When will you stop?

[Dave C.]

I was at the range and had a shooter ask me why I was shooting my 45 ACP so
much? Two boxes, and what was I going to do if I could not get any more primmers?
I told him that when I run out I'll stop! On the way home I thought about it and decided that I will stop at 100 rounds left. It's no good setting on the shelf!
So what about you? At what point do you stop?

Dave C.

[Love Life]

When I can't anymore.

[tiwimon]

The point at which I stop is when I know that there is no replacements coming. After that it will be locked down to just a test fire on occasion

[starmac]

This is one of them subjects I would rather not think about. lol
I do not do a lot of shooting, just to be shooting anyway, so I would stop with enough to get me through the rest of my hunting days.(HOPEFULLY)

[DeanWinchester]

To people who worry over such things I have little pity. It's not like this is some startling revelation. We all knew hard times were coming. Everyone should have ferreted away a tidy stash by now. We've had mini scares several times. It should have been enough to wake you. If not, oh well.
The truth of the ant and grasshopper fable has been neutered so as not to frighten children. The truth is the grasshopper was not welcomed in by the ants but killed and eaten as a supplement to the stores they already worked hard to put away. It's not palatable to some men's moral compass but it's the truth of life.

I'm really weary of hearing some shooters tales of woe about how they can't get ammunition. In the words of Augustus Gloop "Would you like some chocolate? Well then you should have brought some."

I have shootable ammunition and sealed stores. My rationing of my shootable inventory fluctuates with the availability of components. My sealed stores will be opened only when I know there's no going to the market to buy anymore....ever.

As far as current conditions, my shooting volume has not changed in the last ten years.

[Recluse]

:goodpost:

Agree 100%.

I continue to buy supplies and components as I find them, and will continue to do so because I know at some point down the line, I will use them or the kids will use them--they will not go to waste.

I don't call this "hoarding," but rather "planning and preparing."

:coffee:

[Jim]

:goodpost:

.....I don't call this "hoarding," but rather "planning and preparing."

:coffee:

Exactly. I just ordered a K of .224 bullets because I know the cost will only go up.

[plmitch]

When I can't anymore.

Same here. Until then I'll keep reloading, buying and shooting without losing sleep and if I have to pay a bit more to do so oh well.

[P.K.]

When I can't anymore.

Bingo!

I have plenty to fool with right now. No plans on stoping any time soon. That said, the 8 +1 in my RR kit, the 240 loose, vacum packed in my BOB and various other "sundries" don't get touched unless on monthly inspection. Pretty much the same with my carry ammo for my 1911, those are just for when I get angry. ;-)

[Gliden07]

I just started to shoot IDPA last year and each meet is good for 100-125 rounds! Thats if I dont practice or shot just for the heck of it! I only got 2k small and 2k large. So I'm crossing my fingers!!

[DxieLandMan]

I've slowed down on my shooting. I used to shoot average 4k round 9mm/year. I have cut down on the shooting at lot. For deer hunting, I did not even shoot one last year. Took aim on one and rifle went 'click'. bad primer. Didn't get a shot an anything else.

[btroj]

When will I stop? When I have to due to death or running out of supplies.
I don't foresee either happening soon.

If someone asked me why I was shooting so much I would ask why they don't reload or plan ahead.

[Reload3006]

I will quit playing at 100 but if your patient that should never happen. I have been in the hand loading game since the mid sixties. today if you were to be buying your supplies you could never compete with Walmart for shotgun shells. However when I was in my early 20s there was a small reloading shop in a small town going out of business my dad and I purchased all the lead shot he had that was almost 35 years ago we bought that shot for 4 dollars a 25lb bag. When I catch a sale on primers I buy 5k same for powder etc. The only thing i wasn't industrious enough about was when the first round of craziness happened I almost didn't get to go Deer hunting because I wasn't prepared. That is why I got into swaging and more heavily into casting. Now I make sure that I have at least 5lbs of powder that I use and 2 to 3k of each type of primer I use. If I die before I use it all my kids will. I don't appreciate all the gouging going on interms of prices lots of shop owners are trying to justify it. as as I have said in other posts its their business and their inventory they have a right to do with it as they please. I however have not noticed that from other suppliers like Powder Valley, Natchez,Midway to name a few. Their prices haven't changed They are out of stock on a lot of items but they let me know when they get stuff in and if its stuff I need I order it. I suggest y'all do the same.

[2HighSpeed]

I had no choice but to stop shooting, I broke my gun :-( It was in the case and I dropped it and some little pin came loose from under the slide.

[km101]

When I get down to my "emergency response" ammo. This is ammo for my carry guns, ammo for my hunting rifles, and my home defense packs. I will not touch that. But everything else is subject to use.

[429421Cowboy]

Pretty much what km just said.

I'll shoot up my supplies, but going to school full time now has put a serious hurt on my loading and shooting time, so that moderates it quite a bit for me. I have at least one box for everything in the safe, that is my backup ammo and would last a long time if i couldn't get components because it would be strictly for hunting and protection. I would likely keep a good supply of components for the hunting rifles because that would be all i used for hunting, the pistols would be just for defense at that point, so how much i had would be a moot point as long as i had a couple reloads.
So at this point, i will continue to shoot my stores, and buy supplies if i find them at REASONABLE prices and i ACUTALLY need them, not just gobbling them up from other shooters.
And yes, at this point I am about sick of listening to people that can't find ammo right now, I probably have less money than most guys yet I managed to store up enough to last through this stuff, and kept from shooting it as fast as i got it.

[jcwit]

I'm 69 years young. I seriously doubt its possible for me to live long enough to use op all my primers and powder. My lead supply is now in a way over a ton, so?

I did buy a couple of bricks of .22 blazers a month or so ago, the store had a whole shelf full as in a few hundred boxes, the price was right, way less than $29.00 a box. Not sure how good their stock now is tho.

[shooter93]

This shortage will pass like all others before it. A lot of us are actually constantly buying supplies. Any during the year you see powder/primers/brass etc at reasonable you pick up what you can at the time. It builds up faster than you think till you end up with enough to weather these storms. I think it's more spotty than anything this time....I do find supplies that haven't been boosted in price too much if at all and I pick them up for people that I know may be running low.

[bob208]

when they nail the lid shut on the box. that is the same time i stop riding my harley or driving my vette.

[cloakndagger]

Hmm.... i keep an "iron ration" of sealed stores, and i cast for practice ammo.. soo... NEVER! He who has a gun can get anything else eventualy.

[jeepyj]

I have enjoyed handgun shooting for 37+ years. I finally had gotten to the point that I was just as happy shooting a .22 as a Hand Cannon. Well now with the prices going as crazy as they are I will cast to keep my cost down and Just enjoy anything I can I can shoot reasonable until I can't hit the target any more.
Jeepyj

[destrux]

Well now that I've perfected reloading primers with toy caps I could probably shoot forever... at a slower pace. This will all pass though. If it doesn't well then we will just have to make it pass with whatever ammo we have left.

[Recluse]

I have enjoyed handgun shooting for 37+ years. I finally had gotten to the point that I was just as happy shooting a .22 as a Hand Cannon. Well now with the prices going as crazy as they are I will cast to keep my cost down and Just enjoy anything I can I can shoot reasonable until I can't hit the target any more.
Jeepyj

At this stage in my life, there are few joys greater to me than taking out the .22LRs on a crisp, cool fall day to an outdoor caliche (gravel) pit or somewhere in the country, shooting impromptu targets like cans and plastic bottles, then getting the guns home and cleaning them with Hoppes #9.

Something magical, absolutely magical, about the smells of .22LR and Hoppes #9. It always brings back a flood of memories with my Dad and granddads and uncles of when we'd go out shooting on a Sunday afternoon after church, then come home and spread the newspapers out on the kitchen table and clean up the guns.

I've got plenty of .22LR, but I am being judicious with it. I have lots of large pistol primers and so I am shooting a lot more .44 Special and Magnum, and .45 ACP and Colt these days than I am small-pistol primer calibers, even though I have more than an ample supply of them.

Just bought another seven pounds of W748 powder as it is my go-to powder for 30-30, .303 and .223 and it doesn't take too long to go through a pound during an afternoon of heavy reloading. Bought a couple thousand large rifle magnum primers to use as plinking primers for the long guns combined with low charges of Unique and ridiculously small/light boolits that need no gas checks.

I call it "centerfire .22 plinking." :)

:coffee:

[sparky45]

What you have described, Recluse, about the Sunday afternoon "get together" with family, guns, possibly friendly competitions between(in my case) brothers, reminds me of, well, Norman Rockwell moments. They will be forever etched in my memory and oddly enough, Hoppes and gun oil(s) evoke strong memories and visual images of some of the finest times of my life. I'd be willing to bet the same could be said for most of the "senior" members on this Forum. Thank you for the memories.

[Awsar]

rt now i shoot when i want . i have plenty loaded and lots of components.
but if it all went to heck then id have to cut back .

[HighHook]

These kids at our range saw me blow off 200 rds of 30-06 and just about had a heart attacks. They just shot 50 new 9mm. I told them if I had mine I would of shot 300. Just to make every body mad I shot a box of 333 22 lr. Was a good day at the range.

I will stop when I run low on supplies.

[lead4me]

I'm feeling pretty good about my "stash" right now, over 50k primers 50/50 L&S PP with a few k of rifle thrown in. Plenty of Lead & powder to last a few years. I've got plenty loaded for almost all my firearms, except 22LR only about 1K of those but working on fixing that. I like to take a few different guns to the property we have and spend the day doing drill's and plinking with my girls, we stop when hungry or tired. The biggest draw on my supplies now is all my friends who 6 months ago wouldn't shoot "Lead heads" in their gun's are now asking if I have any extra I can spare!! But hey if you can't help your friends who can you help. Most of them are shooting 1911's and lead is the most accurate thing they have shot so far. Got to stop the pan lubing or have them chip in and buy me a star...think I'll look into that.

[Blacksmith]

I have long had the habit of trying to buy something when I visit a LGS. Sort of support your local business. Often it is a box of ammo, primers or powder over time I have built a supply and I continue to do so. If you support the little guy he will remember and support you also.

Was in a store recently that had a two box limit and I explained I would like to get two Bricks of .22 for a youth shooting program that is coming up. The guy said OK I am sure he remembered me as a somewhat steady customer. The leader of the youth program didn't plan ahead and got caught short. It wasn't a total panic because if we hadn't found any I would have covered it from my personal supply and let them pay me back when available.

Any of you involved with Youth shooting camps in the summer better check on ammo supply. Even The CMP is out and expects to be out until October.

[1bluehorse]

when they nail the lid shut on the box. that is the same time i stop riding my harley or driving my vette.

Yep, me too, sep' it's a quarter horse and a Diesel PU.......:redneck:

[rhadamanthos12]

I keep factory ammo in the safe, those are always there for when i run out of my components to make my own. I liked to have at least 500 loaded rounds for each caliber I own, doesn't always happen but to me that is a good safe point/goal. I always try to buy supplies when I have the spare funds to do so, even if it is only 100 primers or 1lb of powder it makes a difference to store it away while you can.

[WILCO]

I won't stop. I'll just make components.

[arkypete]

I'm not low on primers, cases or powder. What I'm low on is copper plated pistol slugs for the indoor range. When it gets warmer the cast slugs will start going down range. I never saw jacketed and copper plated bullet get gone in such a hurry.
I worry about the small gun shops and indoor ranges. If they cannot sell ammo, bullets, powder, primers that will cut down on their cash flow and maybe cause them to go under.
This may cause more jacketed bullet makers to start up production.

Jim

[HATCH]

Based on my current shooting I have over 10 years worth of supplies and loaded ammo.
truthfully I have over 20 years worth of 308 because I never shoot it.
The only thing that will suck for me is 22lr. I do have 10K rounds of it so I will not feel the hurt just yet but I will be feeling the pain in another year.
My son (who turns 9 this saturday) pretty much shoots up 200 rds of 22lr every time we go to the range.
I am going to hate to tell him that he has to limit himself to 100rds of 22lr once my supply gets down below 5K rounds.


I have several friends that have approached me in the past week about me loading ammo for them.
I tell them NO. I will not load ammo for them using my supplies.
I tell them that they are more the welcome to purchase primers and powder when they can find them and come use my equiptment to load their ammo.
This even goes for the boolits. They can pay for their own lead and I can cast them on the master caster.
We live in a different world now. We have to think about not IF it will run would but WHEN will it run out.
I know that I don't have a lifetime supply of reloading components and I know that even if I had a pile of money that I can't purchase suppplies because they aren't out there.
For the past year I have looked at the same two 8lb jugs of Unique sitting on the shelves of my local gun store. Well I went in there last week and guess what... they are gone.
Nothing is to be had. I have people looking all over the state from small pistol primers.

[KCSO]

250 rounds for each gun left and then i shoot my flinter till there is more ammo. I can knap my own flints and make my own powder so i will be shooting for a long time yet. The upside of this is that if you can hit what you aim at with a flint pistol you can shoot anything!

[captaint]

I suppose when I get down to 100 each of 45ACP & 9mm, it'll be time to go to 22LR only. I have enough stuff right now to go on as usual for a year, anyway. By then, things will have settled down and we'll all be OK. Right ?? Right ?? . I will shoot the 22LR a little more often, though. Just in case. It's very enjoyable and good practice anyhow. Mike

[Artful]

When my old job left me behind I had to reduce my shooting due to costs vs income, but at my current rate I probably have a 10 year supply of ammo / components. But what I look at is if it's not a "normal" usage issue - I keep enough for each weapon for a dire situation.

Example a 80 round bandolero in en-bloc for the Garand.
A 100 round bandolero of 7.62x54 on stripper clips for Mosin and same in 303 for SMLE.
I keep 6 loaded 30 round mags of 223 for an AR, I keep mags loaded for HK and FAL
- these are all set up to grab and go or to pass out in case of trouble.
Fred up the street is retired Air Force - Vietnam Vet
- other people I trust enough if it comes to defending our homes.

My thoughts are to keep at least enough ammo for each important weapon to be able to use in a serious situation.

If I get down to those level's I'd stop shooting for pleasure.

[429421Cowboy]

[QUOTE=Blacksmith;2085080]I have long had the habit of trying to buy something when I visit a LGS. Sort of support your local business. Often it is a box of ammo, primers or powder over time I have built a supply and I continue to do so. If you support the little guy he will remember and support you also.
QUOTE]

That right there is the truth and exactly how i feel! We have two truely local owned and operated stores, if i go in there i alway try to give them at least a little bit of cash, now all the times i spent $3 on a sleeve of rifle primers is paying off. Also thats why he knocks a few bucks off or throws something in when i buy a used die set or such.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

...So what about you? At what point do you stop? Dave C.

I'll stop :Fire: ... when Obummer comes to Glencoe and tells me to stop !
Jon

[Blacksmith]

I'll stop in two weeks! Anyone see "The Money Pit".

[Beau Cassidy]

Stop? Hell- I haven't even started good! My my best guess I have enough to last me the next 153.5 years give or take a month or two. I don't like not being able to do the things I like to do.

[Wal']

Hmmmmmm.........when I fall over I guess...........hopefully, get a couple more off before I hit the ground. :) :drinks:

[opos]

I'm in my mid 70's.....I already stopped

[Springfield]

My wife and I shoot 2 cowboy matches a month. I have plenty of lead and I just received 5K of LPP from Powder Valley, put it in the storage container next to the other 8K. I think we are good for a while, and when everything comes back I will add to that store. I could use more .22lr for the kids, but if I have to I will load very light 38's and finally use the 75 grain wadcutter mould I bought a few years ago. About time they learned to shoot a double action pistol anyway.

[Blanket]

I am lucky enough to step out my back door and shoot on my own 50 yard range, out the front and I have 400 yards. I have been like many others buying stuff when I had a little extra money and whenever I stopped at a gunshop, gunshow or whatever bought what I needed and something to put on the shelf. This started in the sixties. Don't feel at all worried shooting 50 rounds a day or when someone stops by with their kids feeding them 22's or shooting claybirds till they get tired of it. Don't plan on ever stopping Russ

[DRNurse1]

Dave C (OP) you really opened a can of worms here.

I am glad most folks consider practicing and sharing their hobby when possible. I am also glad to see folks are planning ahead (I am a Scouter, I call it Being Prepared..."for any old thing," to quote Lord Baden Powell). I try to practice for competition and am finding dry firing and laser pointers very helpful, but they do not completely substitute for time on the range. So for me, I try to set up my practice/ match ammo for the year, keep a SHTF-stash available (but I use it when I have made replacements), buy what components I use when I can find them, and save (hoard?) the remaining components.

I choose to buy from my local folks a little each pay and more when I can. Generally, good will does not come from the big guys, so I try to used them only when I cannot find what I 'need' locally. I was considering branching out into other pistol and rifle calibers before this 'bump in the road' but am standing fast with my current calibers. Too bad for the gun manufacturers, lost income and all that, but as things improve I may reconsider. Also, I feel for, but have difficulty reaching due to my 'be prepared' philosophy, the new guys on the block who knee-jerk bought whatever caliber they could find and now are paying exorbitant amounts for manufactured ammo when they can find it. I hope they stick around when the panic dies down. This is a great hobby, life long and life saving, too.

I try to pass along my little bit of knowledge when I can, rather than trying to supply folks who were caught short in this event. I am trying to convince a friend to start reloading, and this just might do it. Education is something we can pass out freely without ever loosing any khnowledge.

I do not begrudge those folks who have the components from charging what the market will bear. They spent their $$, let them make some back. Other industries see speculators rush in when some $$ can be made, but I have not heard of any 'new' sources trying to cash in on this shortage. It seems most of this extra cost is returning to our industry. I saw a good post somewhere else about companies that are 2A friendly, so I encourage you to utilize those folks for your purchases when you have a choice.

One thing that concerns me greatly, if you do not mind the tangent, is those among us spending our resources on higher priced components and cutting back on the support for the folks and groups that can possibly fix this mess. There is a balance between a panicked- and a rational- response to this situation. I am not sure what works for you but I hate to see BHO find an advantage if we are under funded. Than said, I see a lot of things that could make me think this is a manufactured situation being used to draw down our resources, both ammunition, components and funding. I may just be paranoid, and I havve not seen objective evidence supporting this contenetion, but the Germans did not see Hitler's end game either (not saying BHO is like Hitler, unless that analogy fits).

So, long winded, yes, but I think I was able to add something to this discussion. Peace, brothers in arms, and keep your stores dry and your guard up.

DRNurse1

[mold maker]

The older I get, the less I shoot. That gives me more time to scrounge and load. I bet my Son wont shoot up all I leave him.
At 71 my needs are far less.

[Harter66]

I guess when I can't have 4-500 for each pistol,50 for the picky rifles,100 for the easy rifles,300 12 ga,500 for a certain 30 Cal semi.

Like many others I too have bought things every time I've an extra Benjamin in my pocket . Current stocks should hold me for a year or 2.

[reloader28]

I agree with DRNurse1.
In my opinion,only a complete fool would keep on shooting up his ammo for just plinking around. I aint shot 100 rounds in 2 months (partially cause I'm busy) because I cant replace my components. Dont get me wrong, I have enough to last several years, but I refuse to pi$$ away my stuff. What do you think is going to happen when you have a whopping 100 rounds left and the SHTF, because that is what I see happening. You are not going to last more than a day.
Personally, I think the gov has more to do with this than a person thinks.

[Bad Water Bill]

Just because we found out about the 1.6 BILLION rounds of 40 cal stuff isn't what makes me nervous, it is the wondering just how much the military has been forced to TRANSFER to D H S that we have yet to uncover.

We just learned about the 2,100 armored vehicles transferred from the Army, but have no idea how many tanks etc have been transferred or what the standing troop count of D H S is at this moment.

[Mal Paso]

What with Congress not making it to the bathroom, those Federal Contracts may not be funded, and "Surplus Ammo" may become available. One could hope. :)

Oh, the OP! Still shooting every week about the same amount (~250) and should be good for the year.

[mwk1975]

Something about "When they pry it from my cold, dead fingers..." comes to mind.

[destrux]

The good news, I guess you can call it, is that there seems to be plenty of people who immediately overextended their finances when this craze started and they are already selling stuff off. I just bought 1K mil-spec small rifle primers for only about $5 higher than pre-scare price, and I see forums and auction sites have more and more stuff the past few weeks, a few major places even have .224" bullets in stock again (although they're still rationed).

[Epd230]

Personnally, I keep 3 rounds for SHTF. I figure the first bad guy through my front door gets all three (2 to the body, 1 to the head). Then I get everything that his EVIL heart deemed necessary to carry into my home.

Since he is EVIL, he obviously has at least one of those EVIL 30 round magazines. Therefore, for my initial investment of 3 rounds, I have just earned 30. By the end of a true SHTF situation, I should have a couple thousand rounds at my disposal!

[Blacksmith]

Personnally, I keep 3 rounds for SHTF. I figure the first bad guy through my front door gets all three (2 to the body, 1 to the head). Then I get everything that his EVIL heart deemed necessary to carry into my home.

Since he is EVIL, he obviously has at least one of those EVIL 30 round magazines. Therefore, for my initial investment of 3 rounds, I have just earned 30. By the end of a true SHTF situation, I should have a couple thousand rounds at my disposal!

Good thinking!