What is a "Good" Stockpile for Munitions?

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  • Magyars

    Grandmaster
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    36   0   0
    Mar 6, 2010
    9,094
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    Delaware County Freehold
    There is a simple formula to calculate how much ammo you should have.
    X equalls the number of rounds you currently have.
    The formula is X+1
    Seriously
    Strive for more than you need for regular practice and for Self defense
     

    Tandem160

    Marksman
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    3   0   0
    Jan 27, 2009
    177
    18
    If all yur mags are full and your familiar with your gun a 100 rnds is fine. Don’t sweat it, Stick your gun in the sock drawer and sleep better at night. You (more than likely) will in the 95% club.
     

    VERT

    Grandmaster
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    23   0   0
    Jan 4, 2009
    9,801
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    Seymour
    For me, I keep a 2 year supply. I own a 44 mag, and shoot it 50 rounds a year, so I only keep 100 rounds or so. I own multiple AR 15's, and shoot 10k rounds a year, so I keep 20k.

    I figure with a 2 year supply I wont run out before pandemic's, election, etc craziness goes away. That said, this current crisis is making me wish I had gone to a 4 year supply this time last year.

    vette offers good advice. I have been around the block before and this is not the first ammo crunch we have seen. Doubt it will be the last. I would keep 1 to 2 year supply of practice, range ammo on hand. For many that might be in the form of reloading supplies. If the OP is a government plant then let’s do the math and justify our position. Why? Because for some reason eyes bug out over a news article claiming someone has 100, 500, 1000 rounds of ammunition. So do the math.

    Jimmy gun owner likes to shoot at the local range/club. Once a month the range hosts a shooting match that takes 150 rounds. (Very common here in Indiana). That is 1800 rounds a year. So it would make sense for Jimmy to have 1800 - 3600 rounds of ammo stored away so he can enjoy his sport.

    For others I might suggest keeping enough for one or two range sessions always on hand. 300 rounds of handgun ammo is a good estimate of needs to go to the range or take a safety class. They might also want to have a couple boxes of hollow points on hand for self defense.

    Honestly I am not a big advocate of hoarding ammo for the end of the world. I have ammo to enjoy my hobby. I suppose if the Flugaloo hits a couple hundred rounds will be a lifetime supply.
     

    Biggredchev

    Just some guy
    Local Business Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jan 16, 2017
    2,190
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    Pretty much Michigan.
    Just buy As much as your comfortable with buying.

    Its a matter of opinion though and in my opinion a stockpile should consist of 1000 minimum in each caliber you own to truly be considered a stockpile. Anything less than that is just a normal amount.
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
    83
    SW Indiana
    I am a first-time firearm owner (not even 2 weeks' yet!) and have quickly found myself asking 2 questions:
    • How much ammo should I stockpile in this current supply-and-demand/pandemic environment?
    • Why did I chose now, of all times, to get into this?!
    The second question is certainly tongue-in-cheek. However, the first is anything but. I have only been able to fire 100 rounds through my new firearm, exclusively because of the ever-increasing cost and rarity of ammo. And as I get a box here and there, the common advice is to stockpile. So, stockpile I have, even though I very much want to go to the range.

    So, my fellow INGO visitors, what is a "good", "safe," or "[insert adjective of equal definition here]" amount of munitions to stockpile, in your opinion?

    Without the ultra slant on things...
    It depends entirely how much you shoot, and how rare the ammo you need is.
    .
    The common calibers have supply issues right now, so it might be a while before you figure that out.
    I shoot between 30k & 100k a year, closer to the 30k mark the older I get.
    Since I load my own, I try and keep components for 30k somewhere around here,
    If I didn't reload, I'd probably try to keep 30k in factory ammo..
    .
    I would recommend for seasonal hunters to keep what they normally practice/shoot a year, but that might only be 100 rounds a year.
    .
    My wife qualifies once a year, usually shoots 200 or so getting ready, so there is between 200-500 around here for her at any given time.
    .
    The idea of a 'Stockpile' is a good way to have ammo you will never shoot, and ammo DOES degrade over time, becomes less accurate, creates problems.
    .
     

    Usmccookie

    Grandmaster
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    6   0   0
    Jan 28, 2017
    5,838
    113
    nwi
    Because of reasons, my supply has dwindled to a trickle.

    I used to like the 10% rule.
    shoot 90 save 10
    can't ever have enough. I used to keep a year supply minimum and grow from there. now I'm lucky to have any
     

    shadow64

    Grandmaster
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    29   0   0
    Apr 9, 2011
    5,274
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    Plainfield
    I would suggest picking up enough for a few trips to the range to get some more practice 300-400 rd as you shoot it replace it and add a extra box or two. It will build up slowly but will not break your budget . that is how I started many years ago. A 1000 round is a decent amount if you can justify spending the money.
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
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    0   0   0
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
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    SW Indiana
    You cannot have too much ammo

    I won't take the bait...
    I just think of that guy between Bedford & Mitchell who's barn fell over into the creek because he 'Stockpiled' ammo for decades and the weight collapsed the old barn over into the creek.
    The cleanup crew stopped counting about 1 million rounds and ammo was recovered out of the creek over 3 miles away.
    .
    The cleanup cost the taxpayers over half a million, rounds and powder canisters had rotted through.
    I'd have to argue he had 'Too Much', for the old rotted barn anyway.
     

    DadSmith

    Grandmaster
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    1   0   0
    Oct 21, 2018
    22,200
    113
    Ripley County
    Imo I say at minimum 1,000rds per caliber per firearm. So if you own one 9mm and two 556 1k for the 9mm minimum and 2k for the 556 minimum.
     

    Lushamania

    Marksman
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jan 7, 2021
    293
    43
    The Region
    Glad you are on board with the firearm community!! Stay with it. Hopefully ammo prices normalize sometime this year. Improvise as necessary by perhaps dry-fire training and/or using .22lr as a training platform. Also, learn all you can about self-defense and shooting in general. Lots of books and classes on these subjects.
    Dry-fire training is really good advice; I'd not thought of that. I have been taking some time every couple of days to become more acclimated with my new firearm (completely unloaded, of course): working the safety, magazine release, unloading/reloading the magazine, taking apart the gun, and so on. I have not, however, been dry firing it.

    I’ve read that a normal range day before all this would have been 1k rounds if you were making the most out of it. Now 100 rounds and it might seem like you are showing off. Lmao.
    Ha! @ "showing off."

    If the OP is a government plant then let’s do the math and justify our position.
    New firearm owner, Government plant, giraffe... I am whatever you choose to see me as. :P

    For others I might suggest keeping enough for one or two range sessions always on hand. 300 rounds of handgun ammo is a good estimate of needs to go to the range or take a safety class. They might also want to have a couple boxes of hollow points on hand for self defense.
    My girlfriend and I have limited our range time to 50 rounds each the 2 times we've gone; we both purchased a firearm at the same time. I can't even imagine what it would be like to spend 100, let alone 1,000, rounds a day at the range! ;)

    I have a comfortable amount of self-defense rounds (for me). Those are the rounds that, heaven forbid, never have to get used. It's the training rounds that are my biggest source of woe.

    How often do you train a month? Id multiply that by 96. Thats how much i would stockpile. At a minimum.
    That's not a bad formula to follow. Is it based on the premise that one would go to the range and spend 96 rounds per visit?

    I just think of that guy between Bedford & Mitchell who's barn fell over into the creek because he 'Stockpiled' ammo for decades and the weight collapsed the old barn over into the creek.
    The cleanup crew stopped counting about 1 million rounds and ammo was recovered out of the creek over 3 miles away.
    .
    The cleanup cost the taxpayers over half a million, rounds and powder canisters had rotted through.
    I'd have to argue he had 'Too Much', for the old rotted barn anyway.
    Whoa, that was actually a thing that happened?! Was it recently?
     

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