Powder and primer stockpiling

[corngrower]

Does anyone have opinions on how much is too much before it becomes simply hoarding. I know this has been beaten to death just trying to justify adding a couple thousand dollars in additional supplies while prices are down and I have the funds. I don't need this for today or next year but sometimes cash gets scarce about the time prices spike in the past.


Any advice welcome. Thanks

 

[Sling10mm]

I'll be curious to see what others have to say, but I like to keep 6-8 pounds of each powder I use and 6-8000 primers of each size that I use.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Prices are down and supplies are plentiful, stockpile away, it is the smart thing to do and what I tried to convince people to do in the months and years before the last THREE shortages. Many of those same people who couldn't be bothered were the same people who whined they couldn't get any during the shortages.

Hoarding is having more than you can conceivably ever use in your lifetime and with no intent on reselling or supplying friends later. Any amount other than that is being prudent based on your own shooting. Be aware of storage issues and follow NFPA guidelines if you want your insurance to pay up if you have a fire, and be aware of local regulations as to quantities. Other than that, have at it. Please. It helps ease the supply problems during shortages as those of us who have stored stocks reduce how much we buy and even sell some of our private stock (at the risk of being called names for fleecing the unprepared).

I shoot several thousand rounds a year, so 100k primers is not an unreasonable amount (I may or may not have more or less than that ;-) ). On top of that, I can always sell them for at least what I bought them for and they are a very liquid asset, especially during shortages.

 

[Bfish]

I've got about 6-8k small rifle and pistol primers and about 8 pounds of a couple different kinds of powder.... I wouldn't consider that "stock piled" though, just the right amount of supply more than anything. I haven't been shooting a ton though, maybe only 1k pistol rounds or so this summer, I've been too busy. Also been too buys to reload much.

I would love to have about 10k more projectiles and double the amount of primers and powder that I do now. However, I'll buy as I get a little more cash. My buy list is just too large! I would like to buy get a good stock pile of loaded ammo and then buy components again.

 

[wsenefeld]

My resources for reloading are limited but I try to keep 3k-5k primers on hand in each flavor (SP, LP, SR, LR). Then I try to keep enough powder on hand to use up all the primers. The only calibers I reload for are 9mm, 45acp, .223rem, and .308win.

 

[Medic2464]

How long can you keep powder before it becomes unsafe to use?

 

[bulletsmith]

I found this some time back. Though I don't see what document they are referring to, 10-3.7 mentions some limits. If you can decipher if that link is talking about actual enforceable code, or if it is simply a manufacturers guidelines, it may help.

 

[Gluemanz28]

No such thing as too much. As long as I have resources and storage space I will continue to buy.

Too bad I'm broke and no storage area.

 

[Que]

I used to believe that enough supplies to produce 3k rounds of 9mm, .40 and .45 was enough. I now want to keep a rotating supply of about 8k each, but never drop below 5k each for projectiles and primers.

 

[rg1]

Stockpiling should be for loaded ammo to last for all your shooting for a few years. Stockpiling components should be just to reload all you'll shoot for the same amount of time. That requires some thought as you don't need multi-thousands of primers if you only have a small amount of powder or bullets. You have to coordinate all the components. Bullets seems to be the hardest and most expensive component to match your powder and primer stash. 8 lbs. of powder will load over 2000 .223 Rem so do you have 2000 bullets for just that 8 lbs? Need to keep inventories of your components. Depends on how much you shoot plus how you see the future and shortages or a possible breakdown of society.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I stock 4 pounds of powder for a good load for a rifle and try to use it for more than one rifle. I try to keep CCi primers 4000 of each. I also try and keep 500 rounds of factory ammo for each firearm. I mostly shoot hand loads so it isn't to hard to keep factory ammo. My 308 likes IMR 4895 so I have to stock that. My 358 Hoosier likes IMR 4198 so I stock that. I use H110 for my 44s and so on and so on. I end up stocking more powder than I like. Then what you going to do?

 

[42769vette]

I call it hording when you get over 5 years of intended use. If you shoot 20 rounds a year you should have 100 bullets on hand. If you shoot 10,000 rounds a year you should have 50k on hand.

 

[Robert Richardson]

I don't stockpile components, I just turn them into ammo, buy more and repeat.

 

[jgressley2003]

I have roughly 14 lbs of powder for 223 and Id guess 6-7 lbs for pistol and about 7k primers. With the mass shootings going on and the stupids we have in office, I'd say stock as much as you can afford and are comfortable with because you never know when the next drought will be.

 

[snuffy33]

Who cares what others call it.
Keep what you want.

 

[17 squirrel]

This past summer and I'm sure next summer my son will finish going through all of my Grandfathers and my 40 + years of buying and packing away reloading supply's. It's looking like we have way more projectiles than primers and powder. When he is done we will work on evening everything out.
Store what you can, bullets don't go bad, they just turn brown after awhile.
Primers and powder will both store indefinitely in halfway desent conditions.

 

[spencer rifle]

I buy powder and primers by the case to keep them away from the hoarders.

 

[17 squirrel]

I buy powder and primers by the case to keep them away from the hoarders.

When Talon Industries was in Business I would pay cash on their loading dock so the wholesalers couldn't hoard the demilled components.

 

[corngrower]

It is settled then. Full speed ahead until either full or.I reach the end of my reloading budget for the year. Good replies and pretty much what I was thinking. I feel like guns ammo and farm land are all investments. Its not
hoarding if it truly gains value in ownership.

 

[Chaplain45]

I buy powder and primers by the case to keep them away from the hoarders.

Love this ^^^
And the C.S. Lewis quote.