Ammo storage/stockpile

[penokeemtn5]

How many rounds of ammo do you keep handy for your various guns?With the price of ammo climbing (here anyway) I have been buying a little more than usual my most used rifle is my .243 I have a little over 250 rounds right now for that.I also bought 200 rounds of #4 buckshot for my 12 ga. for the rest it varies anywhere from 40-100 rounds.

[Admin]

I can't really say that I stockpile any ammo. I've got a good bunch of it but I've got tons of food. I could hole up for a good long time I'll tell ya

[fishpole]

i used to always have a box of buckshot and the pump .12 gauge in the bedroom, some people might say it makes me a crazy right wing pecker-wood but it always gave a sense of security and i aint ashamed to admit that. now i live in a city where i go to school and i gotta i wish i had that pump gun with me all the time! i cant have a any guns here, period. i keep a longbow in the closet with a dozen shafts and my hunting and fishing gear...but god damn i miss the feel of a good firearm!
when im home ya can bet i always got a brick of 100 rounds for the .22 win mag, a box of buck for the pump gun, and a full brick of .30/06 shells. it varies during deer season but im never with out a good firearm when i need one, hell its rare im ever in the woods without one!
-cory

[patricimo54]

It is always good to have alternate forms or sources of self defense. From ball bats to tazers to pepper spray. Non lethal can save you alot of money on legal fees as well as possible time spent in jail. Very important to know your state laws concerning your rights to self defense. Concerning ammo storage it rates HIGH on most Texicans list of things that are important to survival. Our recently elected president while on campaigning tour, I believe while he was in MO. or OH. assured the people that he would not take their pistols, their rifles, or their shot guns. but according to the NRA he will try to pass a bill to tax ammo as much as 500%. Let me simple say that I was given a box of properly stored 30 cal carbine dated 1943 that performed flawlessly. That was 65 year old ammo. Those surplus GI cans with their weather tight seals can keep not only ammo but what ever you have in mind or need to preserve in pristine condition. I don't pretend to know what tomorrow holds for any of us. I do believe it is important to consider all possible scenario's and prepare for the worst and pray for the best. A gun without ammo is only a very expensive awkward club. And like the rest of you that has watch ammo go through the roof it may be a very solid investment for those of us that don't fully understand how to play the market. A final note, for anyone that hasn't seen Schinlers List should.

[lilweasel]

I do all my own reloading, heaven help if I have a fire.....RUN

[Admin]

This is a very good thread and a karma going to penokee for starting it. I like any subject on preparedness. A few weeks back I started a post titled (how would you handle it?) if the grid went down. It got some replies but the majority of folks seem to do nothing in the way of preparing for catastrophes. Then a few weeks later a major ice storm knocks the grid down and parts of KY will be without power for over a month. Guys like Acewoodsman can weather the storm just fine but others that are totally dependant on utilities get screwed. I can't imagine what things would be like if a terrorist knocked the grid out for months, or if we had an invasion of some kind. The (it won't happen to me) attitude is just plain stupidity. I am well armed but stocking up is a good eye opener and an area where I need improvement. Today I'm going to dig out my generator, change the oil and fire it up. Then I'll cache away several gallons if stabilized gasoline. We don't need the generator for anything other than recharging the freezer every few hours. Lights, refrigeration and cooking are achieved without it.

Survival of the fittest ;D

[woodsman416]

I have a lot of ammo stored up. When dicks Sporting Goods bought out a store not far from me they cleared inventory. I bought out the entire stock of 10 ga slugs & buckshot. Somewhere around 40 boxes. I always buy ammo when I see a good sale. I have a good supply of .308, 30-06, 12 ga slugs & buckshot, 12ga #5 and #6 shot, .22 LR and shorts, .17 HMR, 12 & 20 ga steel shot.

[keeper172]

I don't keep a stock pile of ammo but like JC said this thread has been a real eye opener and I to have been lacking in this area. I did some searching around the net and found that the best long term storage methods for long term ammo storage is ammo canisters that still have their seals or PVC. These 2 sounded the most reasonable.

[patricimo54]

BB and I took a road trip to the city today. Our primary purpose was lighting but while there I thought to check into the gun & ammo flow, this is what I found. Please keep in mind I haven't been to town in awhile ( Ft. Worth) this may be old news to you but what I found at Cabela's I was shocked. Have you ever been to a restaurant where they gave you a buzzer to let you know when a table is ready? Well that is what they had for those people who were purchasing firearms. I have never seen anything like it. There was literally dozens of people backed up waiting to make firearm purchases. Ammo shelves were anemic. What was there was two to three times higher than I had seen months ago. There was not a black rifle in site/AR15, a few combat shotguns as well as various hunting rifles and pistols. I am talking TEXAS this is where TED NUGENT chose to relocate to because of our liberal gun laws and "These Good Old Boys" are "Freaking"! I made 3 other stops as well today just to check the availability of guns and ammo, this is what I found. Hudson Oaks Walmart next to no ammo, (as soon as it comes in it is gone!) Gibson sporting goods in Weatherford one of my favorite gun stores, 762x39 'haven't seen any since the election' South Main W/M 1 Box of twenty rounds for 14.95 unheard of! It is time to get right or get left behind! The choice is yours!

[Admin]

Wow It must be a texas thing cause I was the ammo the other day at walmart and they were fully stocked.

[patricimo54]

In part it may be a city thing. I haven't checked our local W/M. I will today. And it may be just a Texas thing. Most of the people I know keep gun ownership and ammo storage high on their list of things they need to do because they have that right as an American. My friend Roger was telling me about a friend of his who about 3 weeks ago went to Cabela's and purchased over $1,000 worth of ammo only. Way over my ability and budget, but a good example of the "Texan Redneck" mind set.

[patricimo54]

Checked the local W/M ammo counter today. The only thing that they had in abundance was bird shot. Absolutely no buck shot or slugs, no .45 acp no .30 cal. carbine 3 to 4 boxes each of 9mm,.223 ,762x39 etc. They did have a little better inventory of .30.30, .243 etc. but there was more empty slots than full. I asked the young lady "whats the deal" she simple said although they still get ammo shipments that they cannot get the quantity they once did. I will finish my rambling with a short blurb from a recently received letter from NRA-ILA Ex. Director Chris W. Cox.
"Barack Obama will become the most anti-gun President in American history.
From his proposal for shutting down 90% of the gun stores in America, to placing severe taxes on our guns and ammo, to using the power of the Federal Government to erase every Right-to-Carry law in America, Barack Obama's positions on restricting our Second Amendment rights are far more extreme than any other President." If you are not an NRA member you might consider becoming one.

[redpig]

It's not just a Texas thing, we are having problems out west with any thing related to reloading or ammo. There is a five week waiting list now on Black guns..we bought 5000 rounds of .223 last week and guy said he has sold over 1/2 million rounds since the election. Went to Sportsman's Warehouse and shelves were bare.

[blueduck]

I have always had a good supply of ammo on hand, but about a year ago I started stocking up. I sitting pretty good now. I don't shoot my 7mm mag to much. Maybe only a few times a year so I don't need as much of that, but last week I thought I better get another box, just in case. It was $29.00. When I got home I looked at a box I bought the year befor and it was marked $15.99 for the same stuff. And its not going to get any better....

[patricimo54]

Right on Blue duck. Me and BB went to Cheaper Than Dirt today in Ft. Worth and the price of dirt has gone thru the roof. I am talking from basic .22 rounds on up if you can find them. As soon as you walk in the door there is a sign that states something like ammo prices are adjusted daily, or something like that. To quote Bob Dylan "These times are a changing." Heard a guy on Glen Beck Fox News tonight, I can remember his name but what he said was in his opinion that we were headed toward the greatest depression. Far greater than that of the late twenties, early thirties. He based it on some simple facts. There were far more people that were self sufficient in that era than were not. In todays society there are more people in prison than are self sufficient/farmers. We as a society, over all, are so in twined or reliant to what the Government can do for you that we have exchange our liberties for SOCIAL PROGRAMS! If you are not a history buff, it would behoove you to study and understand what and why our fore fathers set up what they did, and the sacrifices they endured to give you the Freedoms you enjoy today.If you care to learn more check out www.wallbuilders.com

[patricimo54]

I was able to find a little ammo I could use at a little better price. Went to the local pawn shop who no longer handles guns but still has ammo .32 H&R mag about $6.00 a box cheaper than Cabelas. They also had .38 specials about $3.00 a box cheaper than Cheaper than Dirt and a better quality bullet. I also payed a visit to the local Ace hardware. Their prices are normally higher than everyone else, and because of that there isn't much demand on their ammo.I played a hunch and found their prices still fixed at amount they were pre election. I was able to pick up some.22 mag about a $1.00 cheaper and .22 LR about $.50 cheaper a box than W/M

[samdog]

I generally just keep what i need to run my trapline and hunt for the season. I also keep a handful of .22 shorts in my room in case of a break in etc.

[penokeemtn5]

I just bought a "new" rifle last week,a marlin 336 in .35 Rem I bought it at Gander Mtn. and they were the only one's that had any rounds for it. I only bought 1 box when i got the gun,a few days later i went to get more and none anywhere.I have since been to 4 other stores and only found 1 more box.I did pick up an additional 60 rounds for my .243 and 40 rounds for my.270
My wife keeps making the joke that i'm prepping to invade a small country

[snydboshawn]

Must be quite a few people thinking the same thing your wife is penokeemtn5.

[patricimo54]

Talked with a friend today. This guy is an avid hunter/shooter and takes prides in his ability to reload his own ammo. It is a hobby that he finds great pleasure in. He tells me there is now a major problem for those who enjoy reloading their own ammo,NO PRIMERS! He has traveled all over the area to find them, none to be had. He tells me of his friend that has tried to place an order for the past several weeks with Midway USA and according to him they don't have any either. So if you are a reloader and there are primers to be purchased in your area you may do well to stock up now. FYI

[coalminer]

I reload and have a fair amount stashed away, but tried to get some Varget powder couldn't find any, period. Called the big stores, Grices, Bobs Army Navy, serveral others nothing. Went to our Walmart, NO 9mm,40sw,45 or 22 lr bulk, getting scary. If you want or need some ammo, better start looking.

[patricimo54]

This might shine a little light on our ammo shortage, at least in part.
www.star-telegram.com/212/index.html
It is the second half of the article that focuses on ammo.