cmdrdredd

How many rounds would you say is a good number for someone to keep on hand when it comes to defense ammo?

I normally keep between 300-400 rounds for each of my handguns. Range ammo is in the thousands per gun.

What do you all think? I thought about putting a poll, but I wanted to get honest answers, not someone just clicking the biggest number and leaving it at that.

No brand wars, caliber wars, bullet weight wars etc. Just how many rounds of defense ammo per gun. With defense ammo becoming harder to find, some of us probably would have to be more reasonable with how many we keep on hand based on what's available. Even a lot of online supplies in 9mm and .45acp are very hard to find. Especially certain bullet types like HST, Ranger T, Gold Dot (in 50 round boxes).

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No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.
-Thomas Jefferson

You can trust to luck or fate if you want but as for me, I carry a Glock.

Wasabi

I've just been buying a bunch (not necessarily hoarding) every time I see it available for a good price. By doing that over the last couple of years, I've accumulated a bunch of defense ammo (500ish+rds each caliber). My range ammo is bought in a similar fashion and is several times my defense amounts. I figure it can't hurt to have too much and I can always get my money out of it (if not more) if need be.

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Lewis128

I think 300 - 400 is a decent #.
Depends on which gun though. Shot shells I would keep fewer of because of the shorter shelf life.
My budget is also a factor. I've bought 3 pistols this year, so that's $xxx that CAN'T be spent on ammo, obviously. There are medical expenses to deal with.
And discretionary spending has to be limited by how much overtime I can work, which isn't always at my control.
The entire "gun issue" only came up after O'bama was elected. (imagine that!)
My support of gun rights was a bit like my christian beliefs. I grew up in church, I generally side with christian ideals, but I don't go to church.
Getting my CCW was, at some level, more about expressing my beliefs and exorcising a fundamental right I believe to be under threat than wanting to walk around the mall with a Glock on.
I've swerved off topic, sorry.
I'd like to get to where I maintain a few thousand rounds FMJ for practice, and 500 +P JHP for semi-auto's. Maybe 75% that for revolver.
Maybe 10k .22's.
On the other hand, I may be way over-shooting (excuse the pun).
Back in the day, I bought 1k of 9mm to practice with. Had my Glock 19 for 3 or 4 years before I sold it due to finances. (Stupid, stupid, stupid!!)
A few years ago I discovered I still had a 500 round box sitting in storage, which I gave to a friend. So 2 - 3 times that will certainly be plenty.

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ginzotech

I guess you guys have great jobs. I simply can't stock up that much. I keep maybe 100 - 200 rounds of practice rounds, and enough defensive rounds to have a couple of extra mags. I go to the range about twice a month so I consume quite a bit. Can't really keep that much stocked away.

chenemf

I only have a box or two of defensive ammo for each pistol. I've got considerably more for the range.

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Lewis128

More of a long-term goal. The last few months I've bought about $50 worth of 9mm every few weeks. I'm at about 800 rounds for practice ammo, partly because I don't get to practice very often.

So not that great a job. I'll take several more months to build up anything that resembles a "stock pile", and that's IF I can resist the temptation not to buy more guns.... (which would also dilute my ammo budget across more calibers)

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Now I have to go buy a banjo.

retsupt99

Practice ammo... of rounds, but defensive ammo only rounds...and actually, you can use the practice ammo for a great defense if the SHTF...

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Eveready

I have 400 rounds of practice rounds, and 50 rounds for self defense.

MinistrMalic

I probably keep a hundred or so defense rounds for each firearm around if I can. If I could keep 1000 +/- range rounds I would love to.

I can't get to the range enough to justify keeping more than that.

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xdglocker

400-500 DF rounds of each caliber and the same for range rounds. Shotty is at 200 DF rounds [50% buck and slug is divided between Benneke Tac HD and Tru-balls] which I shoot thru and restock up on on a regular basis. Have 200 or so BS duck loads for fun too. Oh yea 10 or so of some crazy super penetrators too just in case of I don't what.

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Bob

Glock 30sf SA-XDm40 Ruger LCP Remington 870 HD

"I'm not Paranoid.....I'm Prepared"--SGT T