[gunney_m]

1000 rds of 9mm, 12gauge.

[sawdust]

just like the finns did with their mosin's, find out what your neighbors are using and use that round. that way when your stockpile is getting low you'll allways know where to get more, or at the verry least, trade rifles like the finns and russins did in '39

[billy]

.22l.r.

[mos19k]

I've seen this topic brought up several times on several boards and it tends to always come down to two choices. One is, stockpile in the caliber you're going to be using. Two is, use the same caliber as your expected enemy so you can resupply from him. I tend to lean toward the first choice. We try to keep about a 1000 rds for each caliber that we have in the house. I think that's enough for most possible scenarios.
If you had to use the enemy's ammo, either you'd be taking it off dead or injured combatants or raiding a depot or convoy. In any of these cases wouldn't there be weapons to go with these rounds available on the guards or combatants?
I say stick with the round you feel comfortable with whether it's a common NATO 7.62 or a harder to find Swiss 7.5.
The important thing is to practice as much as you can.

[Doctor Larry K]

The very last thing i would do in the SHFT situation would be leave my home and try to escape using the freeways...you would not get 1 mile in California due to grid lock and major traffic accidents. I have enough ammo to start a small war and duplicate weapons in all calibers in case one malfunctions. I live on the top of a hill with only one street in and out, and my back yard is a very steep canyon about a mile across.
I have been in riot situations a couple of time so I have seen first hand what "people" are capable of. Believe me folks, fifty rioters/looters/criminals will be very scary!
May it never happen, but ...!

Doc

[Dan22]

I've stated before that a pump or lever .22 would be my choice because of ammo weight and the need to shoot meal sized animals.

With this in mind, I put a 500-round brick of .22 LR Ammo on my new postal scale and it came in at 3 Lbs, 14.5 Oz. 1.5 ounces more and it would be four pounds.

Now, If I'm on foot, carrying more than just a .22 rifle and ammo, the pounds are going to add up quickly so I don't understand how some of you can consider carrying several weapons that shoot heavy to carry ammo.

I'd like to carry a small tarp, maybe some screen, a space blanket, knives and all those little things that could make life a little easier.

I guess everyone has a different idea of survival and what you would need.

[Triggerjerk]

The places that some of you are going to try to get to...some of us are already there. So a stockpile is a good option. If I am not safe in the woods of New Hampshire, I have nowhere to go to be safe.

[Dan22]

Wow, the wood of New Hampshire sounds like a great place to be for a long time.

Yes, in that case I'd have all kinds of guns and ammo because you don't have to carry anything.

Great place to own a backhoe so you could dig out underground storage or even living quarters.

[mike63]

Quote:       Originally Posted by mos19k

I've seen this topic brought up several times on several boards and it tends to always come down to two choices. One is, stockpile in the caliber you're going to be using. Two is, use the same caliber as your expected enemy so you can resupply from him. I tend to lean toward the first choice. We try to keep about a 1000 rds for each caliber that we have in the house. I think that's enough for most possible scenarios. If you had to use the enemy's ammo, either you'd be taking it off dead or injured combatants or raiding a depot or convoy. In any of these cases wouldn't there be weapons to go with these rounds available on the guards or combatants? I say stick with the round you feel comfortable with whether it's a common NATO 7.62 or a harder to find Swiss 7.5. The important thing is to practice as much as you can.

I have to agree. If you try to choose a weapon based on what the other side is using so you can use there ammo, what happens when they change? Makes cents to me to use what your most comfortable with and keep an decent supply of ammo. When it comes to the point you have to scavenge off the enemy, they will have weapons and ammo.
Also have a .22lr. you just can't go wrong with one of these.

[ArkansasHunter]

Most folks around here will have a mixed bag of hunting type firearms and a few with I'll call assault style.
My thinking is if a SHFT happens city folks will move out of town to the country,woods and then that would cause problems for those that live in the country or wooded areas. If the citys have large populations.
I would bug in where I live in the country and if over ran by city folks I own land in a remote place to go to.
I personaly wouldn't be dependent on one gun though. I live 5 miles from the city limits and would expect many city dwellers to come this way and thats not a nice thought espesially if there hungry or in need of water.

If this were the case how would you handle people stopping at your house in the country begging for food and water ?
Would you shoot warning shots ? What would yall do ? What if little children were with there parents and were starveing and asked for food and water, would you give it to them ? I'm sure this will happen if we have a SHTF.

[Bravo]

Thank god for The Maine North Woods - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Either that, or I'd run to Northern Canada.

[mike63]

A.H. I sure hope that day doesn't come in my life time. It would be hard to turn hungry people around,
especially by force, but I guess when it comes down to it, you do what you have to do to protect your own. I would want to help every ones children, but mine would have to come first. I think any parent would fell the same.

[ironmike48]

In the next couple of weeks I am going to buy my combat rifle.When I was in the army I hated the M16.Its going to be any thing else.I dont want a com-bloc rifle.Sothat leaves 7.62x51.has anybody had experience with Cetme?

[tinnman357]

1000-2000 of 7.62 x 39
1000 .357hp
1000 12ga.
5000 22lr.


I agree it would be very hard to turn a hungry sole away especialy a child. But I also agree that to be able to take care of your own you cant wear a red cross on your back.

[Joe-R]

If I live past the first few days there will plenty of wepons and ammo on the dead laying around

[nathangdad]

This is a cartridge that has truly stood a test of time and marketplace. It is a great all around cartridge for deer and similar sized game and will also provide excellent defensive power and accuracy.

[DUMPLING]

Stick with 30-06 and 9mm and you cannot go wrong. There are piles of each around and you can find them in back woods stores. Put in a good stock of CCI .22 LR and you have covered it all.

[TACAV]

Quote:       Originally Posted by damage855

the 6.8spc has already joined the dodo bird.it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. plus the logistics in changing calibers would be a nightmare. the military is looking now at a heavier 5.56 round instead.

For mil spec ammo there is XM193 which is the Vietnam era grain load, the newer heavier M855 green tip penetrators and a third heavier load I forget what its called. MK something that is reserved for special forces use.

Funny you mention the 6.8 SPC. Those rumors have been going on for a while now but I still fail to see it catching on. Change the upper reliever and mags, or simply use a heavier 5.56 round.... I can see the cheap govt going one way over the other.

Also dont forget the FN SCAR is now being fielded for testing. The FN SCAR H (Heavy) is chambered for the .308 with the SCAR L (Light) staying with the 5.56.

------------------------------------------------------------
For my SHTF guns, all of them use common calibers found in North America or are chambered in common calibers that can take different loads. Such as .357 mag/ .38 special, 5.56/.223 or my 12 gauge being able to take 2 3/4 inch OR 3" shells. Just more options for the same tools. Also have other common but more proprietary stuff like .22LR 9mm and .45

The people I would stick together with all use the same common ammo types too so if we get ahold of something we can all use it.

We try to have 2,000 rounds per rifle, and 500 various loads for the shotty, and 500 rounds per handgun. Stored. You can store quite a bit in a few 40mm surplus ammo cans with good seals and some desiccant in a temperature controlled environment. In a small space too. Just stack em up in a corner somewhere.

My buddy who reloads has enough brass and primers to make about 14k reloads. (still working on getting more bullets.)

[JMcDonald]

As a civilian, it is a little silly expecting to be able to collect any sort of combat supplies from an enemy large enough that you know they will use a common caliber (either a military or an extremely organized militia). I've said this before, but here is how I see it.

If you are touting .223 because our military uses it and are expecting to be able to "scrounge" off them, let me ask this. How likely do you think it that a civilian will be allowed either on battle fields or supply depots to gather military ammo as they need it? Further, if the military is hit so hard that they don't bother hassling you over grabbing some military ammo from dead bodies or abandoned supply depots, wouldn't you also expect that the force that hit them so hard would be taking the place of that military? Whether it's zombies or another country, do you think if they managed to wipe out our military they would just leave and let civilians take all the supplies? Of course not--they would have already advanced into the position as they drive out our military.

A side note about using the most popular U.S. calibers. Notice how these most popular calibers were the first to be wiped out of stock during this recent gun scare? Common calibers have the advantage of low prices when things are going well, but when things start to get bad (or people are affraid they will), they are also the first to go. Go to Walmart the day after a major disaster (nuke, biological weapon, etc), and all you will find will be the less common calibers. So, don't expect to be able to find much of these calibers at any public places. These common calibers will be the first to leave the shelves, while rare calibers like .270 or .338 and what-not should be locally available for a good bit longer.

Now, lets talk about standard "enemy" calibers like 7.62x39. If an organized foreign enemy attacks us, again, do you expect to be able to just waltz onto a battlefield and take ammo off dead soldiers? Are you going to hide in the bushes as battles take place, and sneak out to grab a few packs when you get the chance? Also, say our military finally defeats the enemy, do you think they would then let civilians walk around and pick up enemy weapons and supplies? Of course they wouldn't; they would likely stock them all up and destroy or store them.

Now, there are still some logistic advantages to common calibers. If you are one of few survivors of some apoclypse, then through the processes of looting uninhabited homes you are much more likely to find common rifle calibers, especially pistol calibers like 9mm and .45. Still, though, I wouldn't put much stock on being the last man on earth, and even if that did end up being the case, you would have just as many choices of guns as ammo. Even if you started with a .270 hunting rifle, you could find a whole .223 rifle probably just as easily as you could a decent amount of .223 ammo (or hell, find a rifle or pistol or shotgun to go with any stock of ammo you find).

In a nutshell, the situation would have to be SO SO SO BAD for one to expect to easily acquire the weapons or ammunition of any organized force (government militaries or even very well-organized militias), that I wouldn't bet much on it. I say find a caliber you are comfortable with, and try to stock up on it as much as you can. During a SHTF situation, don't count on being able to get much more of it. If the situation isn't that bad, with fear being the biggest enemy (like what is causing the current ammo and gun shortages), it will be no easier to acquire .223 or .308 than .243 or .270. If the situation basically causes production to cease, the popular calibers will disappear from the shelves very quickly, but even still, you might only find one box of the less common calibers here and there (so again, don't expect to be able to find a lot of even this).


Find something you are comfortable with, and stock up now!

That is also a big reason I am pretty content with the .22lr. I am running low now and still have 2k rounds. Also, most all my plans involve bugging out, so it is extremely convenient that 1000 rounds will fit in a peanut-butter jar, and 300 rounds will fit in 12oz bottle that can go in my pocket. I know it's limitations, but I am comfortable with it.

Find something you are comfortable with, and use it!

[kaaa]

308