How much ammo to stockpile for TEOTWAWKI?

[sheltonshooter]

Since I dont really see the SHIF any time soon, I just always buy more ammo than I plan to use each time I go out.. Much easier than spending a ton at once..

and What ever I got Ill use, Also I like to keep arms that you can reuse the ammo, such as a Bow or a Crossbow.

I love my bow, but the "ammo" is not necessarily re-useable. Every elk i've hit in the vitals has broken the arrow as soon as he starts running. Granted, my 330+" bull was at 82 yards, so a passthrough was not likely. Stock up on arrows as well.

 

[Just Jim]

I remember seeing on TV huge stockpiles of captured ammo when the USA went into Afganistan. The ammo didn't fit in our weapons so we destroyed tons of it according to the reports. On the plus side if your plans don't work out there will be lots of ammo when you are gone for the rest of us.

jj

 

[deadeye]

You can come over and borrow a cup of ammo from me anytime Jim....just call first.

 

[thescottsmith9]

I think your initial stock would be ok to start with so you can focus on other essentials for awhile That's been my thinking too. Just remember that's your reserves. For practice keep buying that and rotate your stock. One thing to remember too is for each firefight, to the winner go the spoils. If you lose it wont matter how many rounds you have at home in the safe. If you win you get whatever thebad guys had with them.

 

[Wood Worker]

I don't know about the end of the world as we know it, but I try to always have at least 200 rounds for every magazine that I own.
Every month buying another magazine as funds permits, means more shells to me.

 

[powersbj]

I think ammo is over rated. if you trade it your arming people. You dont really use much hunting. If you need thousands for self defense you probably need to invest in a tank, not small arms. If you need to run because you dont have a tank its impractical to carry more than a few hundred rounds along with rifle, pistol, food, water etc....

 

[Mark W.]

Pistols used for self defense 500-1000rds each
Pistols used for pests and hunting (in my case only a .22cal) 2000rds

Rifles used for hunting 500-1000 rds
Rifles used for self defense 500-1000rds (my self defense rifles use the same caliber as some of my hunting rifles so the only difference is the loads used.

The above numbers are minimums for instance in .22RF I have over 7K in mixed ammo

I make ALL my ammo except rimfire.

 

[MissJ]

If your .380 is "crappy," I am guessing it will only be used in an emergency or if the 9mm is no longer available, I would lessen the count of .380 to 100-200 and increase the 9mm to 1500. 9mm is a better stopper and is also currently cheaper than .380 ammo. As far as shotshells are concerned, I would split the count further based on what you want it for. I'd think 250 each of buck and slugs for general defense and hunting, then maybe 250 or so of birdshot if you think you may use it to hunt fowl.

PS If your ar is to be used primarily for bad guy defense, you should double the mag count, have at least 6 loaded mags handy as well as a way to carry them on your person if need be.

Yes, the .380 pistol is basically just an emergency back up gun. I'm hesitant to get rid of it since it is one of the only private party sale guns we have (i.e. no paper trail, was LEGALLY aquired however). I was thinking eventually I would bury it in a waterproof cache with a few hundred rounds of ammo somewhere in the direction of where I think we might bug out on foot if, god forbid that ever happens.

Yes, I definitely realize I need to get more mags, and that is on my "to do" list, but I feel it is more important to have at least a bare minimum of "enough" ammo first, and that is partly what this query is about....when do I have "enough" to start focusing on more mags, scopes, a new rifle etc.

thanks for all the thoughtful replies so far!!!

 

[MissJ]

I think ammo is over rated. if you trade it your arming people. You dont really use much hunting. If you need thousands for self defense you probably need to invest in a tank, not small arms. If you need to run because you dont have a tank its impractical to carry more than a few hundred rounds along with rifle, pistol, food, water etc....

I agree with this sentiment, I won't go so far as to say ammo is over-rated but I think there are reasonable limits to what is REALLY USEFUL and then it becomes just a back-up, or worse a liability.

Since the only people I would barter ammo with would be highly trusted neighbors who would be defending the same general perimeter, I can basically forget about ammo for barter; except maybe a few hundred rounds. The main uses would be hunting & varmint control. Self defense, while extremely important, I agree doesn't require thousands & thousands of rounds. A gun fight with bad guys is likely to be over in a few minutes and a few hundred rounds spent on each "side". Either we won or we lost. If we lost, then the worst thing I can imagine is re-supplying these scumbags with the "mother load" of ammo that they can then go and use against other honest folks.

If we decide we have to run; then we can only carry so much and I'd hate to leave ammo behind for the same reasons, why arm/re-supply the scumbags to allow them to terrorize even more honest folks?

So, the way I see it for OUR purposes we don't need a ton. Now, when I get all my other bases covered, I may reconsider how much ammo is practical to keep around, or stash in various locations.

 

[Hook686]

How long do you think before a gang from the city finds your location ? I suspect at that point it won't really matter how much ammo you have, unless you have a tribe of your own to man the battlements. I'd dump the .380 ammo altogether and add #8 shot for the 12 ga.

5,000 rounds is a hundred a week for almost a year. You figure you will last that long ? That's a lot of shooting. What else will you be doing ? You might be better off with 5,000 rounds of .223 and 1,000 of .22LR. With all the folks figure will be out in the country looking for food, the .22LR might be about as useful as TV set in such a scenario. I doubt anyone's, "Waldon Pond" will remain isolated for long.

It seems to me that food, clothing, shelter and a source of energy are the priorities for the family to survive. If home defense is an issue you might be better served talking things over with your neighbors. It strikes me a tribe will be essential when the gangs discover your presence.

 

[MissJ]

How long do you think before a gang from the city finds your location ? I suspect at that point it won't really matter how much ammo you have, unless you have a tribe of your own to man the battlements. I'd dump the .380 ammo altogether and add #8 shot for the 12 ga.

5,000 rounds is a hundred a week for almost a year. You figure you will last that long ? That's a lot of shooting. What else will you be doing ? You might be better off with 5,000 rounds of .223 and 1,000 of .22LR. With all the folks figure will be out in the country looking for food, the .22LR might be about as useful as TV set in such a scenario. I doubt anyone's, "Waldon Pond" will remain isolated for long.

It seems to me that food, clothing, shelter and a source of energy are the priorities for the family to survive. If home defense is an issue you might be better served talking things over with your neighbors. It strikes me a tribe will be essential when the gangs discover your presence.

I totally agree with you. we sort of have a tribe in the sense that a few neighbors are on the same page as us. FOOD stockpiling is actually what brought me to this website. After I had amassed so much food it dawned on me that all that food without a source of protection is really silly. My food situation is extremely under control....although no-one can ever say they have "enough" food.... at this point there are a dozen other things that would kill us off before starvation....my 2nd priority was self defense....and that is where I'm currently at...although I feel it is almost time for me to leave that tier and move on to my 3rd priority which is energy sources.

 

[Kevatc]

Honestly a 1000 rounds for an AR is nothing. I've been know to burn through more than that in a couple of days. Also, if your not buying by the case your spending too much.

You are correct but I usually have money to buy perhaps a 100 rounds of a particular caliber a month. I buy ammo as I can not as I wish I could.

Going back to the original post .... you never know, ammo might be a good currency someday so stock up as your checking account allows.

 

[Just Jim]

You can come over and borrow a cup of ammo from me anytime Jim....just call first.

It's nice to know there is ammo available on the short run. Thanks deadeye. Same goes here, if I got any left.

jj

 

[Just Jim]

I totally agree with you. we sort of have a tribe in the sense that a few neighbors are on the same page as us. FOOD stockpiling is actually what brought me to this website. After I had amassed so much food it dawned on me that all that food without a source of protection is really silly. My food situation is extremely under control....although no-one can ever say they have "enough" food.... at this point there are a dozen other things that would kill us off before starvation....my 2nd priority was self defense....and that is where I'm currently at...although I feel it is almost time for me to leave that tier and move on to my 3rd priority which is energy sources.

It's really a screwed up world when you have to worry about enough to eat in America. Our young women like you shouldn't have to be concerned about if they have enough ammo to kill their neighbors but look at what America is becoming. If the population would have spent as much time and money going after our politicions as they have in preps then the country would still be up to snuff.

All gun control is about politics and so is the rest of life. Politicions make the rules and regulations that run our lives and too often people turn their backs on politics. Now what we sow comes back to us.

I think you can better organize your planning by knowing what to expect. As this all escalates look who has the power to come after your preps and in your area will they? It would be costly to put in a generation system for power just to have to bug out and leave it. How do you see it all coming down? Are you making preps for the short run (if you have to walk away from all your stuff do you have another setup elsewhere)?

jj

"The worst characteristic in any leader is hubris, which is best described as a combination of arrogance and stupidity."

 

[MissJ]

It's really a screwed up world when you have to worry about enough to eat in America. Our young women like you shouldn't have to be concerned about if they have enough ammo to kill their neighbors but look at what America is becoming. If the population would have spent as much time and money going after our politicions as they have in preps then the country would still be up to snuff.

All gun control is about politics and so is the rest of life. Politicions make the rules and regulations that run our lives and too often people turn their backs on politics. Now what we sow comes back to us.

I think you can better organize your planning by knowing what to expect. As this all escalates look who has the power to come after your preps and in your area will they? It would be costly to put in a generation system for power just to have to bug out and leave it. How do you see it all coming down? Are you making preps for the short run (if you have to walk away from all your stuff do you have another setup elsewhere)?

jj

"The worst characteristic in any leader is hubris, which is best described as a combination of arrogance and stupidity."

Yeah, it sucks but you just gotta deal with the issues at hand. Before I was pregnant it didn't concern me too much, politics, prepping etc. Not that I didn't value my life but the idea of the world crumbling around me was just kinda shrugged off like "what can I do about it anyways?"

Once I become responsible for an entire little person's safety, happiness and future the game changes. It is not optional to prep; it's like buying diapers or getting childhood vaccines....it's not fun or glamorous; but it needs to be done. but mark my words I don't WANT any of this to come to pass and I've become politically active to try and stave off the worst of it. I will not have my little one look up at me scared and hungry and terrorized and shrug it off. I will have a plan, and I will be armed with knowledge, food, and guns. If the plan fails, then at least I tried. At least I can give him a sense of security until failure happens.

I have a back up location that we could go to if everything else fails...very remote. Nobody would probably find us. it's 80 acres on a mountaintop near the canadian border. But it doesn't actually BELONG to us; so we would be imposing. Hopefully we would bring enough resources and knowledge to the table that they would accept us. They are not preppers and they don't live there full time. We keep 50 gallons of gas on hand that we rotate through just in case we have to make the journey. I hope it never comes to that....

 

[Hook686]

If the population would have spent as much time and money going after our politicians as they have in preps then the country would still be up to snuff.

Yup. How many times have I heard the cry, "They are out to get me. We can't let them win my seat. I need your help." I think the politicians have us pretty well figured out and apply misdirected fear as a tool for long term control.

You do raise a good point with why buildup, such as a generator, only to walk away.

I think Stonewall Jackson said, "Get there firstest with the mostest." So unless you fall into that script, I suspect you will be doing a lot of moving around. The nomadic life is where our species originated. Are we destined to go full circle. If so, what are the better resources to focus on for a nomadic life style ?

 

[powersbj]

The nomadic life is where our species originated. Are we destined to go full circle. If so, what are the better resources to focus on for a nomadic life style ?

A herd of animals to follow around....

I think farming has proven to be a better model.

 

[19 Adam]

As for when to stop adding more..... well if you still know exactly how much you have then you dont have enough.

Great advice!

 

[kenno]

Brass beats Gold every time