How much ammo?

[jasnt]

One second after is a great book

I think its scary as hell!

I’d be worried if you didn’t feel that way.   Still I highly recommend it.  Very eye opening

Im happy I dont live on the east coast, but I dont feel real good about being an hour from Seattle.

many will head to the mountains and die from the elements

[Fl0und3rz]

There is a surprising dearth of animals in the mountains.



Not to mention the people not taking too kindly to hangry noobs showing up in their AO.

[magnanimous_j]

Post apocalyptic scenarios are really popular in pop culture, but I don't think they are very realistic. Any nightmare situation where you would have to engage in actual combat (not a self defense shooting) would probably not last more than a week, let alone years.  Hurricane Katrina is an infinitely more likely scenario than Fallout.

For SHTF, I think 500rds for your handgun, 1k for your battle rifle, 250rds of buckshot and 1k of .22lr should be more than enough to get you through. If the goal is survival, then you should probably avoid situations where you'd have to take on a battalion by yourself anyway. How many times do you honestly think you could fire your AR in battle before you got killed?

If you want to stockpile stuff for survival, you should concentrate less on ammo and more on soap, bleach, plastic bags, batteries, food and seeds, medical supplies, water storage etc. I've got a couple 100ft rolls of 6mil plastic sheeting. Its amazing how many things that would be useful for.

That said. There are practical reasons to stock up on ammo and right now is a perfect example. I was buying 1000rd cases of Blazer Brass 9mm FMJ for $168 a case just 6 months ago. Now its 3x the price, if you can find it at all. I've decided against going shooting a couple times recently because I'm down to my last 500. If I could get it today for 168, I'd buy 5. Given how drastically the price and availability of ammo fluctuates, I think there is a real economic reason to stockpile as much as you can afford/store.

[Special T]

Post apocalyptic scenarios are really popular in pop culture, but I don't think they are very realistic. Any nightmare situation where you would have to engage in actual combat (not a self defense shooting) would probably not last more than a week, let alone years.  Hurricane Katrina is an infinitely more likely scenario than Fallout.

For SHTF, I think 500rds for your handgun, 1k for your battle rifle, 250rds of buckshot and 1k of .22lr should be more than enough to get you through. If the goal is survival, then you should probably avoid situations where you'd have to take on a battalion by yourself anyway. How many times do you honestly think you could fire your AR in battle before you got killed?

If you want to stockpile stuff for survival, you should concentrate less on ammo and more on soap, bleach, plastic bags, batteries, food and seeds, medical supplies, water storage etc. I've got a couple 100ft rolls of 6mil plastic sheeting. Its amazing how many things that would be useful for.

That said. There are practical reasons to stock up on ammo and right now is a perfect example. I was buying 1000rd cases of Blazer Brass 9mm FMJ for $168 a case just 6 months ago. Now its 3x the price, if you can find it at all. I've decided against going shooting a couple times recently because I'm down to my last 500. If I could get it today for 168, I'd buy 5. Given how drastically the price and availability of ammo fluctuates, I think there is a real economic reason to stockpile as much as you can afford/store.

yes... and the article "A Year in Hell" that described being trapped in a city in Bosnia is very insightful.

[magnanimous_j]

Post apocalyptic scenarios are really popular in pop culture, but I don't think they are very realistic. Any nightmare situation where you would have to engage in actual combat (not a self defense shooting) would probably not last more than a week, let alone years.  Hurricane Katrina is an infinitely more likely scenario than Fallout.

For SHTF, I think 500rds for your handgun, 1k for your battle rifle, 250rds of buckshot and 1k of .22lr should be more than enough to get you through. If the goal is survival, then you should probably avoid situations where you'd have to take on a battalion by yourself anyway. How many times do you honestly think you could fire your AR in battle before you got killed?

If you want to stockpile stuff for survival, you should concentrate less on ammo and more on soap, bleach, plastic bags, batteries, food and seeds, medical supplies, water storage etc. I've got a couple 100ft rolls of 6mil plastic sheeting. Its amazing how many things that would be useful for.

That said. There are practical reasons to stock up on ammo and right now is a perfect example. I was buying 1000rd cases of Blazer Brass 9mm FMJ for $168 a case just 6 months ago. Now its 3x the price, if you can find it at all. I've decided against going shooting a couple times recently because I'm down to my last 500. If I could get it today for 168, I'd buy 5. Given how drastically the price and availability of ammo fluctuates, I think there is a real economic reason to stockpile as much as you can afford/store.

yes... and the article "A Year in Hell" that described being trapped in a city in Bosnia is very insightful.

Totally. Its been a while since I read it, but IIRC, the author didn't mention ammo shortages. Only shortages of everything else.

[Special T]

Post apocalyptic scenarios are really popular in pop culture, but I don't think they are very realistic. Any nightmare situation where you would have to engage in actual combat (not a self defense shooting) would probably not last more than a week, let alone years.  Hurricane Katrina is an infinitely more likely scenario than Fallout.

For SHTF, I think 500rds for your handgun, 1k for your battle rifle, 250rds of buckshot and 1k of .22lr should be more than enough to get you through. If the goal is survival, then you should probably avoid situations where you'd have to take on a battalion by yourself anyway. How many times do you honestly think you could fire your AR in battle before you got killed?

If you want to stockpile stuff for survival, you should concentrate less on ammo and more on soap, bleach, plastic bags, batteries, food and seeds, medical supplies, water storage etc. I've got a couple 100ft rolls of 6mil plastic sheeting. Its amazing how many things that would be useful for.

That said. There are practical reasons to stock up on ammo and right now is a perfect example. I was buying 1000rd cases of Blazer Brass 9mm FMJ for $168 a case just 6 months ago. Now its 3x the price, if you can find it at all. I've decided against going shooting a couple times recently because I'm down to my last 500. If I could get it today for 168, I'd buy 5. Given how drastically the price and availability of ammo fluctuates, I think there is a real economic reason to stockpile as much as you can afford/store.

yes... and the article "A Year in Hell" that described being trapped in a city in Bosnia is very insightful.

Totally. Its been a while since I read it, but IIRC, the author didn't mention ammo shortages. Only shortages of everything else.

There were shortages of everything but because he was a medic of some sort the medicine was most valuable for his family because he had that special skill set. Skills beat things every day and 2x on sunday.

[Windwalker]

 Another good read is 299 DAYS

Since the topic is ammo I'll not stray into the long list of supplies needed. Can't eat ammo but without it you may not need food.
 
ONE YEAR IN HELL

"The important part is that something will happen."

For those who haven't already- focus money, time, and energy in preparing for yourself, your family, and develop your network. That starts with security.

"We only had armed groups; those armed protected their homes and families.
When it all started, some of us were better prepared. But most of the neighbors’ families had enough food only for a few days. Some had pistols; a few had AK-47s or shotguns."

Be aware of the variables, ammunition for others can become force multipliers.

"Many died from diseases, especially from the water (two from my own family). We drank mostly rainwater, ate pigeons and even rats."

Health/first aid and identification of local assets with advanced skills cannot be overstated.

"Arms, ammunition, candles, lighters, antibiotics, gasoline, batteries and food. We fought for these things like animals."

"Strength was in numbers. A man living alone getting killed and robbed would be just a matter of time, even if he was armed."

"Surviving on your own is practically impossible. (That’s what I think.) Even you’re armed and ready, if you’re alone, you’ll die. I have seen that happen many times.
Families and groups, well-prepared, with skills and knowledge in various fields: That’s much better."

The starting point is education, and deliberate organizing of the right group of people to round out your local network.


"How much ammo?  As much as possible"

Prepare.
Learn how to sustain survivability, get in the right mindset, and more. Be prepared for anything.

[Fl0und3rz]

"If I could get it today for 168, I'd buy 5."

Which means 1,000 is woefully understocked.  And that may or may not cover ammo for others as force multipliers.