply?

Thank you for the answers/opinions/advice so far. It seems there are many ways of approaching the subject, but not any one single answer. Judgement call, I guess. I wasn't really thinking about the original question with a "prepper" mindset, but at the core I suppose this question would be something that drives their actions. I just want to at least be....minimally prepared.....for an event, should something happen. (Hard to word that without sounding like a prepper. Nothing against preppers, it's just not for me.) If anyone has anything more to add to the thread, I'm all ears.

Mike
 
I'm pretty sure this thread is close enough to SHTF to be closed momentarily, but I would like to add that even though I have a good supply of ammo, I think the odds of my being able to shoot 5,000 rounds at armed foes before taking an incoming round or two myself is pretty low. If not armed as well as I, they would probably get the message before the round count even breaks a few dozen.
 
I like to keep at least 500 rounds per caliber on hand. Usually only 100 or so rounds will be hollowpoints unless I find a good deal on them.
 
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Originally Posted by GM1967
Five thousand rounds? That should last you several days of intense combat, and that would be if you were using suppressive fire. Since you're probably only going to be shooting to defend your home and family, you shouldn't need that much. 200-300 rounds should see you through any temporary breakdown of order.

I'm going to guess that you have never been in any "intense combat," let alone a prolonged engagement. 5,000 rounds last several days? Not a chance, if it's at all "intense."

5,000 rounds for one day is 208 rounds per hour for 24 hours, or 3-1/2 rounds per minute. In an "intense combat" situation, that's a drop in the bucket
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If you're in a situation where you're expending 5,000 rounds, I'd proffer your very very dead long before then.

Please cite an instance in a 1st world country where anything even remotely like that occurred. I doubt even the Koreshes used up 1/10 of that, and they decided to fight the US government.

ME: In a riot situation, I have 150 rounds of buckshot. I would expect to use maybe ten in a real situation before BGs go away. I have more than that because I get a better deal in bulk.

Now I have lots of practice pistol rounds, but thats because I am a hack level competitor, and shoot those up.
 
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I have 5 loaded magazines for my VZ 58, each full of Tula FMJ. Working on getting the same amount filled in my AR15 as I get a little bit of money. Also have a couple mags of hollow points for my handgun. I also have a couple of boxes of Mosin Nagant ammo floating around somewhere, but I haven't thought about that in the same survival sense since I got the VZ.

I honestly can't see needing beyond that. I do believing in preparedness and survival, but there are a lot of things under that category that I'm far more likely to need than ammo. For instance, I need to start stocking my car with things like basic tools, a good first aid kit, a rescue tool, etc. I do believe in being prepared but these other items are more likely to save a life than another couple hundred rounds of ammo now that I have what I consider a basic amount.

I don't get to shoot very often since I only work part time, usually about once every 2 weeks or once a month. When I do, I tend to buy 100 rounds and put away 20 or so for the future. Over time, I may very well end up with a stock of thousands that way and definitely can't see complaining about it :D
 
Good czoice in rifle, Mr Potts. :)



That's a semi auto clone of a military rifle, an SA vz-58 rifle from CzechpointUSA with one 30 round magazine, with a CZ-USA imported CZ Sp-01 Phantom with an 18 round magazine. Both are sitting on top of a AR500.com Urban Go hard armor package with two spare 30 round magazines and two spare 18 round pistol magazines. I think in 99.9% of all self defense situations even in Katrina or Rodney King riot situations, that would be most likely more than sufficient. One poster pointed out that in an intense firefight 5000 round could go very fast - our troops don't carry 5000 rounds on them and have en excellent survival ratio compared to many other lesser trained/equipped forces. They also have team mates and supply that can be brought to them by various means, including a regimental combat team dropping by to "help out".
I do not anticipate laying down full auto suppressive fire - I don't even OWN a select fire firearms. To expensive and I reload on a single stage press.
In that .01, perhaps even .001% of the time that this setup is not sufficient to the day, my flabby old rear end will likely be found stripped in a ditch. I am not an "operator", my "combat experience" was one day in the Persian Gulf before some of you were even born, and my heart ain't what it used to be. I'll do everything I can, but I am also honest - I'm not Master Chief from HALO, and never will be. Those who say they are likely have never been there to begin with.
 
groverdill
What do you consider a fully stocked ammo supply?
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"Target" ammo will still do the job. 90% of my ammo is so-called target ammo - FMJ, TMJ, FMJ-TC, SWC, WC. Before HP's were the norm, these bullets did a fine job killing.

Actually, my carry is a combo of gas-checked hardcast and the more modern flex-tips.
 
Thank you, armoredman. The pistol I referenced is also a CZ - the 75BD police model. It will be my carry gun if Florida ends up legalizing open carry, which we should find out about by the end of this year. I think I have 300 or 400 rounds saved up for it, but that's just for target shooting. It will do the job if I somehow end up in a prolonged engagement, but good modern hollow points are my preferred. I have maybe 3 boxes of hollow points for it to just under half a thousand round bulk pack of 115gr FMJ, to answer the original question
 
I don't know! I can't seem to manage to keep ammo. I shoot all my target ammo about every two weeks.

That being said, I always have a full mag and a spare mag full (or two) for each gun with defense ammo.

With all the guns in the house, I am never below 100 rounds defense ammo. I will almost always have 200 target rounds at least. I'll buy 200 at a time until I shoot again and get the 1st 200 a day or so after the shoot.
 
Interesting thread. I didn't really consider a specific handgun round count. For me, the handgun isn't my primary HD consideration. My handgun get's me to my AR. I have maybe 500 (100 HD; 400 target) rounds for my handgun with 6 magazines loaded at all times and about 3,500 rounds of 5.56 FMJ, of which I have 7 30-round mags loaded at all times.

If that won't do the trick, we are in for something much bigger than an isolated incident.
 
I have plenty 223, 00 Buck, and 12 ga slugs. That should be all I need. Also have a good bit of 9mm and a crap load of 22. If I need more than I have. We've got way bigger problems to consider!
 
Well first off I don't live any where those type of events happen. Second they will have a up hill mile and get past 5 other neighbors who like to keep what is theirs, unless they want to share. Those who come are thieves or worse and shame on them.
 
The way I see it, there's plenty of very good reasons to have more ammo than you think you'll ever need or use.

The way this country of ours is headed as of late, is not a good sign at all. All I know, is that it's the worst I've ever seen it in my almost 60 yrs. I know for fact that it can and will get worse. I also know for fact, that there's very little chance, if any at all, of our country getting back to be what it used to be.

I have plenty of firearms. But, they're not worth squat to me w/o plenty of ammo to feed them.

For those of you with a few boxes for each caliber of firearm you own, I wish you the best......cause if and when "it" happens, you're gonna come up way short.
 
Back when all my rifles were Lee Enfeilds-
One of my neighbors asked me how many rounds I kept for them.
I said about 500.00
He looked at me like I was daft lol
That's all!!!
I just thought - wow, ya know how long it would take to shoot 500 rounds.

For whatever reason, I keep ( squirrel ) a minimum 500 rounds per caliber.
I have more than that but don't touch the stuff squirreled.

I own weapons of 6 different calibers.
 
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