[E150GT]

I got back into guns when my daughter was born. I had carried for a few years and I just stopped and guns were not on my mind for a number of years. Then we had a family and I thought I'd better be able to protect that family. So I dug for my glock in the back of my closet and it turns out I had about 300 rounds of 9mm. I started buying every week or two until the shortage. I stopped for a few months until I decided to get a rifle. Then I had to have ammo. And the buying resumed. I'm at a point where my ammo is in a good spot. I do however shoot said ammo. Now I'm just sitting here wondering if I should replace what I shot or just let my stash decline until a certain point and then it triggers a message in my brain to re-up. How do you guys do it?

 

[anthonypd]

I have a rule for myself: Get what I just shot at minimum, and aim for +5%. As far as I can tell, gun rights are under threat. I wouldn’t be surprised by a future poll tax style prohibitively high tax on ammunition.

 

[KurtC]

Quality. There are very few cartridges that are better than what I can handload. FGMM, RED45, RED9, RWS 9.3x62 and 7x64.

Price. I wait until I find the above cartridges at an acceptable price.

In reality, I probably have enough components to last 10 years of weekly range trips.

 

[E150GT]

I wish I could reload. I do save brass for future use.
I am doing inventory tonight.
I have a healthy mix of PPU, lake city, Igman, Norma, Saltech, hirtenberger and GGG. Plus some hunting rounds

 

[E150GT]

In reality, I probably have enough components to last 10 years of weekly range trips.

That's awesome. I missed the boat on good surplus. Hopefully components will come back some day I can do the same.

 

[JOG]

Shoot then replace!
Price and availability!

 

[smleenfield]

99.99 percent of what I normally shoot is reloads when it comes to plinking or target ammo. I usually refresh what I consider self defense ammo ever so often and shoot the older stuff for practice.

 

[Georgiashooter]

I tend to replace proactively. I may shoot 500 rds this month, maybe 1500. I try to buy when I can at a decent price. Sometimes I just have to buy, whether I like the price or not. I probably have enough components for several years, but I don’t want to depend on the ability to throw components together in a bad situation. Just my $.02.

 

[MuppetMeat4Me]

Depending on...

How much I have.

How much I want to shoot it.

How much it costs.

How much money I have to spend.

How much it likely will cost.

How hard it will likely be to replace.

How much space I have to store it.

It's somewhat of an incentive to not explore options that would require new types of cartridges.

 

[BlueSun]

Until I get up to the desired amount - which is two years of normal shooting patterns - I buy two boxes for every box of factory ammunition I shoot when heading back from the range.

With a new caliber my hobby purchases become a bit more expensive, but after a while it turns into replacing only that which I shoot.

 

[Den308]

What I tell a new shooter when asked how much ammo should be kept on hand, my reply is: 350 rounds per firearm kept in reserve.

 

[Jackofalltrades03]

What I tell a new shooter when asked how much ammo should be kept on hand, my reply is: 350 rounds per firearm kept in reserve.

I would step that up to 1,000 IMHO

 

[Cool Breeze]

I stacked it deep when prices were good or there was trouble on the horizon. Now when panic hits I just ignore it unless I run across something too good to pass up...

 

[freeride1]

Price + scarcity, are my determining factors. I enjoy 5.45 Russian AKs, and the morning after the Russian invasion of Ukraine I ordered 15k rounds knowing they would skyrocket in price and dry up.
For 7.62 NATO, 5.56, 9mm and .45 I always like to have at least 5k extra on hand and will buy when its a decent price.

 

[Den308]

I would step that up to 1,000 IMHO

Of course you and I and everyone here knows better, it's just what I tell new people, sounds "reasonable".

 

[CASINOMICK]

Disposable "cash" from my casino winnings. The IRS gets their cut, and I get my cut and my wife gets hers. The one other enjoyment I really enjoy is gambling. It takes a whole lot of skill and a bit of luck, and lady luck has been smiling upon me for a long time. Anyway, that is what prompts me to buy a lot of ammo - Disposable Cash

 

[russmerle]

“Well it’s not been that low in a long time….”

or

“I wouldn’t sell it for that, may as well buy it…”

That’s if it’s something that I routinely stock. (M80, FGMM, M118/LR, NATO pistol 9/45, etc…)

 

[ZombieSlug]

I try to keep at least a 1 year supply of each caliber on hand, based on my typical usage rates - I just approximated a reasonable number for each caliber. For example, I try to keep at least 1000 rounds of 9 mm FMJ and a few hundred rounds of 9 mm JHP. This inventory helps get me through the ammo shortages, and/or is probably enough for a SHTF scenario (I'm not planning for war, just self-defense). I buy replacement ammo a few times per year when I see it on sale. I don't keep a running inventory list - just ballpark it based on how many boxes I see in my ammo cases.

 

[Rifleman-7.62]

When I get back to shooting again it will just be 9 millimeter Luger out of a long gun and .22 Long Rifle for training. Maybe fifteen shots of 7.62 x 51 or 7.62 x 39 per range trip. Only got a little over seven hundred rounds per long gun and I want to put more money toward food storage. Food just keeps getting more expensive and it probably will continue to be that way in the future with Congress and Let's Go Brandon spending ridiculous sums of money.

They called the last spending spree "The Inflation Reduction Act." What a joke.

 

[barnetmill]

It is a combination of price and need.
I shoot a lot of .22 SV rimfire
I need some M193 that is loaded to max spec from someone like federal or winchester etc because I do not load max loads.
I do have components on hand for M1 carbine, 7.62x51, 30-06, and 300 AAC. I have lot of cheapo x39 steel case, but do plan to do some loading of it to get some quality ammo.