Long Term Survival- How Much Ammo Is Needed?

Im just curious from other preppers how much ammo is recommended for a shtf scenerio? I know there are a lot of variables to the question and I know the "you can never have enough" ammo is a likely answer.

Im sure we all may want to keep our stockpiles secret but I guess Im just curious.

To make it easier for a 30 day, 3 month, 6 month event what would your min recommendation be?

It will depend on your needs. Are you in a place where you can hunt to survive? Or maybe in a city, where most of your ammo is going to go for self defense? My best advice would be to stockpile what you can afford and easily carry with you if/when you bug out. If you're in a city and have to walk out, carrying 200 lbs of ammo is going to be almost impossible. Practice, practice, practice, so what ammo you do have will count. One exception - a few thousand rounds of .22 will fit in small pack and would be easy to carry. You can take bigger game with a .22, as long as you used head shots. Works on the 2 legged predators as well.

a reply to: sirlancelot

I would think that a person takes just enough ammo to last his/her lifetime. Though that life time could be measured in hours, days, months or years.

I'm a big fan of .22cal. Not necessarily a long range round but is excellent as a 100 yards or less round and you can carry a crapload as well. It'll even bring down a deer if you know where to shoot it.

Long term?

Invest in a good bow and plenty of material to restring and maintain it.

Arrows are found in nature and the silence won't give away your location.

I would not use a firearm for hunting, way too much noise. I would use a compound cross bow.

If you follow that advice them how many people will you have to defend against and will you spray and pray or have a one shot one kill policy.

If the latter, then just a few hundred is all you need.

If you loose, it becomes a mute point, if you win, then the vanquished provide the ammo for your next encounter.

P

originally posted by: eisegesis
Long term?

Invest in a good bow and plenty of material to restring and maintain it.

Arrows are found in nature and the silence won't give away your location.

This. I would also recommend, if you can afford brass and equipment.......learn to load your own......

However even then powder wont always be available, but if you can stockpile and youre in a place where you are gonna be sitting for a long time, its a good option

but ya def learn to bow hunt.......and learn to fletch

a reply to: sirlancelot
How Much Ammo Is Needed for when the SHTF?

that question has been debated since time immemorial.... there are just some answers that man was not meant too know

a reply to: sirlancelot

ammos the least of your problems my friend...when the SHTF and the power goes down who's going to need bullets when all the reactors in the US melt down??? If you are thinking that some revolution is going to happen well then you are going to be waiting a long time..cause we are not going to see a hand to hand combat style revolution in this lifetime or any other..

a reply to: chrismarco

cause we are not going to see a hand to hand combat style revolution in this lifetime or any other..

No, because everyone has guns! Bringing hands to a gun fight .... um ..... just no!

P

a reply to: sirlancelot
Where are you going to? How many family members are you sheltering with or are on the move? What else are you expecting to carry out on your back to get to where you are going, and how big a "bug-out-bag" will you have and what else will be in it?

If your standing ground and/or sheltering in place...thats different if you can plan ahead. The issue I think is if youre on the run...it can only be so much what with all the other supplies youll need to get moving.

Regarding calibers...I think Im better off with standard and common calibers. Easy to find if I do run out and easy perhaps to make my own reloads.

In that scenario, you'd want to use ammo sparesly, and make every shot count.

a reply to: sirlancelot

And don`t forget trapping, it will cost much less energy, especially if you can leave the traps for longer periods.

Deer can be also easily trapped with paracord or 340 lb bank line (just make one line out of 2 to get 680 lb strength (more as paracord 550)) :

Survival Traps- Deer Spring Snare


How to Make Cordage


Good Bank Line

And no worries about ammo, there`s also a great Survival Bow (I have it myself). The 50 lb Draw Weight is more than enough, no need to go for the 55 lb :

Link

I still need to modify it with attaching laser on to it. I`m just going to buy a couple (they can break down) of these :

Link

Use my Dremel Tool to flatten them and just tape them with good quality double sided tape to the bow.

i live in high desert in northern NV what would you alll suggest. i already have lots of fishing string and hooks......

originally posted by: moren
i live in high desert in northern NV what would you alll suggest. i already have lots of fishing string and hooks......

Lots of no.36 Bank Line, copper wire for trapping small game, Conibear #110 4/6 pieces, get anise oil for luring most animals, about 6 to 12 speedhook(s) for fishing + different PowerBait, Trot Line (you can make them yourself with hooks (get plenty of them) + Bank Line + normal Fish Line (also get plenty). Optional you can also take 12/25 hog snares (but there`s some weight into it and Bank Line is much lighter and is very useable too).

Good Bank Line see my other post.

a reply to: sirlancelot

I would recommend buying a very nice recurve bow, some decent arrows(and learn how to make new ones), and do all of your hunting with that.

Save your ammo for two legged beasts.

originally posted by: moren
i live in high desert in northern NV what would you alll suggest. i already have lots of fishing string and hooks......

I'm from there too.

Just to the west of Reno you also have tons of hunting area as you know.

Lots of deer by Frenchman's lake. Also a good place to bow hunt.

a reply to: sirlancelot

Well...I could write a book for you, and still not cover all of the bases.

Let me try to simplify it... If you already have a plan in place, it MUST have multiple "what-if" scenarios incorporated, to try to plan, as best you can, for all foreseeable possibilities. But, as you have probably already determined, it's the ones that you didn't think of, that could ultimately cause the most problems. Leaving you to rethink everything, on the fly!

You asked, specifically, about ammunition so I won't elaborate on ALL of the other items, plans and goals, that would be necessary for a small group or family to utilize, for an indefinite period of time. I will say this, though. Always have contingencies in place, as if you don't expect things to ever return to normal.

There are many schools of thought, regarding ammunition. Choosing a good all around caliber, like lightweight and space-saving .22lr, which can be used in multiple firearms, and for multiple purposes, is generally a safe bet. But, it does have it's drawbacks. A larger round, like .44mag also can be fired from pistols and rifles, but is bigger, heavier and more expensive. Plus, it can be heard from farther away. Another thing to consider; I also foresee ammo becoming a commodity, if things ever get really bad. But, you can't eat bullets. So, how does one determine a proper balance between defense and sustenance?
As mentioned, stringed weapons like recurved, compound and cross bows, which quieter and easier to replenish ammo for, are more cumbersome, have a limited range, and take a significant amount of time to reload, vs. most guns.
You didn't state whether you plan to hunker down, or have a predetermined location you plan to relocate to, when the SHTF. So, it's difficult to give specific opinions. Personally, I live within minutes of, and am surrounded by thousands and thousands of acres of woods and swamps. I already have locations established, in multiple directions, depending on the direction of the imminent threat. I have fishing gear, and some camping equipment already in place, at two of those.

Bug-out plans, IMO, are best when they are mostly fluid. With only a few staples established to take with you, when you go. Everything else, must be "acquired" when the time presents itself. Otherwise, someone could relieve you of your stash, before you even get where you are heading.

If you would, can you give us a few more details about your biggest concerns regarding your query?

I'm sure opinions would vary, but it all depends on where you are and what you mean. Self-defense or for food?

Assuming food, I've spent my life in the west and always where large game is easy to get.

I prefer a 30 ott 6. Large variety of loads and ammo available and I like a good hunting stock with a nice cheek rest made to fit me. Of course for self-defense it is still the same thing if you think about it.

First, know how to stalk game, how to find them and how to dress them and methods of storage. If you are experienced you will never have to make a long shot or spend more than a couple of days to get a lot of meat. Deer, Elk, Moose and Caribou. I'm not big on Caribou as it's not that nutritious but Moose is said to be the perfect survival food and they are easy to hunt and find if you live in the right area.

3 rounds can net you enough Moose meat to feed a couple of families for a winter. I say three as I generally fire 2 to make sure my scope is still on and one for the kill. Perhaps a couple more if I need to tweak the scope.

A Bow or Cross-bow I'd call a backup. I've hunted with them but for survival its not a sport. You want a guaranteed kill. Experience is a huge thing and I have no idea what you know? I grew up eating wild game and it was just something we all became very good at, very young.

Small game an accurate .22 long rifle as someone else mentioned and shotgun for birds. With those three weapons your covered and an ott 6 will take a man down, no problem if that's what is needed. A .22 would just piss someone off unless you made a perfect shot.

Hard to say without more info? A hundred rounds of ammunition could feed you for years under the right conditions. You don't need a truckload.

Also learn other methods and as mentioned, fishing and knowing how is a huge thing.