How much self defense ammo is "enough"

I have a few SD rounds for my 9 mm and 45. Probably only a few mags worth. I'm not worried about SD ammo after that. The idea that FMJ doesn't work for SD is something that ammo/bullet companies came up with to sell more product. Now everybody believes FMJ is worthless for everything except punching holes in paper.:(

I have plenty of FMJ, probably never use it all.
 
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Actually I'll probably stick with FMJ 9mm in my Beretta CX-4 pistol caliber carbine..... for reliability of feeding, and the fact that the velocity of the 9mm out of the 16" barrel will be closer to + 1300fps vs 1100 out of a 4" hand gun which is what modern hollowpoints are designed to expand at........ plus 30round mags and double taps.
 
Pretty well stocked with range ammo but can't decide how much self defense ammo to get. I have about 300 rounds of both 9 mil and 380. If things go downhill how much is enough.

After a firefight, you never hear anyone say, "I brought too much ammo!"
 
Well if you have a little land you could start with the rifle from...........

500 yards down to 200 then switch to your hand guns from 100 to 50 yards then..........

grab the 12 Ga. for the close work and pray for the best.

If in the "Hood" what ever you can load the fastest, I guess, if you can't stop the first wave.
 
Neither do I...

The truth is that I don't feel a great need for super-expensive high-performance self-defense ammo. I know that goes against popular thought, but I'm okay with carrying plain old "range ammo" most of the time. But I'm just an old man with few enemies or daily threats. I'm not an ex-cop who put away a lot of bad dudes either.

My idea of hi-performance ammo is Remington Golden Sabers, Federal HSTs and Speer Gold Dots.
 
Pretty well stocked with range ammo but can't decide how much self defense ammo to get. I have about 300 rounds of both 9 mil and 380. If things go downhill how much is enough.

At any point in time, no matter how much ammo you have, you need a couple hundred more rounds.
 
I have this accounting dilemma. If I have a couple thousand rounds of 9 mm full metal jacket that cost me $.17 a round and it's now worth upwards of $.50 and I could sell it for that. The way I see it is now it
cost me $.50 a round to shoot it because that's what I could've sold for.


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Some of you sound like you could supply these guys for a day.

Average daily ammunition expenditures for the 90th Infantry Division, 1—31 July 1944 (31-day period):

Cal. 30 Carbine - 7,251.52
Cal. 30 Ball, 5 clip (BAR) - 9,855.23
Cal. 30 Ball, 8 clip (M1 rifle) - 27,885.90
Cal. 30 Ball, MG - 30,382.90
Cal. 45 Ball (M1911, M1 & M3 SMGs) - 2,611.39
Cal. 50 MG - 2,627.39

Maybe several .
 
I have this accounting dilemma. If I have a couple thousand rounds of 9 mm full metal jacket that cost me $.17 a round and it's now worth upwards of $.50 and I could sell it for that. The way I see it is now it
cost me $.50 a round to shoot it because that's what I could've sold for.


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In economics that is called "opportunity cost"
You value something by the value of its alternative
Shoot the round or sell for $0.50
What you paid is a "sunk cost" and is only relevant to your pride and ego
 
In economics that is called "opportunity cost"
You value something by the value of its alternative
Shoot the round or sell for $0.50
What you paid is a "sunk cost" and is only relevant to your pride and ego


I should've known that but

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I try to maintain a 70-30% ratio of FMJ-JHP, but ideally I want 1 more round then I need.


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I recently read a similar thread on another forum. I actually decided to get an approximate idea of my on hand availability.

Three primary calibers: 4 - 5 thousand
Other calibers (4): 1500 - 2000
Almost obsolete caliber inherited: 100 - 200
 
I load SD rounds for everything I have. I have also changed out my daily carry from a Glock 26 9mm 12+1 to a Glock 20 15+1. The truck gun is a S&W model 65 with 158gr JHP.

Nine mm is a range round. It is cheap as half of my projectiles are cast lead. At current ammo prices I am loading 9mm cheaper than what 22LR currently cost.I have 357 Mag SD loads at 13 cents per round and Factory is selling for a dollar around? Times are are Foxtrot Uniform.
 
I've got enough to last the first few weeks of urban/ suburban warfare. We'll be eating "Lucky" by then so at least dog food won't be a concern. Joe
 
Was in an online discussion of similar recently and had to quip -

'In a recent poll of 50 violent felons, 49 reported that any random FMJ target round entering their torso would cause them to cease that moment's activity and seek other environs.....'

Seriously - don't think there's a real answer, other than a lot is good to have.
 
Seattle is getting weird, and the politicians here would rather fight and point fingers than fix things.
*
Getting? Seattle has gone completely off the rails, and that was done quite a while ago. I have not been west of the King/Kittitas line other than for work since about 2005.
 
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