AR's and parts are almost impossible to find right now. I work with a gun shop and sales are very good. Have been for the past month or so.

Folks, I can't believe I'm reading this here.

Ammo is like water - you keep plenty around, because when it runs out, there's no substitute for it. With the diversion of military calibers to Iraq and panic buying by other gun owners who have not actually made their supply ready over the years, it's no wonder there are shortages.

I always made a point of buying ammo almost every time I was in the gun shop or other store that sells it, for 10 years now. Just a box here and there, not so it hurts, but so if I want to go to the range and shred paper for 6 hours, I'm not really thinking about if I can spare 400 rounds. I like to shoot until I'm TIRED, so that means plenty of ammo.

Stores are only one source for ammo. Every time I can pick up a brick or two of ammo at a yard sale - even for guns I don't have - I do, and for guns I do own, I've always been sure to have enough ammo for a fun time at the range any time I want, several times over.

Anyway, I've always had lots of luck at estate sales, just ask "are there any firearms related items" and 7 times out of 10, I get led into the basement where 'ol Hank kept his hunting stuff and the wife has no idea what 5,000 rounds of 30-06 ammo in sealed metal cans should cost, so if I get it out of there for $25, she's happy. Oh and can you just take that box of odd ammo
(with like 37 rounds each of .32, .25, 25-40, 38 Special, 8mm, .44 and a bunch of other oddball stuff)

Also got about 4,000 rounds of Ballisticlean 9MM lead-free training ammo at an estate sale for $100 once.

There are options.

[quote=Jeff_McCann]How much ammo is a reasonable quantity to have on hand?

As much as will fill a refrigerator, in direct proportion to the type & number of guns you own.

Okay, I'll put you down for "more is better" and "you can never have enough." My supply currently occupies one large, deep shelf, but I think I'll wait just a little while to restock.

Still, I'm not sure what to suggest to a newbie just starting to prepare.

Jeff

good deals (for current times) ended about 1.5 weeks ago... prices sky rocketed even more it seems.

I was at Sportsman Warehouse last night and while I found plenty of ammo they were certainly doing brisk business on firearms. At least of there handgun stock was off the wall. In my mind meaning they had no more to sell.

In any regard, I picked up another box of .22LR. What I could not find was any magazines. None. They moved things around since the last there but I walked every aisle in the section twice and didn't see a single mag area.

"I would also like to be able to harvest whatever available animal protein that I can and be minimally prepared for an economic or societal "Nuclear Winter.""

If things ever get this bad, your ammo might just keep you and your family from becoming someone else's source of protein. No warning shots for anyone with the surname "Donner".

Never keep all of your supply of ammo in one centralized location. Never tell all family or friends about all of your different storage locations.

Personally, I think 10,000 rounds on hand is a good start. Most of that is for the semi-automatic firearms I keep, the rest I divy up amongst the more traditional hunting guns.

A reloading setup can be a handy thing to have when the bubble goes up as well. You can make up handloads that you could not easily duplicate on the open market. Casting your own bullets gets even better.

I agree with Ben about reloading rounds that are not available commercially.

For example, my son is a new hunter and still a little shy about centerfire rifle recoil. So I handloaded 165gr. Hornady Spire-point bullets in a reduced powder .308 Win. load. The round is about on par with .300 Savage velocity and recoils significantly less than my full trottle 180 gr. loads. The whitetailed deer he cleanly harvested last year had no idea it was a reduced load.

Cast bullets can also be a lot of fun for harvesting small game.

Mike

And a bunch of 7.62 as well...



Snagged from another forum that I frequent.

Jim