How many rounds do I need for self-defense? (2023)

How many rounds do I need for self-defense?

In the overwhelming majority of the incidents where an armed civilian fires a shot in self-defense, probably 70 to 90% of them are able to resolve the situation within 3 or 4 rounds, and usually closer to one or two rounds. Every once in awhile, the good guy fires more like 5 to 8 rounds.

Hollow point ammunition is generally considered to be the best Home Defense and Personal Protection ammo. The vast majority of people (over 80%) shot with handguns survive. Handguns are weak compared to rifles and shotguns, and you want every edge you can get, meaning ammo.

A good rule of thumb is to consider a 500-round stash your starting point for your handgun. That might seem high but it does go fast. Of those 500 rounds at least 150 should be defensive, not target rounds. If you can afford to stash mostly defensive ammo, do it.

FBI stats say the average gunfight includes three rounds fired over three seconds from a distance of 3 yards.

So how much ammo is enough? The author's basic rule of thumb is a minimum of 1,000 rounds of ball ammo for the mainstream calibers like 9mm, 45 ACP, 5.56, 7.62 x 39, 308 Winchester, 12 Gauge and in our case 45 Colt, 30-30 Winchester and 5.7x 28. This is a standard to which we adhere constantly.

In the overwhelming majority of the incidents where an armed civilian fires a shot in self-defense, probably 70 to 90% of them are able to resolve the situation within 3 or 4 rounds, and usually closer to one or two rounds. Every once in awhile, the good guy fires more like 5 to 8 rounds.

Carrying a 22LR or using one for home defense isn't a good idea. While it's certainly better than a sharp stick in the eye, even the most powerful 22LR load is anemic compared to even a 32 ACP. Unless it's literally your only option, don't use a 22LR.

Ammunition is largely unregulated in the U.S., and there are no federal restrictions on how much you can buy at once. On top of that, no one is keeping track of how much ammo is out there sitting in basements, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

According to the dictionary, “arsenal” describes a facility for the storage of military weapons, which implies hundreds, or maybe thousands. Five guns is not even a decent collection, much less an arsenal.

Ammunition isn't a perishable good - if stored correctly, it can last almost indefinitely. Whether it was stored correctly or not is another matter. Ammunition isn't like the still-edible 5000-year-old honey found in Egyptian tombs; ready to eat and spread on toast.

How many 9mm rounds does it take to stop a person?

Chances are most people if shot will probably stop attacking you. But, in this day and age with die hard assailants we're going to assume they're still coming. According to a chart from Buckeye Firearms Handgun stopping power, it states 2.45 rounds with a 9mm pistol on average to end the threat.

Six shots should be enough to get the job done, but semi-automatic pistols offer many more rounds. Having extra rounds in your self-defense weapon could make all the difference depending on the situation.

This begs the question: How much ammo should be in your bug-out bag? Considering long guns, you should carry at least 3 magazines for a rifle totaling between 60-90 rounds, or about 50 shells for shotgun. Concerning handguns, 3 to 5 pistol magazines totaling between 30-90 rounds is adequate for a self-defense load.

The 9mm round has about a 34% chance of stopping an aggressor with just one shot.

He says the hardest ammo to get right now is the 7MM 08, 270, and 243. “If you can find it, yes it is a good time to buy.

As he sells it to you, he explains that target ammo is for practice, and the more expensive stuff, the hollow points, are strictly for concealed carry and self-defense.

1 : a destructive capacity greatly exceeding that required for a given target. 2 : an excess of something (such as a quantity or an action) beyond what is required or suitable for a particular purpose publicity overkill an overkill in weaponry. 3 : killing in excess of what is intended or required.

There's an unwritten rule of firearm ammunition: use hollow points for your carry/home defense guns and use full-metal jacket (FMJ) for practice. This is mainly due to the fact that FMJ rounds are significantly cheaper than your average hollow point.

38 Special is most commonly used in short-barreled 'snub nose' revolvers such as the Ruger LCR and Smith & Wesson J-Frame. These revolvers are purpose-made for concealed carry and have features that make them ideal for self-defense.

How do you not lose your gunfight?

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Studies show that 85 percent of slain police officers are killed before firing a shot, and nearly 70 percent of gunfights take place over a distance of less than 2 yards. Under those circumstances, the rule of the Old West still applies: The faster draw usually wins.

(California, for example, only allows ten-round magazines in handguns and pistols.) Pistols can also be reloaded with taking the user's eyes off the threat, with the handgun still pointed downrange.