Is anyone else stockpiling ammo besides me? Limits?

[DOCTER1956]

Confining this discussion strictly to rifles, here's the "Panic Proof Prepping" framework I'm working up in an article for Redstate. The building blocks are in terms of "Basic Combat Loads" (BCL)--seven loaded mags, 21 stripper-clips or 210 loose rounds. On this chart, it's more important to "build out than down"--three shooters with three rifles and two BCL's each beats one guy with one rifle and a ton of ammo.

1. A rifle with one set of load-bearing gear and one BCL of full magazines for each able-bodied adult in the house, with one additional BCL of loaded mags each in a drag-bag that goes with the rifle anytime it leaves the house. All rifles should be a common caliber and action type.
2. For each rifle, two BCL's of loaded mags in an ammo can.
3. For each rifle, four BCL's of stripper clips in an ammo can, and one can with two BCL's of empty magazines.
4. For each rifle, four BCL's of bulk ammo in an ammo can.
5. For each rifle, one sealed factory case of bulk ammo.

Still working on it, haven't even touched handguns and training yet.

 

[Gunflint1]

YUP! Got sorta caught out in 2009 not being able to feed my habit, so I have been stocking up since then! I would hate to have to move it all now!
Prolly a no joke FULL pickup load, and Still, I keep adding! Mostly Hand Loads, but still, that's a LOT of ammo!
If I had to leave in a great big hurry, you all can have what is left over!

So what is enough? The answer is Never Enough. Hopefully the day never comes, where one must provide for his neighbor, & his neighbors neighbor.
But if it does, so be it. .....
"We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."
― Benjamin Franklin---

 

[titsonritz]

Always.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Getting into reloading and casting sooner than later is probably a good idea. You can buy a whole lotta lead, primers and powder for an equivalent amount of ammo.

 

[DunRanull]

40 years ago I was interested in the 'one of each' theory.....that proved to be hard to properly manage

Yep, the "One of each" theory.... I tried that too and got somewhat overwhelmed. Then I moved! Yikes. Now I'm down to my basic favorite shooters. Need to get some 5.56 and some .22lr for on-going use.

 

[Helocat]

I horde reloading components. Primers #1, Poweder #2 and projectiles a late #3. I can always start casting if I have too. Tracking down used lead will be the challenge, but way easier than primers and powder.

 

[tinkerbill]

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Seriously though. Ammo will never be cheaper than it is right now.

God forbid they pull some bubblegum like California.

Red Rover, is that you waaaaaaaaay in the back on the right in that picture? I bet with that much ammo the government comes to YOU every time they need to restock! Speaking of which, I look at it this way: You start out with at least 2K in each caliber you shoot and maybe more for the ones you really like. You can never get enough now days as far as I am concerned. My real limiter is spare cash. I setup a budget item to set aside a small nest egg every paycheck then when ammo sales erupt so do I. I keep close track of cost per rd. Besides how handy (and affordable) 22lr is now days it also makes for good trading stock! Currently I consider a good local price being <=4 cents per round for copper jacketed stuff. I try to stay away from the pure lead stuff. It's just about being lazy as the all lead stuff seems to really dirty up a gun a lot faster! My two other main calibers I buy locally are 9mm 124grn FMJ @18 cents/rd and as I recall 28 cents/rd for 5.56mm 55gr (even though I don't have a firearm to shoot 5.56 yet)! I'm saving for a nice AR platform but who knows. By the time I'm ready to buy one, those crazy nuts on the far left side of the isle down in Salem may have successfully banned the "Big black spooky assault rifle" (If there isn't a way to stop them)! One thing I would advise when it comes to storing ammo. Don't gather ALL yer marbles in big piles around where you live. Limit your in home stocks to roughly what you would shoot in a average month. The rest or perhaps all of it might depend on if it is still legal to own certain amounts (or any at all for that matter). If you find yourself in a total ban situation you each have to decide for yourselves what your stance is on our Constitution and your resolve to do what is right for you and loved ones but not particularly in line with what your .gov wants. Better to store em like the squirrels do, a little here, a little there, in locations you think are really good for such things but the main idea here is to spread it around......geo cache-style, log it down and keep that info safe, and above all, don't talk about it too much!

Here's a question for you all, if you feel as I do that the "big future shortage" is just a matter of time, doesn't it seem logical to do some stocking up? But every once in a while you hear in the news how someone gets turned in for being a "end of the earth prepper with thousands upon thousands of rounds of ammo ratted away! They approach it like "boy, aren't we fortunate we found this nut case when we did" Who knows what kind of danger he might have posed to our neighborhood/town"? "Why, that much ammo could have blown a hole all the way to China"! (China is still 180 degrees around the globe from us isn't it)? Do ya get what I'm trying to lay out here? No matter what the product, if people in a position to carry through with the threats to ban certain products, and a LOT of other people really like and/or need those products what do you expect them to do? It's human nature is it not, to stock up ahead of time, when it's known there will be a major disruption or permanent scarcity of certain products and a person has the chance to buffer the outcome? I would. Nuff said.

 

[bsa1917hunter]

I'm stocking up on my black powder rifle collection....

 

[Alexx1401]

I have been selling off my gun collection, I am about to 90%+ empty safe.

Wife and I are looking at boats. Lots of water up here. Figure if we get one we can put all the guns and ammo on it for a fun time on the water. Hope the damn thing does not sink.

 

[tinkerbill]

Taking a different direction from outright ammo purchase, I have done some reloading in the past and have the means to go that direction again if need be. Towards that end I have purchased a multi-stage bench loader from Lee with extra components covering multiple calibers and shell designs, all for a very reasonable price! I also have shot black powder a lot in past years. I still have a good stock of lead along with all the equipment & tools to cast various calibers, designs, and weights of bullets. Most of the BP guns I have used in the past as well as some I still have use #11 percussion caps to detonate the powder charge. Back when black powder shooting was quite popular the #11 percussion caps could be purchased at very reasonable prices all over. Now they cost about 6 cents/ea in lots of 5000 and over $300 shipped. There used to be a tool on the market called "Tap-O-Cap" which would allow you to stamp out percussion cap shells from thin aluminum sheet metal sources like pop cans and such. For ignition they suggested multiple "greeny stickem caps"! If this sounds like a desperate way to go, it was, but at least you could still shoot! It's manufacture was discontinued some years back and I always wished I had purchased one. Well, now there is a new tool on the market that does the same thing for under $50. It has a very unique name called the "#11 Percussion Cap Maker" and can be purchased at #11 Percussion Cap Maker. They also sell the dry chemicals called "Prime-All Repriming Compound" that make the new cap shells go bang when hammer struck. The chemicals, when mixed in small batches with liquid then dripped into each percussion cap, and allowed to dry, work as good as the store bought percussion caps! It's very time consuming though and you must be desperate but at least your still in business. Likewise, this same "Prime-All Repriming Compound" can be used to reload 22lr shells AND SPENT PRIMERS!! You will never again be at the mercy of the overreaching .gov-types who think they know what's best for you! The compound costs $20 and is enough to make about 2000 reprimes! Here is a link to the compound: Prime-All Repriming Compound
I've looked for this solution a long time and if it empowers other members as it has me, I am glad!
Will

 

[tinkerbill]

Buying ammo when you can is always a good idea....Never know when the next panic will set in...and its nice to have ammo to share with a new shooter.

Can't afford to buy in bulk or to start up reloading...I am in that boat...
Buy a box or two when you can...with hunting season upon us , shotgun ammo is often seen at "sale" prices...
Maybe skip that coffee drink and put that money towards a box of ammo.
Andy

I'm in the same boat Andy. I think a fair number of us are.
Will

 

[Alexx1401]

I'm in the same boat Andy. I think a fair number of us are.
Will

For anyone who has not yet started to roll and wants to on the low end look at the Lee Kits. When I learned to roll in the late 70's I bought one of these with his book. Came with a set of dies for .45. Went to the store and bought the components, read the instructions, started to roll. It is simple and cheap. I have upgraded some stuff but still use a couple Lee presses. To get by even cheaper you can just get a lee press first. Then add the other stuff later. Next panic shortage these things will dry up just like ammo.

 

[Gunflint1]

I horde reloading components. Primers #1, Poweder #2 and projectiles a late #3. I can always start casting if I have too. Tracking down used lead will be the challenge, but way easier than primers and powder.

Lead will continue to get harder to find, if Obozo would have had the time, the Ammunition from oversea's would have been stopped.(and still might be)
In 2013 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is not content to infringe on property rights; past actions taken against the country's last lead smelting facility will affect the right to keep and bear arms. EPA is Not America's friend. Check out Tainted water in Flint or EPA Lies, it's quit extensive.

 

[Ratfink]

My rule of thumb: Never drop below 10,000 rounds in my ammo cache. Sure it takes up room but the alternative is far more dangerous than merely being inconvenienced.

 

[coop44]

How much ammo? Check the load bearing capacity of your floor and buy accordingly.

 

[WoodsPlinker]

 

[Camelfilter]

...Tracking down used lead will be the challenge, but way easier than primers and powder.

You could always recover/harvest/mine (whatever term you like) range lead now, wherever you shoot. Likely "easier" to do so now vs, after the next blight.

Obviously depends on if shooting at a private range/club, and what there rules/bylaws are. As well as what your storage situation may be...

 

[Stomper]

I know this may seem like a political posting but it actually is not. After having seen the gun discussions among the Democratic presidential candidates at the debates and hearing their stances, I wondered if a rainy day for us gun owners are coming. Whether you think one of these candidates will win next year or not, American politics have always gone back and forth between the two parties in our country's history. In other words, the Democrats will regain their power sometime in the future whether they will win next year or not.

When that happens, I can see another post Sandy Hook-like dark days of incredible ammo drought. I got into guns about 3 months before Sandy Hook. I was shocked how after Sandy Hook, even 9mm ammo was scarce as well as Glock 19 magazines that held 15 rounds. Never mind 22LR ammo. My beginner enthusiasm crashed into the realities of no ammo and price gauging. I was caught completely unprepared. I swore I would never be in that position again.
.
1. As a result, I've started a slow stockpiling of 9mm ammo about a month ago. Is anyone else thinking like me and slowly stockpiling?

2. And so what do you all think is an adequate practical amount of ammo to store up? 1,000 rounds? 5,000 rounds? Is there a realistic limit for any of you?

3. And what other items should we obtain in preparation? Magazines?

I was curious as to what all of you ammo and reloading enthusiasts thought about this. Thanks to everyone for answering in advance.

You're talking present tense, this is a (WAAAAAAY) past tense issue for me.....

 

[ActionHero1980]

2. And so what do you all think is an adequate practical amount of ammo to store up? 1,000 rounds? 5,000 rounds? Is there a realistic limit for any of you?

One million Rounds!

 

[Gunflint1]

One million Rounds!
View attachment 618613

Ah Dr.... It's estimated

One million Rounds!
View attachment 618613

Agreed...Unless you own an Official Dr.Evil Ray Gun