How much is enough - Ammo

Trillion, Billion, Million Same Same

If you plan on going to the range once a week and popping off 100 rounds of a single caliber then the math is simple for training in the sport. - 5,200 a year per caliber -

Now add different guns and calibers to the mix and the guy below can give you a better answer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBPMBbkbtSo

Ammo Jon said:

9/223

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Is that 192,000 rounds of .223 and 270,00 rounds of 9mm?

We'll take half.

2AUSA said:

If you plan on going to the range once a week and popping off 100 rounds of a single caliber then the math is simple for training in the sport. - 5,200 a year per caliber -

Now add different guns and calibers to the mix and the guy below can give you a better answer.

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You don't even need to mix in others.

100 rounds per week, 52 weeks per year. 10 year supply is 52,000 rounds.

Even a 5 year supply is 26,000 rounds. Even let's say things stay bad for even only 2.5 years, that is 13,000 rounds.

Very few people have this amount of ammo.

Maybe the 13,000. But 26,000 or 52,000 rounds? Not many people stacked it THAT deep.

Didn't we do a poll the last shortage?

But if your household has 4 active shooters, it diminishes the supply by 4.

Mark75H said:

But if your household has 4 active shooters, it diminishes the supply by 4.

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Then you simply have to stock a lot more .

Pinecone said:

You don't even need to mix in others.

100 rounds per week, 52 weeks per year. 10 year supply is 52,000 rounds.

Even a 5 year supply is 26,000 rounds. Even let's say things stay bad for even only 2.5 years, that is 13,000 rounds.

Very few people have this amount of ammo.

Maybe the 13,000. But 26,000 or 52,000 rounds? Not many people stacked it THAT deep.

Didn't we do a poll the last shortage?

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Just depends on the caliber. Sure, I'd bet most people do not. Most people are also not getting to the range weekly.

I asked awhile back with one of my hunting buddies. He keeps probably about 300-500 rounds of ammo on hand at any given time for his about dozen guns. But he gets to the range about twice a year and shoots maybe 40-60 rounds. Clays he shoots more, but even then it is usually just half a dozen outings a year, times usually 2 boxes, that's 300 shells. And he often just buys the shells at the trap field/clays facility.

Ask guys who do shoot a fair amount. How much 22lr do they have? I am sure plenty don't have nearly enough, but a lot of guys do. I don't have the math on exactly how much I have, but I am pretty sure it is well north of 5k of just 22lr, let alone other calibers (I have way more 22lr than any other caliber). If I looked and found I had 10k of 22lr, well it wouldn't surprise me too much (I probably don't have that much).

Even among the few friends I have that are really in to guns and shoot a fair amount, a couple are probably getting to the range 1-2 times per month and shooting maybe 50-100 rounds at a trip. That's at most 2600 rounds a year. A couple friends who are really in to guns get to the range about every 2 months, though they tend to shoot more than 100 on a trip (maybe 150-200). A couple of friends who love guns, almost never get to the range because of work and family obligations so they probably don't shoot more than 500 rounds a year, if that.

I am not saying no one shoots weekly, 100+ rounds a trip. But I think among shooters, that is likely a fairly small minority who shoot that often and that much (5k+ a year).

So most guys who are more than a rare shooter are probably looking at more like 4,000-6,000 rounds for a 2.5yr supply. I am sure a large minority need way more than that. But most of them are competition shooters or retired (or maybe have older kids who enjoy shooting).

For those that do shoot frequently, I judge if they are desperate for ammo because they only had 1-2k rounds on them, but they are shooting off the better part of 500+ a month. The guys I don't judge are the new gun owners or those who maybe have only owned guns/a gun for a couple of years. Can everyone afford a decade of ammo stockpiled? Especially if they shoot a lot? No of course not. But if you can afford to shoot 500 rounds a month, you probably could have afforded to buy 600 or 700 rounds a month. Or shoot a little less for awhile if your budget couldn't have stretched to pad what you have on hand. Only takes a few years to have a nice cushion for when times are lean.

Of course there'll be guys who have a gun or two and just cannot afford to shoot much at all and only run maybe a couple hundred rounds a year and can't afford to stock up. I do feel really bad for those guys (just like the new gun owners who can't find ammo or suddenly have to pay 90cpr or whatever).

Or I should say I feel a lot worse for them. Other than the occasional cavalier jack ass, I feel a bit bad for guys who shoot a lot and don't have much stockpile, even if it was because of their own poor planning.

The point though is, most guys who do, should have had a fair amount. At worst for those guys it should mean cutting back how much you shoot for awhile to stretch what might have been a 6 month ammo supply to a year or two. Maybe take up fishing or get some of those projects done around your house if you can't figure out a way to spend your spare time. If you are a competitive shooter, I do feel for you.

Pre-pandemic shooting mostly 22lr, 9, 223 or trap loads which is probably 80% of what 90% of owners shoot at 100 rounds per week for a year, figuring an even mix across all 4. One year of ammo would be about $900 or a bit less. Odds are most shooters would probably be shooting somewhat less shotgun and more 22lr. So maybe more like $700-800 for one of those heavy shooters. If they are pretty financially strapped, probably should cut back on shooting long before. But most guys probably could have afforded to pickup an extra case of 9mm in there. An extra couple bricks of 22lr. Maybe a flat of shotgun shells. A few boxes of 223 or half a case. That's about another $400 or so a year and would keep them in ammo for 6 months at the rate they had been shooting.

Since most guys don't shoot nearly that much, their annual costs are probably more like $300-500 and a one time purchase of a case of 9, 223, a flat of shotgun shells and a couple bricks of 22lr would probably be more than a year's supply of ammo (about $500 or so). That is probably 1-2 car payments for most people (heck, back when I had car payments years ago that would have been 2. A bit more than half a month's rent for my first place). Again, I know guys where they just couldn't afford that. They also don't spend hundreds a year on shooting, because they have other things they have to spend money on. Most of us though who shoot a lot aren't struggling to get buy.

PS Obviously I am referring to pre-pandemic prices. Which is when any gun owner who shoots semi-regularly should have stocked up.

I'm from the Barney Fife school of enough ammo so I only have one boolit which I carry in my pocket.

So pre shortage I was 1000 rnds per caliber per gun of training ammo, and enough PD for all mags to stay full plus 2 more times. Now not so much. I'm good on PD but wished I stocked up on range ammo. now I try to be a couple hundred rounds ahead. but even that is hard.

Once out of the Corp, I never thought I would need a firearm again, but recent unrest has changed my mind. Since I started in August 2020 I have been able to acquire 5 handguns and 2 rifles either free, or at a great price point for the times. I started collecting ammo before I ever purchased each firearm of that caliber, and once I had to pay 54 pennies for each 45, or even 19 pennies for each 22, I have now stopped stockpiling and am very thankful to have about 8K rounds spread across 6 different calibers for the nice price of between 5 pennies (22LR, cheapest) and 54 pennies (45ACP, most expensive). I feel very lucky to have made a dent before total insanity set in.

MRH said:

Once out of the Corp, I never thought I would need a firearm again, but recent unrest has changed my mind. Since I started in August 2020 I have been able to acquire 5 handguns and 2 rifles either free, or at a great price point for the times. I started collecting ammo before I ever purchased each firearm of that caliber, and once I had to pay 54 pennies for each 45, or even 19 pennies for each 22, I have now stopped stockpiling and am very thankful to have about 8K rounds spread across 6 different calibers for the nice price of between 5 pennies (22LR, cheapest) and 54 pennies (45ACP, most expensive). I feel very lucky to have made a dent before total insanity set in.

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But do you miss all the crayon’s?











Semper Fi devil dog

Alea Jacta Est said:

But do you miss all the crayon’s?

Semper Fi devil dog

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I do, they were the tastiest things the chow hall had to offer, and they made for interesting toilet art

This just arrived, I'm good for a while

To quote the famous Carroll Shelby, “too much is just enough”

I've seen a couple ammo shortages come and go recently, but this one feels different.
The pandemic is here, racial probs still here, police on crak, militia attack the Capital, Biden wants registration, plus some other sh*t we don't even know about yet...
Worrisome times these days, so how much is enough? Don't know, but will you be able to legally keep the tools to defend yourself is the bigger question IMHO.

What does the name enough mean?
Enough (noun) a sufficiency; a quantity which satisfies desire, is adequate to the want, or is equal to the power or ability and haven't gotten there yet

Alea Jacta Est said:

But do you miss all the crayon’s?




Semper Fi devil dog

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How much is enough ammo?

When Burt Gummer himself kneels before you in awe.

Bare minimum:
1k 5.56
500 9mm
5k .22
50 12g
100 .308
5 7.62x54r

5 rounds of 7.62x54?? Why even bother? Or are you thinking that the resultant fireballs will be enough