suggested quantity..

[Bearman202]

Your bumper is going to be dragging the ground, unless you have some serious shocks under that thing. That, and is ammo the only thing you're taking with you? I want to take at least a tent and a sleeping bag when I head out to the woods for a week, to give the whackos time to finish killing each other before I come back and see what's left of my stuff. An even more relevant question: How long would it take to load up the ammo and guns you plan to take? Granted, you're going to see the whatever coming a bit, because you're paying attention, but still, if you start hauling stuff out to the car, the neighbors will probably notice. Nice trunk, though. <G>

[Cimarron]

Jimmy,
Not counting sport/hunting experience, I have a fraction of "survival" shooting experience that some of our other members have. So my opinion may be naive or inadequate at best.

I look at it like this. In a crisis situation ammo would be as much as a staple item as food and water. Food and water for sustenance and ammo for security (there are other items you would put in this list but I wanted to keep it small for simplicity).

We can get a rough idea on how much food we want to have stored, to meet how much we would need to consume to thrive for XX amount of time. But, we can't realy tell how much security (ammo) we will need. Maybe a little, maybe a lot. Several have mentioned a well rounded supply and you can't go wrong with this. You may not even be shooting your ammo but using it in barter.

Get what you can, when you can get it. You may have to swap back and forth between food stuff and ammo as your budget dictates.

Good Luck.

[Not_Yet_Prepped]

I have to aggree with Cimarron.

Ammo is mostly for security, and god willing we will need 0 rounds for that. But extended long term WROL you may end up needing alot. Ammo can be used to abtain food (either by hunting or barter) but I feel that I am most likely better off getting decent with traps and more "rustic" hunting, like a bow/arrow and a sling shot. This way you are not using a very valuable resource that may be hard to come by and is my final/most effective means of self protection.

I dont care how good you are at Hand to Hand, You NEED AMMO. 3 guys with bats/sticks and you are over powered unless you have a functioning firearm.

So get as much as you can while you still get your other supplies. If you have nothing to protect then you dont need protection.

[xdpatriot]

Man. You guys are really gonna think I'm nuts. If I don't have 1,000 rounds of something, I feel like I don't have any. That being said, I think a person would be ok with 1,000 rnds PER rifle. You have 4 aks? 4,000 rnds. Bolt guns too. Shottys, 500 rnds assorted. Pistols, 1,000 rnds PER pistol. 22s. As much as you can afford. Train with it, practice trigger control. Hunt small game. It's kind like everything else. The question isn't do I have enough, it's is there such a thing as too much? If you can afford it and store it, go for it. In my opinion.

[brokedownbiker]

Anyone remember $59. Chinese SKS's? How about $5. Israeli gas masks? I can't tell you which direction ammo prices are going, but it's something we need, something we USE regularly so it's something we watch and buy as the price is right and/or to replace training losses.

$59 SKS's..... ah, the good old days! I bought my first one (Norinco's caked with cosmoline) for $89- took it out, shot it, and went back to buy 2 more. The price had gone up to $125, so I only bought one more; wish I'd bought a half dozen or more.

I'm not sure what the right level of ammo is; I know that I decided on a number and have worked toward the goal. I'm mostly there and now just replace it as I shoot it- reloading some occasionally just to keep in practice (I'm the guy at the range who polices up all my own brass and asks everybody else, "Are you going to keep those empty's?). But if I luck across a good deal (and the budget allows) I add a little more. I'm averaging 200 rds. or so per month on long guns and around the same for handguns, unless I am doing some specific training, then the totals climb to whatever I feel is appropriate to accomplish the goal I set.

Like everything else in our failing economy, ammo prices are unlikely to fall (regardless of who is elected) so the time to buy is now- or as soon as your budget allows.

Buy it, use, and replace it- this applies to all our preps, right?

[blankstare]

buy a couple of each time comm rifles and then buy 10x the ammo that you want....it goes up in price and demand with time....

i wish that i had bought cases of russian and chinese sks when they first came out....but the wife said no

[kihnspiracy]

1K of ammo wouldn't even cover my training regimen. I like to have at least 5K on hand for each caliber. Give up the lattes, fast food, booze and buy ammo everytime it's on sale.