How much ammo are we collectively shooting?

[Land_Owner]

It amazes me to read and write about load development, target practice, range sessions, plinking, and hunting when I consider how much ammunition I am making and shooting just myself.  When I consider the rest of YOU into that "equation" the proportion of "lead" we are collectively slinging is almost staggering.

Does anyone know how much ammunition is being purchased/reloaded and shot by recreational shooters (non-military) on an annual basis?  I bet it is sufficient to warm the Earth's surface a degree or two on its own!

[mechanic]

SHHH!  Be careful what you write here.  We may be monitored by weathermen!

[sk330lc]

A Bunch!   Your not turning "GREEN" on us are you Land_owner? 

[Siskiyou]

Some of the ranges have a machine come in every once and a while and recover the spent bullets and shot. 

I know that I have contributed a small share to my clubs mother load.  Most members recover their brass but on weekends when the range is open to the public the range recovers some operating cost from brass left behind.  I think I am a piker among giants; there are members I see at the range on regular bases.  They show up with a block of loads and enjoy themselves; they also show-up on days set aside for maintenance.

Some people go to an Indian Casino, I go to the range.

[Halwg]

SHHH!  Be careful what you write here.  We may be monitored by weathermen!

Nope, it will be Al Gore claiming we are contributing to global warming.

[stimpylu32]

Land Owner

The next couple of months are going to be a little light for me , I'll be moving in a couple weeks and all the gun / reloading stuff is packed already , however most times I shoot around 2000 rounds a month between rifle and pistol , then once sporting clays season comes back in you can add around another 1500 or so 12g shells to the count .

Good thing I load most of my ammo aqnd cast my own bullets . 

stimpy

[necchi]

 I'm kind of a light shooter compared to the groups an gents I'm aware of and know of in the area, I only send 200-300 rounds downrange each month. But I truley enjoy the precision of shooting, not just the "Spray an Pray" style of alot of guy's.
 What I find shocking is the doom sayer's and so called survivalists that need 1000's of rounds loaded and stored "just in case". Sad part is most of those guy's you see on the 50 range banging away, happy with 10" groups or full body targets with most shot's in the silouette. I'm the quiet guy over on the 300 that brings only 2 guns and only shoot's 20 out of each 

[helotaxi]

What I find shocking is the doom sayer's and so called survivalists that need 1000's of rounds loaded and stored "just in case". Sad part is most of those guy's you see on the 50 range banging away, happy with 10" groups or full body targets with most shot's in the silouette. I'm the quiet guy over on the 300 that brings only 2 guns and only shoot's 20 out of each 

Different types of practice for different purposes.  I do both.  I'll burn a hundred rounds or so doing defensive handgun type work, rapid fire at various ranges perfectly happy keeping all the round in a 10" circle center of mass but doing it very quickly.  After that I'll settle down on the longer range and shoot my small groups.

[Lloyd Smale]

I probably do a minimum of 3000 a month in the summer months.

[SHOOTALL]

My wife may read here so its best to just say enough to scratch the itch.

[skb2706]

Yep..I just came back from a weekend of pd shooting. Warming the earth one 32 gr. bullet at a time.

[Reverend Recoil]

I shoot two high power and one mid range prone rifle match each month.  With a couple of practice sessions the shots add up to about 350 rounds per month.  I will be shooting more as I get ready for Camp Perry.  It's not as much as some pistol shooters but its enough to burn out a match grade rifle barrel every year.  My hunting rifles are not shot so much any more.

[necchi]

Different types of practice for different purposes.  I do both.  I'll burn a hundred rounds or so doing defensive handgun type work, rapid fire at various ranges perfectly happy keeping all the round in a 10" circle center of mass but doing it very quickly.  After that I'll settle down on the longer range and shoot my small groups.

 Ya I kinda understand that, specally with the handgun guy's, but I gotta tell ya, this one is a popular public range that I've membered up too, and fully 80% of the people shooting are just plain lousy! There is a Lady out there that runs carry classes and she graduates 10-15 every other week, so there are plenty earning the right, that's a GOOD thing!
 But if/when the SHTF, a feller won't have too much trouble picking up spare guns an ammo, it's that other 20% ya need to keep an eye out for 

[KansasPaul]

I'm sort of a binge shooter - oh I get a few rounds down range fairly often but the bulk of my shooting comes in small periods and a large number of bullets.  I will reload everything I have brass for and set up targets from 15 yards all the way out to 500 yards.  Handguns up to 100 yards and rifles for everything beyond.  Shooting little McDonalds toys close in is great fun - 10" paper plates at 100, 200 and 36" targets at 500. I like to include my friends and kids & their friends -bring out every handgun and rifle I own and teach folks how to use them - it's not uncommon for us to go through 1500 rounds in a full day of shooting.

When on my own, I'm a lot like necci in that I will load 5 or 6 at a time and shoot for accuracy. My favorite round is 45/70 and my single shot Handi is dialed in to place 3 rounds in a single clover-leaf hole at 100 - it is DEADLY accurate with my handloads.  Now if I can ever get my AR15 to shoot that well.......

The next step for me is to help the environment by recycling lead through a melter and into a bullet mold........ 

Paul

 

[rugerfan.64]

Darn fellas ,,,,,,,no wonder its still hard to find reloading supplies. Y'all burning through alot of powder and primers! I can only say I wish I had time to shoot more often.

[securitysix]

I've been out of work for a while and haven't been able to afford to shoot nearly as much as I'd like, even with reloading.

Now that I've found a job and have some steady income, I can afford to start buying components and loaded ammo again, but I don't really have any time to go shooting.  Them's the breaks, I guess...

[john keyes]

I probably do a minimum of 3000 a month in the summer months.

 

[john keyes]

I go to the range more often than most, excluding those who can walk out their back door and shoot. 

I take a few rifles and get some velocity data and where is it at 100 and 200. I like to mess around, take my time, walk to the target (depending on if anyone else is there). look around, eat an apple or sumpin, walk down to the creek and look around.  look for brass.  so on the usual I'll take two or three rifles and shoot maybe 30-40 rounds.

[Steve P]

I don't want to count so I don't know...............

Steve

[mcwoodduck]

If you had asked this two years ago my answer was very different than today.
When I lived in So Cal I was shooting.
1st Sat - Running deer so 20 rounds plus plinking and playing at the range after with 22' or getting ready for the pistol shoot the next day
1st Sun - Tactical Pistol - 50 to 100 rounds of handgun.  Depending on if i won the month before it was either 9mm or 38 spl.
2nd sun - Sporting clays so 150 rounds of 12 ga and may be 50 of 20 plus 100 or so if I was having a good day wehn we would go shoot skeet after.
3rd sat- Bullseye pistol shoot - 120 rounds of 22LR for the match and then a few rounds of center fire rifle to get ready for the running deer or some rounds for the hi power shoot.
3rd Sunday - I think was hi power so 150 rounds of either 223, 30-06 or 303 brit.
4th sunday - different club trap shooting an pot shoots figure 200 rounds fro the day.
5th sunday was either a bowling pin shoot or a 3 gun match so about 250 rounds.
The add the thursday night cigar lounge at the trap field so add another 350 rounds a month of scatter gun.
Then add the hunting, back yard 22, 17, and Pellet rifle.
A lot.
Now I don't get as much time ot shoot so 300 rounds a month for skeet and sporting clays and maybe a few hundred rounds at a target range with rim and center fire.
I did uy a new CZ 452 Varmint and pick it up on Thurday so i will need some range time after mounting the scope.

[manatee1947]

I listen to all this and get physically ill. I guess it is my age, or socioeconomic status or something. I started shooting in the '50s and got 2 or 3 cents per bird from my aunt for keeping the woodpeckers and jays out of her orchard, and a nickel for a rat in the corn bin. 22 shorts cost 35 cents a box, and my allowance was a quarter a week. If I did not kill something with at least 50% of the bullets I fired, I was in trouble.
The thoughts of firing 3000 rounds of ammo and producing only holes in paper and nothing edible is somehow like putting holy water in your wiper fluid reservoir .......... I know that I can hit what I need to, and I initially forced myself to "waste" enough ammo to develop good reliable loads for each gun. I shoot light stuff occasionally for some practice. Most years I shoot a dozen rounds of deer ammo, usually 6 to 8 at targets, and then 4 deer. I usually use different guns each day, so they don't get jealous. I really don't need them all, but can't bear to part with them. My kids will probably have a huge auction when I die, and then hire a hazmat team to come in and remove all the lead so they can turn the farm into a subdivision. It is a terrible thing to realize that you spent a lifetime acquiring "stuff" that was near and dear to your heart, that everyone else just can't wait to eliminate and disperse. Oh well.

[KansasPaul]

I started shooting BBs out of an old Daisy air gun when I was about 10 years old. I lived in NJ in a place where one had a tough time owning a firearm much less shooting one. As manatee1947 stated, I too had to limit my shooting to what my  budget could afford. I used my allowance and money earned from mowing the lawn and washing the neighbor's car to purchase a "treasure box of BB's" containing 1000 of those copper plated beauties. I had to limit myself or I would not make it through the month without running out.

In the latter years things have changed a little in that I can now walk out my back door and legally shoot any kind of center fire or rim fire non-machine gun.  I still love to shoot because I still find it challenging and it forces my focus on one thing - hitting my intended target. Shot placement becomes paramount. I still have to budget myself just like when I was a kid - the difference is that the projectiles are bigger.  I'm not sure if I could get bored shooting 3000 rounds a month......

....... it sure would be fun to find out.

[Rocket Man]

I dispense and reload about 200 rounds a month, mostly pistol.  I'm amazed that the heavy shooters have mucho pounds of different powder stored.  Let alone thousands of primers.  This doesn't even consider 'stored ammo',  don't get me wrong you fella's can do what ever makes you happy.

Lets say there are 5,000 guys doing 3,000 rounds a month that adds up to - OMG! - 15,000,000 rounds!  I know how long it takes me to reload 200 on a single stage press.  How long does it take to load 3k on a progressive?  Are you still working?  I think so, just to be able to afford the componants and replacing rifles, pistols, shotguns. Hummmm?  Do you have time for the other stuff in life?  Eat drink and be Mary.

[mcwoodduck]

I listen to all this and get physically ill. I guess it is my age, or socioeconomic status or something. I started shooting in the '50s and got 2 or 3 cents per bird from my aunt for keeping the woodpeckers and jays out of her orchard, and a nickel for a rat in the corn bin. 22 shorts cost 35 cents a box, and my allowance was a quarter a week. If I did not kill something with at least 50% of the bullets I fired, I was in trouble.
The thoughts of firing 3000 rounds of ammo and producing only holes in paper and nothing edible is somehow like putting holy water in your wiper fluid reservoir .......... I know that I can hit what I need to, and I initially forced myself to "waste" enough ammo to develop good reliable loads for each gun. I shoot light stuff occasionally for some practice. Most years I shoot a dozen rounds of deer ammo, usually 6 to 8 at targets, and then 4 deer. I usually use different guns each day, so they don't get jealous. I really don't need them all, but can't bear to part with them. My kids will probably have a huge auction when I die, and then hire a hazmat team to come in and remove all the lead so they can turn the farm into a subdivision. It is a terrible thing to realize that you spent a lifetime acquiring "stuff" that was near and dear to your heart, that everyone else just can't wait to eliminate and disperse. Oh well.

I know what you mean.  When I first met my Step mothers family we took them to shoot trap and skeet and they were suprisedthat you used the WHOLE box of shot shells not to mention the better part of a flat for the day.
With my Uncles and father they were pretty stingy with the metal case ammo either 22LR or center fire Rifle and we did not get a lot of practice in.
When I went ot Military school and joined the pistol, Actuall I won a spot with my scores, We were shooting about 50 to 100 rounds a day before a match, working on breathing, trigger control and hand movement.  Since I kew what is was like to be ammo starved when you still had targets, tree rats, other varmints and small game around.  I will shoot what I can afford and when I take friends and especally friends kids I let them shoot what ever they want to help promote the shooting sports and get them interested in shooting.  Even though a box of 22's has way up from when I was first buying them at .75 a box the $22 a brick now is not going to break me and shooting is shooting.  Sure they kids and friends want to shoot the AR, the 375H&H and other cool things but breaking clay birds and poker chips with a 22 is still a lot of fun.
Sorry your kids do not value your stuff.  Maybe one of the local kids will be interested in hunting with you, that you can leave your rifles to that will apreachate them. Or you can adopt me  . Or  find someone else locally that can buy the farm from you and pay the kids over time and not turn your favorite deer woods into a park or a wall mart. 

[srussell]

on top of smokeless rounds about 2to3 pounds of black powder a month

[Halwg]

I just have a hard time imagining 3000 rounds a month on a regular basis.  With shooting and loading, and working, I just don't see it.

[Land_Owner]

Yep..I just came back from a weekend of pd shooting. Warming the earth one 32 gr. bullet at a time.

That's the Spirit!  Just what i was thinking.

And "NO" sk330lc I am NOT TURNING GREEN.  Makes me shudder down my backbone to think such a thought.  Like someone just walked over my grave!

I probably do a minimum of 3000 a month in the summer months.

Not too bad.  100 round/day for 30-days.  And I too have similar range sessions - plus just about every other range session that has been described herein.  I will invite five to seven friends, their wives, and kids.  We will shoot for an afternoon everything in the arsenal of mine and theirs.  We call it "Exercising the Arsenals".  

The kids have an exceptional time shooting FULL AUTO.  Mostly for the first time in their lives.  It is a heart warming experience to watch a 13 year old empty a 30-round clip, then look over their shoulder with that ear to ear grin and a "Can I do it again?" look on their face.

[sk330lc]

"And "NO" sk330lc I am NOT TURNING GREEN.  Makes me shudder down my backbone to think such a thought.  Like someone just walked over my grave!"
(Quote Made By Land-owner)



Sorry Land_owner  Thats Why I asked and did not call you, such a dirt thing.   I think we all Here, shoot as much as we Can when we can !

[mcwoodduck]

Well Today I am going to shoot a few rounds through the new Toy.
A CZ 452 Varmint
With a 6-18X40AO Bushnell.
Need to sight it in and will go to the indoor range and shoot the better part of a brick.    
Hope you all have a good day.

There is nothing wrong with going green.  I often were green when hunting.  Have even paintd my face green when Turkey or Duck hunting.   
That other "conserve to you no longer need energy so the people telling you to conserve, tax and hate those that use energy to produce, and distribute products so they can ride in a Limo or Private jet is just wrong.   
 

[sk330lc]

There is nothing wrong with going green.  I often were green when hunting.  Have even paintd my face green when Turkey or Duck hunting.   
That other "conserve to you no longer need energy so the people telling you to conserve, tax and hate those that use energy to produce, and distribute products so they can ride in a Limo or Private jet is just wrong.   
 

I couldn't Agree More.  This Country Needs Jobs.  Being green is great But at what Cost.  Thanks to the EPA all the Jobs are going south or  across the Pond.   Now they don't want Lead Mines in the US!  You all know what that Means!