How much ammo to you keep on hand?

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Badcat22

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Disclaimer: I realize this may be a "touchy" subject and for those not wanting to discuss or provide input, good on you- please do not turn this into a "I'll never tell anyone how much ammo I have because the "man" will [fill in the blank]" Just skip this thread.

I want to get a feel for how much ammo people keep for their various firearms. After the M855 Valentine's Day Massacre of 2015, I got to thinking- how much ammo should one keep for their various "toys"? It seems one day ammo is plentiful and easy to get, and not 8 hours later, there is a panic and ammo disappears. I totally get it, though- spending thousands of dollars on a hobby that without ammo, you essentially have an expensive paperweight.

To get a better idea, obviously the amount you shoot on a weekly basis will determine how much you keep on hand. Also, I am sure people hoard 5.56 and 9mm more than say, .357 mag.

1) How much ammo do you keep on hand per caliber to have in the bank if another (God forbid) Sandy Hook situation occurs to the ammo market to keep your toys putting lead down range? (approximately)

2) How many rounds do you shoot on average per week?

ANS: I have around 2000x 5.56, 600x .40, 1700x 9mm, 1400x .45, 200x .308, and maybe 300x .22. I normally shoot (on average) 100 rnds/week of various calibers.

My opinion on how much to keep on hand has changed greatly since 2012. Before then, I only kept about 2-300 rounds of ammo for my calibers- I "knew" I could get more if I needed it. Now, I find myself "tin foil hat" buying ammo up because tomorrow, I might not be able to. I have friends that have over 7k 5.56 and I think that is excessive, but at the same time, if it isn't available anymore, they will have the last laugh...
 
How much ammo to you keep on hand?

The proper answer is "within the legal limits"

nothing less, nothing more

or maybe "none of your business"
 
Not sure why anyone woukd think its a good idea to post their ammo inventory on a public blog.
 
:)

Don_Knotts_Barney_and_the_bullet_Andy_Griffith_Show.jpg
 
Woodsy said:
Not sure why anyone woukd think its a good idea to post their ammo inventory on a public blog.
Click to expand...
because some of us don't freak out about sharing that info with our NES friends. Who are you hiding it from? The Gov't? I bought all of mine with a credit card, so the NSA already knows anyway.

FWIW, I have about 1,500 rounds of 223/556, 1k of .40, 2500 of .22, and under 100 of 30-06. At the rate I shoot, that's a couple years or more worth. I was about to buy another 1k 223 then the 855 issue made it all disappear at prices I was willing to pay.
 
Jim85IROC said:
because some of us don't freak out about sharing that info with our NES friends. Who are you hiding it from? The Gov't? I bought all of mine with a credit card, so the NSA already knows anyway.

FWIW, I have about 1,500 rounds of 223/556, 1k of .40, 2500 of .22, and under 100 of 30-06. At the rate I shoot, that's a couple years or more worth. I was about to buy another 1k 223 then the 855 issue made it all disappear at prices I was willing to pay.
Click to expand...
1) Not everyone on the NES board is a friend
2) Aint no ones business but mine on what I own
3) I dont hide, Im in the same place I always have been.
4) Like my favorite fishin spot and huntin spots, No I dont share that info
5) Not freakin out, I posted a response to thw post, thats how blogs work :)
 
I only have about 500 rounds of 9mm, 200 rounds of .223, 2k rounds of .22lr and a couple of boxes of 12g shells. Im not sure if that helps anyone, but there it is
 
I have what I think is reasonable for my needs, plus some extra just in case. I have ammo in calibers for firearms I don't even own because "you never know" and it was either free or stupidly cheap.
 
I buy more than I shoot, and I buy a box or two pretty much any time I have a chance. At the very least a few hundred rounds of every caliber I need. And yes, I'm hoarding (to a small degree).
 
Depends on how much you shoot.
If your primarily a collector then just enough to make them function.
If your a casual weekend shooter then a few hundred up to 1000 should do.
If you shoot competively you'll have to reload and you'll never have enough.
If your a prepper and stockpile tens of thousands only to sit and collect dust well personally I think that's kind of silly but it's their choice.
Everyone's situation is different.
Also I agree with the others when we say some things are best to not be disclosed on a public forum.
 
I've passed up the opportunity to get a great price on a pistol, solely because I don't currently stock that caliber.

ANS: I have around 2000x 5.56, 600x .40, 1700x 9mm, 1400x .45, 200x .308, and maybe 300x .22.
Click to expand...
That looks like my shopping list for one trip to Hooksett.
 
I have enough to cover my shooting needs plinking, matches and so on for about 2years....i replenish when I can about every 4-6 months. I never like to be below 1.5yrs worth
 
gbest said:
Forgive my ignorance, it there really a legal limit?
Click to expand...

CMR 527 Section 13.04 sets the limits on ammunition and component storage. Without a special permit, you can store:
  • Not more than 10,000 rounds of rimfire ammunition
  • Not more than 10,000 rounds of centerfire rifle/pistol ammunition
  • Not more than 5,000 rounds of shotgun ammunition
  • Not more than 1000 primers
  • Not more than 16 pounds of smokeless powder
  • Not more than 2 pounds of black powder
CMR 527 Section 13.04 also stipulates that an ammunition storage permit can be obtained from the head of the local fire department. With a storage permit, you can store:

  • Up to 30,000 rounds of rimfire ammunition*
  • Up to 50,000 rounds of centerfire rifle/pistol ammunition*
  • Up to 50,000 rounds of shotgun ammunition*
  • Up to 10,000 primers
  • Not more than 48 pounds of smokeless powder
  • Not more than 5 pounds of black powder
* Total of all ammunition cannot exceed 100,000 rounds
 
I used to be the same... I never worried about stocking much because it was so readily available. My mindset has changed.
 
Jim85IROC said:
because some of us don't freak out about sharing that info with our NES friends. Who are you hiding it from? The Gov't? I bought all of mine with a credit card, so the NSA already knows anyway.

FWIW, I have about 1,500 rounds of 223/556, 1k of .40, 2500 of .22, and under 100 of 30-06. At the rate I shoot, that's a couple years or more worth. I was about to buy another 1k 223 then the 855 issue made it all disappear at prices I was willing to pay.
Click to expand...

That's what I shot this weekend?
 
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