How many different cal guns you buy ammo for

Discussion in 'Firearms' started by oldman11, Nov 11, 2015.


  1. oldman11

    oldman11 Monkey+++

    this has problemly be talked about before. I keep a number of different caliber guns so on hand so I will be able find ammo for at least one. I have .22lr, .22tcm .32sw short, .32sw long, 7.62 Nagano .327 mag, .38 special, .357 mag, .40sw .45 acp, .45lc, in pistols. In rifles I have .17hm2, .22lr, .22tcm, .243, 45/70, .480ruger and shotguns 12ga, and a 410. I ought to be able to find at least something to shoot.
     
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  2. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    You know, there are 2 major trains of thought on this. No need to hash it out like kicking a dead horse. One group believes the more obscure the caliber, the more likely some major suppliers might still have some no matter what. The second believes, the more common and popular a caliber, the more likely to find some. Others argue the most common will be run out of first. Might be a good idea to have a few of both groups. I lean towards the second group, and what the police and military are using, plus what some of our enemy countries have. You already know how I feel about having a huge stash or 22LR. just sayin'
     
  3. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    During the worst parts of the most recent shortage over the last few years, locally the unavailable ammo was in cal .22lr, .223, .45, 9mm, .38/357 and to some extent, .308.
    Cal .40 was always available and still is in quantity throughout the last few years.
    Most calibers are available locally in quantity today with the exception of .22lr of course.
    It may have been different in other areas.
    I don't own a .40 but I reload so it was not much of a problem for me.
     
  4. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    [gun2]The thing about running out of ammo, is not to. I started reloading while working at a rifle range in California circa 1981-1984. At that time I had several 22s. a 9mm, a .308 win, a 12 ga, and a few muzzleloaders. 22LR since it was cheap and considered non-reloadable, I always had 5000 plus rounds of ammo for it. I reloaded 9mm and always had several hundred bullets, primers, empty cases, and primers for it. Loaded ammo was always 1000 plus rounds. .308 win was easy peasy since I was active duty Navy and we shot M-14 and M-60 on a pretty often basis and empty brass was easy to come by. At sea, it always was thrown over the side ;) ..... not. I reloaded 7.62mm nato brass to .308 specs on a regular basis, and always had components to put together a couple of 1000 rounds. Okay, what year is this? Oh right, 2015 ..... it has been at least since 1988 since I loaded a batch of my favorite hunting loads for a pet Remington bolt action rifle which shoots sub one inch 100 yard groups ALL the time. The last run was 400 rounds. I now have all my reloading equipment and books and components to load about 7000 rounds for it. I have 10,000 plus rounds of once fired military brass, partially processed. 12 ga I have always bought by the case, which used to be 500 rounds, and which now is 250 rounds (if I am wrong in that, which is possible because I am shooting mostly old ammo there also --- then I was buying multiple cases at a time). Once I got into prepping for real, after 2001, I really started building up all those quantities.
    .
    So my question is? .... what ammo shortage? I never ran out ..... EVER !!! I don't expect I will. YMMV .... [gun2]
    I am a believer in the 6 Ps adage. Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.
    As to the 27 year old .308 win hunting loads. They have been kept air tight climate controlled and still shoot fine.
     
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  5. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    I am not sure how much ammo I have now days....
    A long time ago, I read some ammo post from Tac when I was still lurking....something along the lines of how much a good prepped individual should have......
    I have been stacking it ever since ;)
     
  6. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    For my black powder firearms, I have one or more molds for each, 300 plus pounds of soft lead ingots, percussion caps in the 1000s for each type I use. several hundred bullets already cast for each BP weapon, patches, material, and lube. close to 20 lbs of powder, mostly real BP. 2F and 3F. I have a couple dozen flints and 2 cans of 4F I no longer shoot flintlocks but have the capability to convert a couple of my percussion guns back and forth to and from flint.
     
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  7. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    Only 4...er uh 5
    9mm
    45 ACP
    5.56X45
    .308
    .22LR

    But I lost all my guns in that boating accident on Lake Tahoe... :whistle:
     
  8. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    Must have lost that 12 ga. Duck gun as well DR?!
     
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  9. Motomom34

    Motomom34 Monkey+++

    I stock 3 different types at the moment. .380 occasionally has shortages also.

    I lean towards the second also. I have heard the same argument regarding batteries.
     
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  10. Dunerunner

    Dunerunner Brewery Monkey Moderator

    OK, so it is 6.... Sheesh! [LMAO]
     
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  11. Yard Dart

    Yard Dart Vigilant Monkey Moderator

    No good, upstanding NW man does not have a shottie for the birds.....;)
     
  12. Airtime

    Airtime Monkey+++

    The critical missing element in the above equation is "the source."
    If the source is purchase from normal retail outlets, then perspective 1 may be more likely. If the source is not conventional retail (such as barter/trading, scavenging from downed folks, procuring it from law enforcement, what ever) then perspective 2 may hold more sway.

    So the real question is; if the scenario presents that you are low or out of ammo and re-supply is critical what is the more probable source that may be available to re-supply yourself? Answer that (yeah, like we can predict the future) and that could be the determining factor in selecting desired calibers.

    But this is all conjecture, what the heck do I know?

    AT
     
  13. Gopherman

    Gopherman Sometimes I Wish I Could Go Back to Sleep

    I was lucky, when I first woke up I went shopping, guess what I bought and Freakin plenty of it. When the dry spell hit I was fine. I did notice that 338 and 30/06 were always in stock. Probably because they kick like a mule on crack and are expensive as H***! But still I have been stocking up on 22lr forever, so even though we practice with these more than the others I still have more than enough. I still agree with picking it up off the bodies group. 9mm, 45, 22lr and probably 556 though I don't own one, are going to be easier to obtain when the SHTF!
    I still need to stock up on more Crossbow Bolts, I think 100 should be plenty.
    The BOB has all the different asst. of cal. in each so that the loss of a single bag does not render any weapon dead weight.
    I agree with AIrtime What do I know?
    I have since sold all mine though!
     
  14. techsar

    techsar Monkey+++

    I'm not counting on running out, nor my children...so I stock a couple different calibers. .22short, long and l/r, .22 WMR, .25, .30 carbine, .32acp, .32 long, 9mm, .380, .38 spec, .357 mag, .45acp, , 5.56x45, 7.62x39, 7.62x51, 7.62x54R, 20 ga, 12 ga, .44 and .50 b/p...
    Ok, maybe more than a couple...but at least half a box of each ;)
     
  15. Seacowboys

    Seacowboys Senior Member Founding Member

    My gun room and reloading shed looks like a really well-stocked gun shop. It might be easier for me to say what ammo I don't stock rather than what I do. Suffice to say, I have more ammo and reloading components than I will shoot in the remainder of my life, unless I live to be 140 or so...
     
  16. tacmotusn

    tacmotusn RIP 1/13/21

    I have stated in the past that in a post shtf situation that stripping the dead (yours, theirs, or whoever's) makes plenty of sense from a survival situation unless additional overwhelming force is eminent and you need to flee. There will be plenty of 5.56/.223, 7.62nato/.308win, 12ga, 45, 9mm, 7.62x39 out there for the taking
     
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  17. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    I have a box or so each of .22lr,.22sh,.22 rat shot, 22mag,9mm,45acp,..38, .357, 30.06, 308,5.56, 12ga,20,ga,16ga, and two or three ball in both .50 and .54 cal. Had about 3-4 ounces of BP but I left it out in the rain with the cap off. I'd buy more ammo and powder but Like most monkeys I lost all my guns in a boating accident so I'm down to a sharpened stick now.
     
  18. chelloveck

    chelloveck Diabolus Causidicus

    I have a self loading repeating boomerang. It always comes back to me unless I hit something with it. Then I strip the target of his boomerang, and then I have 2 boomerangs!
    [​IMG]
     
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  19. oldawg

    oldawg Monkey+++

    I'm guessing the big one is the anti-tank round?
     
  20. 3M-TA3

    3M-TA3 Cold Wet Monkey

    The calibers I shoot are .22, 224, .257, .308, and .38. The cartridges I shoot are another story....
     
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