Is there a rule of thumb for how much ammo to have on hand?
I know the answer is there is never too much, but what is a base amount?
I know the answer is there is never too much, but what is a base amount?
Ammunition
- Thread starter Robinjopo1
- Start date
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Min. 500 rounds
Oddcaliber
A True Doomsday Prepper
Keep 1000 rounds per gun!
Brittany
Active Member
get as much as you can!!!! I only have 20 rounds because, I got mine just 2 weeks before COVID -19 started. By then, it was too late, all ammunition was gone!! My friend and I drove to at least 6 Walmart and other stores looking for ammunition and had no luck. literally, the scariest time. I wish i could buy some ammunition from one of my Texan friends who hoards these things but, I found out that they cannot ship it.
Depending on where you live and what you carry. But, I have witness gun enthusiast and they keep about several barrels of them. I'm talking about 55gallon barrels full of ammunition. They also make their own and purchase their own gunpowder.
Thanks everyone.
Per gun, I should add.
For Shotgun, perhaps drop that to 200-250 since that ammo takes up a lot of space, and each shot is like multiple shots from a single projectile round.
For a scoped non-automatic rifle, 200 rounds, since those aren't ammo hogs.
For a 22, the more the better because a lot of people think 22 ammo will be used as currency like cigarettes in a prison. Keep it in airtight containers with desiccant, and at a controlled temperature because 22 ammo seems to be more vulnerable to degradation from humidity and heat.
For everything else, absolute minimum 500 rounds.
Or, another way to do it is have a .30 cal ammo can full of each, and that will meet or exceed each of the above, except for the shotgun ammo which will need a .50 cal ammo can. You can graduate to .50 ammo cans when you can afford to. I use a .50 cal ammo can for my 45 ACP competition ammo and 30 cal ammo cans for others.
I place ammo in boxes in the ammo cans, which reduces the capacity, but if you put loose ammo in them, this is what an ammo can will hold:
- 1200 rds of 5.56 will fit in to a 50 cal ammo can.
- 600rds of 5.56 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 1750rds of .40SW will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
- 1000rds of .40SW will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 140rds of 12ga 2.75 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 250rds of 12ga 2.75 will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
- 640rds of .308 will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
- 320rds of .308 will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 1300rds of .45ACP will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
- 770rds of .45ACP will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 2200rds of 9mm will fit in to a 50cal ammo can.
- 1200rds of 9mm will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
- 300rds of 7.62x54r will fit in to a 30cal ammo can.
Jayson
A True Doomsday Prepper
It depends on how many looters and marauders come into your neck of the woods that need a serious dose of lead poisoning. 
Oddcaliber
A True Doomsday Prepper
Have a 20mm ammo can with just 22lr in it.
Jayson
A True Doomsday Prepper
I bought a shit load of surplus 25mm ammo boxes that were used for the M2 Bradley IFV. They are sturdy and waterproof.
Maverick
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Generally 500rnd per firearm of quality ammo is something to work towards. I keep substantially more, I just haven't stopped buying.
Not sure there is a right number as it all depends on one’s circumstances. How many shooters do you have in the house? Are you located close enough to an area where you might get a gang attack your place? Or close enough to town to get rioters? In a grid down situation I’d say there would never be enough.
tmttactical
A True Doomsday Prepper
Current ammo approximate count. 200 rounds 6.5 Creedmoor. 1,000 plus rounds of 556. 1,000 rounds of 7.62 x 30. 1,500 rounds of 9 mm. 1,500 rounds of 22 lr. 100 rounds 20 ga. 12 ga is on the list, once I get a new 12 ga shotgun. I plan to keep reloading and stocking ammo. Reloading is now my hobby and stocking just makes good sense.
Oddcaliber
A True Doomsday Prepper
Shotgun ammo can be a little tricky to stockpile. I have 7 1/2,4 shot ,buckshot and slugs. Think small game and waterfowl. Buckshot and slugs are for serious social issues. Don't worry about not having steel shot for ducks because after SHTF I don't think the fish and game police are going to care.
Jayson
A True Doomsday Prepper
Yup. I have an adequate supply of 00 buckshot. I need to stock up on 7 1/2 birdshot though.
Kevin L
A True Doomsday Prepper
I take ammo, put it in plastic containers with rice and an oxygen eater, seal it up witk clear silicone caulking, and it stays good for years.
TexasFreedom
A True Doomsday Prepper
It depends on how many looters and marauders come into your neck of the woods that need a serious dose of lead poisoning.
I think Jayson was closest. Generic rule of thumb: 1000 rounds per weapon.
I've got a bit more complicated formula. It comes down to... how many people will you need to take out? I took major cities within 100 miles, and smaller towns within 20 miles. Estimate how many people from each town will be going by your place. Are you on/near a major road? How many will be just going by & how many will be wanting to take from you? My estimate was that 200-800 people would be problems. I'd plan for 20-100 rounds per enemy. So for me, 80,000 rounds is a safe number (800 people, 100 rounds each). 4,000 rounds is the minimum (200 people x 20 rounds). Don't forget practice shooting, ammo for hunting, etc. It adds up.
I need to dump the stock market & play the ammo market. Buy it by the pallet when ammo is available. And raise prices 50% and sell at times like this. And having a shipping container full of 40 pallets of ammo will help me sleep better at night!
You can never have to much ammo, only too many targets.
100 rounds in your pack is better than 1000 rounds in the gun shop
If you only have one weapon then you better have spare springs and extractors for it.
Learn to shoot both right and left handed.
WTSHTF you're gun must never be out of arms reach. EVER.
Learn to shoot standing, kneeling, sitting, prone and from inside a vehicle.
Two magazines is one magazine, you can empty the first before clearly identifying the real threat. Three magazines is better, more if you have to reload magazines for yourself unaided.
You can never be to close to your target, but youre target can be to close to you, Thats why Rifles rule over pistols.
Ten rules for survival shooting
1 Practice then clean your gun.
2 Practice then clean your gun.
3 Practice then clean your gun.
4 Practice then clean your gun.
5 Practice then clean your gun.
6 Practice then clean your gun.
7 Practice then clean your gun.
8 Practice then clean your gun.
9 Practice then clean your gun.
10 Practice then clean your gun.
100 rounds in your pack is better than 1000 rounds in the gun shop
If you only have one weapon then you better have spare springs and extractors for it.
Learn to shoot both right and left handed.
WTSHTF you're gun must never be out of arms reach. EVER.
Learn to shoot standing, kneeling, sitting, prone and from inside a vehicle.
Two magazines is one magazine, you can empty the first before clearly identifying the real threat. Three magazines is better, more if you have to reload magazines for yourself unaided.
You can never be to close to your target, but youre target can be to close to you, Thats why Rifles rule over pistols.
Ten rules for survival shooting
1 Practice then clean your gun.
2 Practice then clean your gun.
3 Practice then clean your gun.
4 Practice then clean your gun.
5 Practice then clean your gun.
6 Practice then clean your gun.
7 Practice then clean your gun.
8 Practice then clean your gun.
9 Practice then clean your gun.
10 Practice then clean your gun.
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I really like how you put real numbers with the analysis Tex! This helps me a lot!
TexasFreedom
A True Doomsday Prepper
GP,
It's the geek in me. I was even worse. Let's say you have 2 cities. City #1: 40 miles away, 1 million people, 25% will be a problem. City #2: 70 miles away, 2 million people, 33% (1/3rd) will be a problem. Let's say your area of protection is 1/2 mile across.
City #1: circumference is pi x diameter, or 3.14 x 80 miles (2x distance) = 251 miles. You're covering 1/2 mile of that, or 1/2 / 251 or 1/502 or 0.002 (0.2%) of it. If people uniformly spread out, you have 250k people (25% of 1 million). The number coming across your place is 0.2% of 250k, or 497 people. Now people won't spread evenly, they'll primarily move via major roads, then minor roads, then paths... A major road might face 10 times that number, dead-end knarly gravel roads might see 1/10th that.
City #2: Circumference is 3.14 x 140 miles = 440 miles. You have 0.5 / 440 = .11% to protect. 1/3rd of 2 million people is 667k. Or you will have about 760 people to deal with.
There is another factor. As these trouble makers / lead-eaters move outward, more of them will get taken out. But those number grow as more suburban people join the trouble-making gangs. Again, this varies greatly in different locations (hint: don't live near Chicago!). I think a 1-2% drop per mile is a reasonable guess. That drops as the group drops. So, for example you start with 100 thugs and a 2% decrease. 1 mile away you have 98 thugs. 2 miles away you have 96.04 (98 x 0.98). At 5 miles you have 92.2, 10 miles 83.4, 15 miles 75.4. 20 miles 68.1 thugs.
Using this decrease number, if I use 2% rolloff per mile, that 497 from city #1 drops to 221 thugs (good!). And the city #2 760 thugs drops to 185 thugs at a 2% drop, but city #2 would still be 376 thugs if you used a 1% per mile rolloff. And, bad news, somewhere like Chicago might be a 4% increase per mile given the crime rates there! Just guess at these numbers, it'll give you guidance.
A key takeaway is looking at how 'attractive' your property is to troublemakers. Location matters. Main roads suck for this. But 'appearance' also really matters. If they can't see it, they won't come for the most part. If you're the mansion on a hill visible for miles, oops! All of these are factors that you scale up or down for.
It's the geek in me. I was even worse. Let's say you have 2 cities. City #1: 40 miles away, 1 million people, 25% will be a problem. City #2: 70 miles away, 2 million people, 33% (1/3rd) will be a problem. Let's say your area of protection is 1/2 mile across.
City #1: circumference is pi x diameter, or 3.14 x 80 miles (2x distance) = 251 miles. You're covering 1/2 mile of that, or 1/2 / 251 or 1/502 or 0.002 (0.2%) of it. If people uniformly spread out, you have 250k people (25% of 1 million). The number coming across your place is 0.2% of 250k, or 497 people. Now people won't spread evenly, they'll primarily move via major roads, then minor roads, then paths... A major road might face 10 times that number, dead-end knarly gravel roads might see 1/10th that.
City #2: Circumference is 3.14 x 140 miles = 440 miles. You have 0.5 / 440 = .11% to protect. 1/3rd of 2 million people is 667k. Or you will have about 760 people to deal with.
There is another factor. As these trouble makers / lead-eaters move outward, more of them will get taken out. But those number grow as more suburban people join the trouble-making gangs. Again, this varies greatly in different locations (hint: don't live near Chicago!). I think a 1-2% drop per mile is a reasonable guess. That drops as the group drops. So, for example you start with 100 thugs and a 2% decrease. 1 mile away you have 98 thugs. 2 miles away you have 96.04 (98 x 0.98). At 5 miles you have 92.2, 10 miles 83.4, 15 miles 75.4. 20 miles 68.1 thugs.
Using this decrease number, if I use 2% rolloff per mile, that 497 from city #1 drops to 221 thugs (good!). And the city #2 760 thugs drops to 185 thugs at a 2% drop, but city #2 would still be 376 thugs if you used a 1% per mile rolloff. And, bad news, somewhere like Chicago might be a 4% increase per mile given the crime rates there! Just guess at these numbers, it'll give you guidance.
A key takeaway is looking at how 'attractive' your property is to troublemakers. Location matters. Main roads suck for this. But 'appearance' also really matters. If they can't see it, they won't come for the most part. If you're the mansion on a hill visible for miles, oops! All of these are factors that you scale up or down for.
