Minimum load out

[Member 34319]

Where are we going with it?



What I carry on a daily basis is different than what I like to take to the range which is different than what I'd use in a class which is different than what I think I'd be carrying if the proverbial SHTF.

OP was asking how much is a good amount to have on hand. In general.

 

[tacticalgunner]

OP was asking how much is a good amount to have on hand. In general.

Your correct Reno! But to expand on the post, I am wondering, when storing ammo, how long do you let it shelf before you shoot it and cycle your stock. I know a lot of you folks said 13K and some, do you rotate the stock? Do you just let it sit? Do you inspect it for corrision from the moisture of the Great NW? Again, this is a fun thread, I like the direction you folks took it.

 

[Member 34319]

Your correct Reno! But to expand on the post, I am wondering, when storing ammo, how long do you let it shelf before you shoot it and cycle your stock. I know a lot of you folks said 13K and some, do you rotate the stock? Do you just let it sit? Do you inspect it for corrision from the moisture of the Great NW? Again, this is a fun thread, I like the direction you folks took it.

Back in Nevada a sealed ammo can was about it. If that. My stored ammo was in ammo cans. Then lots of it sat in filing cabinets in those little plastic cases.

I have some ammo from my dad that was left out in the open in his garage for probably 20 plus years. Still works fine. Then again it was Nevada.

I'm in the process, since moving to Oregon, of vacuum sealing 250, 500, 1000 amount quantities and store them in sealed ammo cans. Most of what I purchase already came vacuum sealed, the rifle stuff. Also a good portion of it is in sealed spam cans.

I have a few range cans that get no special treatment. They just sit until I take then shooting. I usually don't rotate my ammo. Just add to it. I also try not to dip into the stored ammo for range time.

For things like 54r if I open a new can, I buy two to replace it.

22 on the other hand I have simply cut back on shooting, I can't reload it nor replace it.

 

[Flopsweat]

Ah, now there's a wrinkle. I used to rotate the oldest out, at least when I remembered to do it and remembered where the oldest stuff was. With the crazy times of late, I've kept some of my older stuff because it's my preferred brand. The new stuff is whatever showed up at a low enough price to get me to buy a case of it. Anything that is specially sealed may sit for a very long time.

 

[Velzey]

I have US mfg military ammo from WW1 that functions 100%...allot of my shtf ammo is also surplus sealed 7.62 that has been real reliable. I keep an eye on it for corrosion...But not to worried about it. It should last a very long time..

 

[U201491]

I train with 6 on my chest rig. It is a lot of weight when loaded. I keep 4 pistol mags on my left hip and a drop leg dump bag on the left. Pistol holstered on the right hip. Rifle across the chest. Rucksack on my back. If anything bad happens I would probably have 4-6 more mags of both in the pack. Maybe some ammo.

I plan to get plates eventually. Hopefully sooner than when needed!

This would be my "get out" load if on foot.

I need to get the pack more situated for Oregon though. Seeing as I had planned for carrying more water in NV, I may be able to add weight in food or ammo instead of water.

4 30's on each leg 8 30's on the chest rig and the 45 and 7 mags also there. 510 rds and 56 rds.
And an R1.
2 bandoleers on strippers about 400 additional there.

 

[Member 34319]

4 30's on each leg 8 30's on the chest rig and the 45 and 7 mags also there. 510 rds and 56 rds.
And an R1.
2 bandoleers on strippers about 400 additional there.

What's your physique? If you don't mind my asking?

I'm 5'11" 150#s "wirey" as the call it from years of soccer.

My load comes to roughly 30-40 pounds. It may get lighter now since I plan to cut the water weight a bunch.

Ammo wise you have one hell of a load out!

Is this for training or for get out?

Rucksack?

 

[U201491]

What's your physique? If you don't mind my asking?

I'm 5'11" 150#s "wirey" as the call it from years of soccer.

My load comes to roughly 30-40 pounds. It may get lighter now since I plan to cut the water weight a bunch.

Ammo wise you have one hell of a load out!

Is this for training or for get out?

Rucksack?

210 6' and still fair shape.
Same weight I was in 1964.
Yes a fair load, but also qd if needed.
We did a lot of backpacking over the years with 40# on the wife and mine was usually the 60 to 70#.
the load bearing stuff today is far above what we had in the 60's
That is a get away load. Same with the packs. A small pack maybe, but just essentials there. I am getting up there, so probably not many years left of that capability.
I keep a set of weights laying around to stare at and think I work out with
In bad days I have a hunch you will be down laying lines vs doing footraces.

 

[Member 34319]

I recall a deer hunt once with my good friend and hunting buddy. We were 5-10 miles or so away from camp and about to turn in and head back. We both ended up taking deer at around 3:45 as they all of a sudden said "hi". By the time we started heading back we both had about 100+ pounds of meat as well as our packs and a 5-10 mile hike in the dark. If was hell, could of sworn one of is would end up dead. Neither of us said much on the way back. Nor did we say much when we got back. Probably some of the best sleep I had in a while though.

From that experience I have taken it upon myself to get my loads figured out.

At most I would be able to carry 70 pounds for a day of walking. Most likely less if hiking through the forrest.

All my loaded mags are about 15 pounds. The rifle and pistol add roughly another 10. My tent and sleeping bag are about 6-8 together. My Soylent mix powders are next to nothing. I have 4 pounds of mayday bars. Other than water and misc items I come in close to 40 pounds. If I were to add plates I would be up to 60-70 pounds. If I get them my *** is going back to the gym.

Hiking wise it's usually a lot lighter. I usually only carry my H&R single shot or my G23. Maybe 2-3 pounds of ammo. I love mountain house foods. My Kelly kettle. Same tent and bag for sleeping. An extra tarp. Ax. Bigger 1st aid kit. Propane stovetop for those days I can't find anything to burn for the Kelly kettle. Extra clothes. Probably 20 pounds. Maybe a bit more.

 

[ch139]

OP was asking how much is a good amount to have on hand. In general.

Thanks. The word "loadout" gets me thinking of our troops in combat and what they carry on a daily basis. I'm not in combat, so I don't really have a loadout per se.

As for what to have on hand in general, I'm thinkin its ammo... as much as a fella can accumulate. Thinking, its not like its going down in price or value, so an OK place to put you money; if you decided to "get out" of the "shooting hobby" you can sell the ammo you have on hand. If you "stick with the hobby" you have ammo you're going to shoot up, either way its a win-win. I think my biggest "concern" with accumulating is the imported stuff; wouldn't be difficult for the gubmit to put the kibosh on imported ammo. I don't know that something like that would do too much to the Moist Nuggets shooting 54R ammo, but I imagine the AK and SKS magazines would soon run dry. Sure, there is a small domestic supply and that would grow, but not to the point where those particular firearms are (relatively) "inexpensive" to shoot again. To that end, I'm thinkin if you have guns that digest imported foods, stock up on that as best you can (thinkin 7.62x39 & 545x39 here).

Your correct Reno! But to expand on the post, I am wondering, when storing ammo, how long do you let it shelf before you shoot it and cycle your stock. I know a lot of you folks said 13K and some, do you rotate the stock? Do you just let it sit? Do you inspect it for corrision from the moisture of the Great NW? Again, this is a fun thread, I like the direction you folks took it.

There was once a more opulent time (not all too long ago) when 13k rounds would make for a good, fun weekend of shooting. Gotta confess, I myself probably don't shoot that in a year nowadays. If the ammo is old(er) and I'm not going to be shooting it anyway, I don't feel inclined to burn it off just because its old(er). That being said, I do try to keep labels and dates/ages of ammo so the older stuff does get used up first.

Back in Nevada a sealed ammo can was about it. If that. My stored ammo was in ammo cans. Then lots of it sat in filing cabinets in those little plastic cases.

I have some ammo from my dad that was left out in the open in his garage for probably 20 plus years. Still works fine. Then again it was Nevada.

I'm in the process, since moving to Oregon, of vacuum sealing 250, 500, 1000 amount quantities and store them in sealed ammo cans. Most of what I purchase already came vacuum sealed, the rifle stuff. Also a good portion of it is in sealed spam cans.

I have a few range cans that get no special treatment. They just sit until I take then shooting. I usually don't rotate my ammo. Just add to it. I also try not to dip into the stored ammo for range time.

For things like 54r if I open a new can, I buy two to replace it.

22 on the other hand I have simply cut back on shooting, I can't reload it nor replace it.

I imagine Nevada was a nice dry place to have your ammo stored. While I believe we should all be taking precautions on storing our ammo, we have probably all seen old boxes of ammo laying around a moist-n-drafty garage or shop here in the PNW that has been laying out for decades exposed to the weather and still worked just fine. Not saying to not protect what you have and keep it as best you can, just thinkin, don't be loosing sleep over it.

4 30's on each leg 8 30's on the chest rig and the 45 and 7 mags also there. 510 rds and 56 rds.
And an R1.
2 bandoleers on strippers about 400 additional there.

HOLY CRAP! Thats a lot of ammo to carry. In a class or match I might carry 3 to 6 magazine for the M4 and I'll probably be whining about that.

 

[U201491]

On hand I wouldn't even speculate.

I used to shoot a lot.
In the Corps, was about 2K a week.

As a civilian after and before maybe 200 to 250 a week. When the son got into smallbore, we both did 1K a week at our own range.
In the past 10 to 15 yrs I may do half that in a good year. the past yr Down to a couple hundred rds or less a month. Have not been out now since elk season.

 

[Velzey]

I use a wheelbarrow for my loadout...

 

[Nwcid]

I use a wheelbarrow for my loadout...

AAAAHHHHH, so this is a pic of you?

 

[cookie]

13000 min for the SHTF rifle, and 10,000 for the pistol. Also make sure to have spare parts for both! Firing pins, springs etc.

what if you need 13,001 !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Derbarbarian]

I know I'm a little bit late responding here, only by a month . Anyways I have a stockpile a bit north of 25,000 rounds which if bubblegum does hit the fan I have no way of moving it all lol.. I try to keep guns that use fairly common ammo because that's probably what you will find floating around opposed to using guns which ammo happens to be a scarcity.

 

[tacticalgunner]

I will tell you this, my realtor asked me to put away some of my ammo that's in the master closet for showing the house, and dang, that was a chore. Started counting again and convinced myself to hit the range more often.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Hi, my name is Certaindeaf and I have 1000lbs of lead right now. I cast it into different kinds of bullets, as my desire or need might arise and shoot them into stuff.
Once I shot a small "round" of bull pine with 2000 rounds of 9mm cast bullets (Hi-Power) in an afternoon.. threw it in a wood stove and recycled the lead to load 'em up again.

 

[usmc]

BOTTOM LINE "NEVER ENOUGH". Just buy a box or two of various ammo you need each payday and call it good.

 

[RW-Ore]

I think the best thing is have what ammo you have sealed and in a controlled temp area I had a box of 22's in my garage for years and it didn't like it erratic isn't the word I would use , one shot almost didn't make it past the end of the barrel that's when I threw the rest out.

 

[Barone20]

I try and keep enough ammo for all my guns that I can enjoy them and hunt and shoot now and then maybe 100 rds for rifles and large bore pistols. Shtf; if it's a bugout situation u are gonna rely on mostly a semi-auto pistol and an assault rifle/shotgun for protection, so I try to keep a healthy stock of 1k-2k of each. Rotating and buying new ammo to shoot. People who stock 10-20k in multi calibers can't carry it all. and unless staying and defending a fortified location, are just saving ammo for someone else to loot from them