how much ammo to make it to the end?

[W.E.G.]

Anybody ever took the time to calculate how much ammo you need to make to the end?

As in the END of your shooting days.

I was lying on the MRI machine today. I figured I had 20 minutes to think about something exciting.

After tumbling some numbers in my noggin (range trips per month, amount of ammo fired, amount on hand, adjusted for disproportionate useage in certain calibers), I'm convinced that I'm real close.

[richbug]

But I have my kids to think about...

[Warp]

WAY, WAY too much to even contemplate at this point in time.

I'll be ordering a FAL this year, and I have only 1k rounds for it. And not a whole ton of pistol ammo, <1k of x39, only 10k maybe (?) of .22lr.


And I'm <25.


LOTS of shooting yet to be done, nto a lot of ammo (or money for ammo).

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by richbug
But I have my kids to think about...

Well, in my case then, it would be ZERO cans.

_________________________
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Originally posted by Warp
WAY, WAY too much to even contemplate at this point in time.
I'll be ordering a FAL this year, and I have only 1k rounds for it. And not a whole ton of pistol ammo, <1k of x39, only 10k maybe (?) of .22lr.
And I'm <25.
LOTS of shooting yet to be done, nto a lot of ammo (or money for ammo).

Yeah, you haven't been around long enough to make a good estimate of what your usage will be.
If kids come along, that can have major impact on your usage, irrespective of whether the kid could care less about shooting.

[English Mike]

If I was where I want to be, then:

#1 7.62x51: 60x26x20(rounds x weeks x years) = 31,200

#2 5.56x45: the same - 31,200

#3 .22rf: 200x52x20 = 200,000

#4 Assorted hunting/bolt gun: 10,000

#5 Handgun - all calibers: 50,000

#6 Shotgun: 20,000

That's around $52,000 at present prices over 20 years if I reload all of #4 & #5.

By the time I plot my escape, it'll probably be half the ammunition at twice the price.

[Tuscan Raider]

Good question. It's kind of easy to throw out those
wish list numbers, but if you couldn't buy anymore
tomorrow,whatever you have is your lifetime stash.

So I look at it as,"Could I make this pile I have last a lifetime?"
It would suck to only be able to shoot once or twice
a year, but I think I could make mine last.

Besides, you can never have enough ammo.

[FAL GRUNT]

I have about 8 years worth of 5.45... that gets me to age 30 :P

As for everything else... I have enough 8mm to last me till im probably 50 (don't shoot it much) same goes for 7.62x54r.

It's tough not having money to buy ammo you KNOW will go up in price... so... I just keep ordering 5.45. It's fun to shoot... and CHEAP. While it ain't .308 in my FAL, it keeps me practiced and improving.

To really work out I use handloads in my FAL.

Need ALOT more 5.45, 7.62x39, brass and components for 30.06, .308, .303, .45, 9x18. It's all part of the game! Havn't even considered kids yet... don't want to!

-myers

[WiFAL]

I bought 6X my annual usage times my life expectancy. I'm covered and so are my kids in several calibers so long as you can shoot steel core ammo at the range.

[Glucker]

I fired exactly 2,400 rounds in 2007, mostly 9mm, maybe 600 or so .45acp, and maybe 300rds of .308. It was a slow year, so I'll round up to a more usual 3,000 per year.

What I've got socked away gets me to about age 60+, at which point I'll probably be tired of all this, and spend all my money chasing women like I should be doing now.

[ElRon]

It ain't your end that's important, but that of your friends. Be there first to console the widow with a fistful of dollars and a handtruck...

[Brian in MN]

Gary, was that a subtle way of telling us that you are planning on leaving soon? Hope not.

[owlcreekok]

Originally posted by Brian in MN
Gary, was that a subtle way of telling us that you are planning on leaving soon? Hope not.

My thoughts exactly.

In other news;

Being now a full time estimator, I tumbled some numbers too. What appears starkly to me is not how much I will need, but how little I can prudently shoot. I dare say I shoot much less now than most guys on here. I know for a fact I shoot less than I once did. In pistol alone , there was a period of my life I shot between 500 and 1,000 rounds a WEEK in practice. Never near so for rifle.

Running a couple of projections, based on mostly conjecture (even though I am pretty closely connected to the metals industry) I will not be willing to pay $1.00 plus per shot for centerfire rifle ammo. My brass collection has a finite life as well as a finite source of supply. I doubt I would shoot all the stick powder I have as there will come a time, should I live long enough, that I will be down to cast bullets only. (save for the SHTF stash of factory ammo of course) Again, I will not likely shoot up all the bullet metal I have on hand to cast with. My primer collection will give out in five to eight years, estimated. I can add to that easily (presently).

This is an excellent thread topic as it provokes thoughts that we who wish to shoot till death do us part should have.

The cynic in me believes wholeheartedly that in less than ten year's time it will be legally restrictive to purchase and keep ammo or components that are not "grandfathered". Give it twenty more years and the firearms will be as dicey to own and operate.

Que Sera'

[ce]

I have 96 bottles of beer, and at the current rate of consumption, it will last until February.

If any of you homos touch my beer, or my ammo, I'll kill ya.

[M62/M76]

Buy all you can, while you can!

[euripides]

At my age, I have enough to shoot up until the end--with some left over. I have had to stop reloading, until I use that stuff up, and still have unopened BP's.

[Super B]

I have consolidated into just a few calibers so I could stockpile more effectively. My main stuff is
.308, 8MM, 6.5x55 and 7.5 Swiss. Oh, and a little x39 for my AK.

Inasmuch as I am halfway through my expected life span, both I and my kids should be able to shoot for our lifetimes.

[W.E.G.]

I'm not planning on checking out anytime soon.

I was calculating to age 75.

Somebody/Something steps on the tail of most folks long before that.

Maybe its just the business that constantly rubs my nose in the subject of mortality.

I long ago lost interest in claybird shooting. Mostly, I've lost interest in the claybird crowd, and their ostentatious demeanor. So, my shotshell needs are minimal. As far as "tactical" shotgun shooting goes, I don't enjoy recoil enough to run out and shoot 200 rounds of buckshot on a Saturday.

I can go through some pistol ammo. I've curtailed that a good bit though. I swear, I can do in my basement, with the Airsoft Glock, the same thing I can do with 300 rounds of 9mm at the range. All without burning any gasoline, paying any range fees, and for all of $1.20 (assuming I don't recover the pellets).

That pretty much leaves me to highpower rifle stuff - which comprises the bulk of my supply. I think I'm pretty close. I could probably stand to salt-away some more .22 - but I must admit I get bored shooting .22 pretty quickly. Airsoft does about as much for me as .22.

Shooting small targets at squintin' distance still gives me wood.

I have a pretty decent supply of brass. I could use a few more bullets. Not that much though really. I hope I don't have to move all this shit again.

I have some powder and primers. Not a tremendous amount of that though. I'm counting on rifle powder and primers being available for the rest of my life, and at reasonably affordable prices. The chinese haven't scarfed all the charcoal, sulfur and saltpeter like they've scarfed the metals.

I've got my eye on some good brass-catchers for the FAL and the flat-top mouser.

[W.E.G.]

Originally posted by ce
I have 96 bottles of beer, and at the current rate of consumption, it will last until February.

If any of you homos touch my beer, or my ammo, I'll kill ya.

[evan price]

OK, this year I didn't get enough shooting done due to work and other stuff, as I would have liked.

9mm 5000
.45 2000
.357 500
.38 1000
.44 500

.22lr 5500

6.5x55 25
.308 340 (one SA bp and half a can of OFV)
8mm 300

Based upon those levels of consumption I would have .308, 8mm and 6.5x55 to last me ten years. .22lrs to last me 2-3 years. Centerfire pistol to last one year.

Thus I begun reloadifying and stocking up on components NOW.

[brandyspaw]

I'm pushing sixty and with the stash I have now I will likely never burn through it all. And yet I always want to buy more.

I finish stocking a little bit more of this or that caliber and before you know it I'm plotting on what to buy next. Its a lot like my retirement funds. I will never have enough money to retire on or enough ammo to shoot if I can't seperate desires from actual needs.

And a lot of this question is the difference between what you want and what you really need and being able to accurately gauge the difference.

So be happy with what you have and plan, in a realistic fashion, what you really need. At least in my case, its a lot less than what I have.

[Mebsuta]

Edited. That was 2 morbid.

[Bawana jim]

Well, I have a friend who works for a car dealership detailing cars. He puts in 8 hrs a day and 5 days a week. The guy is a better shot than most I have run into and has great taste in guns. He shoots alot more than most people. He is 76 yrs young (looks about 50).

For some people life ends when you give it up, others leave when it's time. Keep shooting and never worry about your mortality, it will come when it's time.

jim

[M62/M76]

W.E.G., nice video!

[J-Man]

I can't come up with a number because there will NEVER be enough. I used to shoot approx. 5000 rounds a year out of my FAL. Can't do that anymore as I'm not wealthy. My thoughts are that one should buy as many reloading components as one can per year. Just watch for sales and buy in bulk. If, for some odd reason, you think that you've acquired too much of something you can always sell it off for more than you paid for it. That's the beauty of ammunition- it can be used for pleasure, business, or profit.

[J-Man]

Also need to add:
Certain things are more important to stock up on others (you ARE reloading aren't you?).
Have you seen how impossible it is to find good .308 brass these days? And shooting it out of a FAL means you're getting like 3 reloads. A bolt gun much more.
.45ACP brass can last for dozens of reloads and is super cheap. However, with the amount of lead you're slinging down range bullets are the expensive part.
Only 6 grains or so of powder for the .45 but over 7 times as much for the .308.
Primers all cost about the same (cheap) but in a permanent emergency can you produce your own? Same for brass. Powder can be concocted if need be and there is more latitude in using different commercial types for your application (magnum in a .223, etc.) Bullets can be cast or swaged at home.
So, there are lots of variables to be taken into account when stocking up.

[jerrymrc]

I do not know how much I will need. 5 years ago we were shooting 800 rds of .308 and 300 of .223

I seem to be down to 300 rds of .308 the last 2 years and shooting more .223 and 7.62X54r.

The scary thing is that .308 brass (once fired) is now more (per K) than the AFF91 I bought and I thank god I still have almost 3000 rds of it.

Splogan and I went into the local Sportsman's warehouse today and all I can say is at the prices they are charging for ammo I would be shooting very little.

RP 7.62X39 was $11 a box of 20.......

I bought a box of .22 (500) for $12 and left.

[owlcreekok]

I may be way way off base, but I remember hearing that the $20 haz mat for shipping stuff came about partly because the anti-gun crowd lost. Lost in their bid to tax the ammo and reloading stuff out of reach.


I expect a redoubled effort to curtail the trafficking in primers and poweder. Very soon. Hopefully I am just being cynical or even paranoid.

WEG, I have sold a few brass catchers to guys on here. My cobbled up rig works for me.

[ElRon]

Originally posted by ce
I have 96 bottles of beer, and at the current rate of consumption, it will last until February.

If any of you homos touch my beer, or my ammo, I'll kill ya.

What kinda cerveza you got for the non-hotos?

[ce]

This evening we offer a pleasant Hefeweizen from the Widmer Brothers of Portland Oregon.

Its honest character is defined by a smooth wheat sweetness, and a crisp finish like rain arriving east of the Cascades.

This delicate, unfiltered weizenbier is true to its Teutonic heritage, and what it lacks in clarity, is amply appreciated as a demure amber haze.

Only ElRon, you other mugs keep yer shithooks back.

[W.E.G.]

I was chatting it up with a 63-year old guy today, who had clearly melted his
brain with alcohol. During our dialogue, he asked me about 10 times,
"Can beer do that???"

I gave straight answers for a while, then I decided to just have a little fun with
him. So, when he would ask the "Can beer..." question, I'd pause, and then
say, "What was the question?" He mostly couldn't remember.

When yer brain's properly pickled, I'm comin' fer yer bullets.
Keep on swillin'.

"I'd say you've had about enough!!!..."

[shootist87122]

I'm there now on FAL fodder and in good shape on pistola buellets and my primary C&R shooters. Unfortunately, I've recently gone the great circle route and am back to scattergun shooting. Chit - the lead shot I have left over from my last cycle will last untill mid summer - maybe. What was $14/bag is now $50. Chit.

[FAL freek]

In the ever famous rule of the Files, If you know how many rounds you have you don't have enough. Keep buying.

[Deltaten]

Topic: how much ammo to make it to the end?



*just* enuff!

[Deltaten]

Amber haze..
ab'sorb'd my mind.
drinkin' so ...
or while I dine

Amber haze
sets me free

'Scuse me
I gots ta pee

Help me..
beer me...

Amber haze..

Actin' funny
and I shore know why

'Scuse me
while I zip my fly

Amber haze!

[English Mike]

Originally posted by Deltaten
Amber haze..
ab'sorb'd my mind.
drinkin' so ...
or while I dine

Amber haze
sets me free

'Scuse me
I gots ta pee

Help me..
beer me...

Amber haze..

Actin' funny
and I shore know why

'Scuse me
while I zip my fly

Amber haze!

I think Jimi's ghost would like a "quiet word"...............

[goon]

Originally posted by W.E.G.
Anybody ever took the time to calculate how much ammo you need to make to the end?

As in the END of your shooting days.

Depending on the situation, it could be as little as about forty rounds.

[loneeagle308]

The local national guard armoury should have some good deals when ammo becomes tight and restricted. Just takes some bribing. I know my paycheck won't take much to get ya what ya need. Hey, got some duds the other day for sale. May work if shot again.