How Much Ammo Is Enough?

[PistolWhipped]

How much ammo is enough.  All of it.  Seriously the more, the better.  Even possibly a few in common calibers you might not possess, at least not yet. If you don't use it, ammo makes one hell of a barter item, especially if it gets to the point where factories aren't producing anymore.

And caching a rifle or two and a good bit of ammo might not be a bad idea either.

[cohutt]

Buckets of it

It doesn't go bad and generally speaking keeps up with inflation at (a minimum).

[firefly]

In a post SHTF scenario, I'd say enough ammo is when everybody in the area knows not to f__k around anywhere near your property, and you still have half of your original supply.

“It is too late for a man dying of thirst, to begin to dig his own well"  Ancient Chinese proverb

[Pathfinder]

"Re: How Much Ammo Is Enough? "

If you have to ask the question, it ain't enough.   

[Romanov]

"Re: How Much Ammo Is Enough? "

If you have to ask the question, it ain't enough.   

Truth.

You can get to a point of probable sufficiency with your ammunition supply, just like you can with food, energy and other types of supply stocks. Will it ever be truly "enough" to handle any type of contingency? No. If you are anticipating actually having to defend your life/family/home/community from a real threat, I wouldn't be satisfied until I was at 10k+.

[HillbillyHemi]

 As mentioned before food, water, medical supplies, and other things are as important and in some cases more important than ammo. I use a build up method, first how much of everything do I estimate we will need for 30 days. Once I had food, water,ammo and other supplies for 30 days I started  building for 60 days then 90 you get the picture. So while ammo stores have there place do not overlook everything else. Lets face it if a company of Rangers or Marines show up to your house to fight chances are you loose and if you have to run you won't be taking 100,000 rounds with you.

[chrisdfw]

Everyone brings up good points, I have a lot of ammo, and for the following reason.

I think most shtf problems will be temporary. 1-2 years on the outside.

I think in most shtf scenarios, human behavior will be the problem. Look at Katrina, the worst parts were the human reactions. So I
believe the ability to defend my other supplies will become necessary.

I believe economic problems like inflation will debase the currency, so I spend what I have now on things that will hold their value or
go up, ammo fits the role.

So I have spent an inordinate amount on guns and ammo, for the reason that I think they will be more expensive in the future. Same
with the parts, machinery, etc that I have put away. I have little faith that cash will be worth as much in the future given the
massive government spending we have seen. I have not paid more than pre-election prices and will not, I do beleive we have a small
current bubble in guns and ammunition, and prices will subside a little before inflation kicks in, maybe a buying opportunity.

Do I think 100,000 rounds is too much, not at all. I have plans to bring in others when a problem arises and they have little to no firearms
and ammo, so I will be supplying them. (I'm not saying I have 100,000 rounds, but if I did, it would not be too much)

PS. I also have food, clothing, medical supplies, generators, solar panels, fuel, parts, equipment, raw materials, etc.

[MD3C]

I don't know? I thought that I had lots of ammo in the house, I moved it yesterday and it seemed anemic to others posts here.
I'm comfortable with it but would like more.
I shoot mostly 22 lately.
I still have 8-10,000 of that laying around.
6,000 762x39
8,000 308
6,500 5.56
4,600 9mm
1,700 45acp
some 30 carbine, 32acp, and misc stuff.
That's the stuff in the house.
Pretty sure that I have lots of 38 spl, and 5.56 elsewhere?
M

[otowner98]

Using the lessons I've gleaned from Zombie movies, I would recommend you have at least one round per person currently living within 30 miles of your location   

[Gas-Mask]

Using the lessons I've gleaned from Zombie movies, I would recommend you have at least one round per person currently living within 30 miles of your location   

LOL!!!!

[Gas-Mask]

If your ammo will no longer fit in your home, you have too much ammo.

 

How about if you rent and you have no more than 900 sf and a small gun safe?   And your running out of room for your guns because of the ammo?  (yeah right!  I only wish I had all that ammo)  Any ways... You keep your ammo in the safe because in case of a fire, you won't be as worried for your neighbors... (High people density area)  Kind of like being in an apartment...  I guess, it would be as much as you can fit?   Man, I wish I could afford a BOL where I could dig deep into the ground to put  ammo away for a  rainyday...  Oh well, just a dream...   

[Serellan]

I buy stuff up when I get a good deal.  For example, I have 7000 rounds of 7.62x25.  Do I need that much?  Nope.  But I got a smoking deal, and I figure I'll never need to buy any more, ever.   Has worked out good.  I stocked up on 8mm (~2000) rounds, back when it was $90/case of 900.  Now it's over $200/case.  Same story again with 7.62x54.

Naturally the stuff I shoot more I buy more often, like 9mm, 5.56, 7.62x39.  however, having a large stock let me ride out the ammo "crisis" and not need to spend exorbitant $$ on ammo.

[Goober Pyle]

Using the lessons I've gleaned from Zombie movies, I would recommend you have at least one round per person currently living within 30 miles of your location   

I like it! Hope you don't mind if I quote you some time.

[otowner98]

You go right ahead. 

[Bad_Synergy]

Here is the formula I generally try to stick to:

Gun$Value = Ammo$Value

and for centerfire rifles:

(Gun$Value = Optics$Value) = Ammo$Value

For example, for my GLOCK 21 with Trijicon sights, costing $700, I try to keep a minimum of $700 in ammo on hand.

(Somehow I can barely keep up with the ammo I always have to buy… Weird)

In the case of my rifles, I typically match the expense of my accessories to the rifles’ base values themselves – particularly referring to scopes (since IMHO they are just about as important to performance, and maybe more likely to fail).  And,,, if the whole package is worth, say $1500, then in my mind it better merit a $1500 minimum supply of ammunition, or else I have a piece of equipment that is more expensive than it is worth (balancing it against other preps).

This is a hard formula to stick to, especially for us gun nuts that never saw a gun they didn’t want to buy and shoot all day long, but I have found that I am pretty comfortable with it.

Everything is a monetary trade off, and while I would absolutely love to have a crazy amount of ammo saved up, there is a point of diminishing returns, in terms of what I want for my life overall and on a day to day basis, but especially if the SHTF. 

Of course everyone has to gauge their own ammo/prepping balance based on their own situation, finances, and preferences.

[chrisdfw]

Here is the formula I generally try to stick to:
Gun$Value = Ammo$Value
and for centerfire rifles:
(Gun$Value = Optics$Value) = Ammo$Value
For example, for my GLOCK 21 with Trijicon sights, costing $700, I try to keep a minimum of $700 in ammo on hand.
(Somehow I can barely keep up with the ammo I always have to buy… Weird)

Not a bad formula to start, hate to see a 3000 rifle with a 200 scope.
Note: I shoot a lot and recently inventoried my ammo, I was shocked to find I was many thousand short of what I thought I had!

So I suggest everyone keep a good inventory. Its way past reorder time for me, I was under 50,000 rounds. Nothing wrong with that per
se, unless you think you have a lot more!

[cohutt]

I'm never going to move from this residence, lest I have to move my lead stash and reloading components. 

[Who...me?]

How much is enough?   No such thing.

[OC Celtic Lass]

How about if you rent and you have no more than 900 sf and a small gun safe?   And your running out of room for your guns because of the ammo?  (yeah right!  I only wish I had all that ammo)  Any ways... You keep your ammo in the safe because in case of a fire, you won't be as worried for your neighbors... (High people density area)  Kind of like being in an apartment...  I guess, it would be as much as you can fit?   Man, I wish I could afford a BOL where I could dig deep into the ground to put  ammo away for a  rainyday...  Oh well, just a dream...   

No, not just a dream! Dreams become realities when we put them into motion with ideas and actions! You are smart, you are intelligent and you are good-looking........go get it! That is what I say.

As far as ammo, it is just like food and preps. I just keep buying more and more till I fill my house etc. I do believe, I will have to make sure that I do have a pathway to get out if there is a fire though. Ha!

[lspooner]

On one hand one can never have "too much" ammo. That being said, if you have to to get the hell outta dodge, how much can you take with you?

[Goober Pyle]

On one hand one can never have "too much" ammo. That being said, if you have to to get the hell outta dodge, how much can you take with you?

If I'm driving my truck - probably all of it. If I'm walking, significantly less.

That's why it's always a good idea never to keep all your eggs in one basket - break up your collection (as far as location is concerned) if you can.

[chrisdfw]

If I'm driving my truck - probably all of it. If I'm walking, significantly less.

That's why it's always a good idea never to keep all your eggs in one basket - break up your collection (as far as location is concerned) if you can.

I probably need a bigger truck, or at least one with higher cargo capacity to move it. Now I can always pick up the BOV from the imtermediate
BOL and it can carry my ammo, but a half ton truck would be overloaded.

Ammo is heavy.

[exoduster18]

I know that you are probably looking for hard numbers.....but this is how I have looked at it:

If you have a enough to shoot it all up before you die.....then you don't have enough.

If you have so much that you can't shoot through all of it before you die, then you're not practicing/shooting enough.

[OC Celtic Lass]

I know that you are probably looking for hard numbers.....but this is how I have looked at it:

If you have a enough to shoot it all up before you die.....then you don't have enough.

If you have so much that you can't shoot through all of it before you die, then you're not practicing/shooting enough.

Alright, I like these statements. Ha, ha.

[M14fan]

If you are not sure you have enough, buy more ammo. If you are pretty sure you have enough, buy more ammo. If you are absolutely sure you have enough, buy more ammo.
Seriously, it depends on whether you expect to bug-out by vehicle, on foot, or defend in place. If planning to defend in place, you can never have too much ammo.

[chrisdfw]

How much is enough?   No such thing.

Actually I think I heard the only two times you can have too much ammo is
when you are either
1. On fire
2. Swimming

[Who...me?]

Actually I think I heard the only two times you can have too much ammo is
when you are either
1. On fire
2. Swimming

If you are carrying enough ammo when on fire the resulting explosion will put out the flames...like an oil well fire...really...

[JerseyVince]

When your Stash is listed on the DOD's list of possible/likely places to aquire Ammo in Case of National Emergency, then you can begin to ease back (A Little) Of course you have another hidden ammo bunker than no-one knows about with double the Ammo

[quiet-man]

Your question is relative to your personal situation. Ammo vs. food or whatever else you're short in.
I live in Kalifornia, & I have a large family (all adults now but nearby). While I've been a "preppie"? for almost 40yrs, they still have a long way to go. My current emphasis has been on increasing my food storage, but also increasing my ammo. I'm retired LEO, and I remember the embargo on 7.62X39 ammo, and the attempt to tax & squeeze handgun ammo a few years back here. I worked a multi-agency Task-Force that included ATF in the 90's and saw how they really believed the "Federal Mantra" on gun control. For those of you living in less restrictive states, it may not  be as big of a concern. But here, I have to "re-build" hi cap mags because I can't replace them. I have to replace what I shoot when we all shoot for training/practice. But I still add to my food & water basics because that's important too. I bought a new pressure canner on E-bay, and built a food dehydrator last month, this month I got more ammo for training. It's a balancing act that must be tailored to your specific needs. You got to weigh the "tactical vs practical" if you have a family.

[chrisdfw]

I know people sometimes think others are fanatical about this or neglect food in favor of weapons or ammo, and
while that may be true, on the other hand:

1. I have enough food stored around my waist to last a month or more.
2. When I need food, if I can get it within a few hours I will suffer no ill effects.
3. If I need ammunition, I likely cannot wait a few hours, the need will be critical
4. Having a handgun on my person has kept me from being robbed and possibly killed.

I may very well be alive today because I had the gun on me when it counted.

Everybody has to balance, but don't listen to the "get 20 rounds but store more food" people. You have
to decide based on your own situation and with the crime moving further and further out from the urban
areas, I feel a pressing need to be able to defend myself. They relocated the people who robbed, raped, and
looted new orleans after Katrina to the cities of Texas.