I won't ask anyone how much ammo they have because I'm afraid they might ask me how much testosterone I have left .
I am not a “gun nut” or even an “enthusiast” in terms of firearms owned, but I have a full ammo box, mostly 12G and pistol rounds.
One thing that strikes me when I read media accounts of some arrest or raid is “Agents discovered 7 guns and 500 rounds of ammunition”. Well, yeah, so what? That describes most of the folks I know who shoot on a regular basis. Christ I hope they are not counting air rifles and .177 pellets or I’d come as survivalist living in a walled compound with watchtowers.
My Alaska friend is not only a hunter but a big target range shooter, and he saves all his shell casings and reloads all his own ammo. He says it's still expensive that way.
The most serious/dedicated shooters I know all reload their own. Serious paddlers have a canoe shed or gear room, serious shooters have a reloading room, or even a shed/trailer separate from the house.
One of my cabin chores as a lad was to reload a bucket of 12G and a bucket of 20G shotgun shells on Friday night. We had both a mechanical and hand clay pigeon thrower and a steep protected valley to shoot in. My right shoulder was black and blue on Monday mornings from ages 10 to 16.
Gawd I loved that old Mossburg 20G youth model. I was allowed my turn in the shooting rotation, but eventually I was also permitted sloppy seconds to try for anything the adults missed with their 12 gauges. I am nowhere near that good today; muscle memory and practice.
I own and have only ever owned one gun, a 12 gauge Ithaca Model 37 shotgun with two barrels, an 18" hunting barrel and a 26" bird barrel.
My purchase justification theory was that I would take it on some trips, do some target shooting on my own property, and have it for home defense. In practice, I have never shot it or even bought shells for it. Chalk it up as another piece of unused or little used equipment bought during the cooped-up fantasies of wintertime.
Glenn, why not at least buy a box of 12G shells for that shotgun to have and hold. I don’t know what you paid for the gun, but a box of 12G shells can be had for $10 -$20. Otherwise just trade it in for a baseball bat.
If you want to try your hand at target shooting on your own property sell one of those derelict canoes and buy a .177 pellet rifle or pistol. Less expensive ammo, backstop safer & quieter to shoot, gobs of fun to practice with and develop your skill level.
I know you will thoroughly research a pellet rifle or pistol, and not buy the equivalent of a Pelican Canoe. A middling decent .177 Gamo or Crossman starts runs $100-$150
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...as2&tag=airriflhub-20&linkId=SGPHKL5FERWDXN5D
Big box .177 pump pistols start at $50. Much like canoes and paddles, if you find that you enjoy quietly backyard target plinking you will upgrade a time or two.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Crosman-American-Classic-177-Caliber-Multi-Pump-Air-Pistol-Brown/43989758
I fully expect to see you shouldering a Feinwerkbau 800 eventually. Sit out on the back deck and pop off a pellet every time the Huskies drain a basket. You could be a MacGrady Oakly deadeye shooter in a season or two.
Seriously, I have not fired anything louder than “Hey you dang squirrels, get offa my feeder” .22 dust shot (at least while at home) in years, but the .177 pellet guns remain a source of quiet joy.