How do you store your ammo?

[AGoyette]

Question for you ammo collectors and reloaders. How do you store bulk ammo? The darling husband seems to think that we need to have the .223 in 100 round boxes after he reloads. I think that after checking each round we can put them loose in an ammo can. He thinks that can damage the bullet. I said it should only affect the bullet if the crimp is bad. Who is right?

He doesn't hesitate to put the reloaded 9mm and 45 acp's loose in a bag after checking each round.

 

[TucsonMTB]

If it is just plinking or blasting ammo, throwing it in a can is fine.

If he is shooting for some kind of accuracy, it is worth putting it in plastic boxes. The MTM plastic cases that I use for 30-06 rounds hand loaded for my Garand are pretty cheap. Indulge him a little.

 

[scooter123]

I find the MTM cases for 223 to be an incredible waste of space. What I use are the boxes for Hornady 158 grain 357 magnum XTP bullets. Lay the rounds down in alternating orientation and you can fit 6 layers of 8 rounds each in a box. Bad news (or maybe good news) is that I've run out of empty boxes, so I guess I'll have to go out and shoot more 357 Magnums to make more.

As for ammo going to the range, Magpul magazines are rather inexpensive so for a range outing I just load up some magazines.

 

[Smith357]

I put all my reloads that come off the progressive press in ammo cans, they are just plinking and training loads. My "special" handloads are made one at a time on a single stage and are placed into the plastic MTM cases and labeled with specific load data logged on the inside of the lid.

 

[Engineer1911]

I can barely afford GI ammo cans for my ammo, MTM boxes are out of the question. My 223 prairie dog ammo is in a black plastic bucket that holds about 4 gallons. A 'FULL' GI ammo can may be too heavy to lift -- bigger may not be better.

Stay on the "cheap path" and life is less expensive.

 

[novalty]

I just load enough to fill my guns. More than that then you are hoarding...

 

[old&slow]

Quart size zip lock plastic bags with labeled and dated information stored inside 50 cal ammo cans. Grab a bag and go.

Plastic boxes are nice for a final check of primers / ammo , knowing exact ammo count for a match,, carry in range bag, etc. But take up too much room and costly for storage, unless you only keep a few rounds on hand,, IMO..

 

[Magload]

At my age I only load what I can shoot in the next few days. I will be leaving my guns and press for my son but darn he can crank out his own loads. There fore I don't need many MTM boxes. Don

 

[SMSgt]

I find the MTM cases for 223 to be an incredible waste of space. What I use are the boxes for Hornady 158 grain 357 magnum XTP bullets. Lay the rounds down in alternating orientation and you can fit 6 layers of 8 rounds each in a box. Bad news (or maybe good news) is that I've run out of empty boxes, so I guess I'll have to go out and shoot more 357 Magnums to make more.

As for ammo going to the range, Magpul magazines are rather inexpensive so for a range outing I just load up some magazines.

Expensive way to get a storage box.

I use the plastic cases. I like the stack-ability and I don't keep 10 billion rounds on hand. I reload them as fast as I shoot them. Empty cases lying around causes a panic attack.

 

[RV4driver]

If I buy bulk ammo on stripper clips, I'm good to go. If I buy bulk ammo loose, I put it on stripper clips.
My reloads go the MTM type boxes.
For some reason, (OCD?) I like to know just how many rounds I've got on hand.

 

[bigggbbruce]

It's sold in 1000 round boxes loose.
1000 round loose pack case - 223 Federal American Eagle 55 grain FMJ Loose Pack AE223BK | SGAmmo.com

 

[ageingstudent]

I just load enough to fill my guns. More than that then you are hoarding...

And in California it's probably illegal.

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

In the Mid 80's I loaded 20,000 223 FMJ reloads and put them in ammo cans, radio cans and small buckets, anything large enough to be useful and small enough to pick up when full. I still have about 6500 left and the shoot fine. I loaded Varmint/target loads and put the in cardboard & Styrofoam and sometimes MTM boxes. Over time the cardboard deteriorated and they ended up in zip-lock bags. They have maintained their accuracy for up to 5 years and counting. An Exception to this is a load that the bullet is barley seated in the neck they are in MTM 50 round boxes and watched over carefully.

I used to fill 50 Caliber ammo cans full of loose 9mm and 45acp, as I've gotten older, I find that 2/3's full is all I want to pick up! But the heaviest ammo of all is 22 Long Rifle, a 50 cal ammo can full of 50 round boxes is immovable at my age, when I was 30ish it was hard to move!

Ivan

 

[John R]

Looks to be two threads on this.
Here's how I do it.

I store my bulk reloaded ammo in coffee cans, I usually load a thousand rounds at a time, as I use it from the plastic boxes that I take to the range, I refill from the coffee cans.

Don't know if this is the right way, but it works for me.

 

[moxie]

I store .223/5.56 in groups of 60 in zip-loc plastic freezer bags.

The reason for 60 is it's enough for 2 30 rounders or 3 20 rounders, and it's a small enough package to fit in most pockets. Keep the loaded bags in an old Tupperware container or even a coffee can.

 

[AGoyette]

Great ideas here, thank you!

 

[Freischütz]

I prefer quart and gallon sized ziplock bags. They are good for empty cases too.

 

[H Richard]

The quart size zip lock bags, fill with 100 rounds and place in GI Ammo cans. I shot some 38 Special the other day I had loaded in 83, and it was just fine.

 

[arjay]

100 rounds per ziplock bag and those are stored in Rubbermaid containers under the bed.My shotgun loads go in factory boxes on the top shelf in the garage.

 

[Magload]

I don't store it I shoot it about as fast as I make it. I got maybe 3 MTM boxes for each caliber and I can't keep those full. Don