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Suggestions & Comments from a newbie (of senior years) wanting to learn:

When I buy ammunition (9mm luger for me), it is sold in neatly divided packages [50, 100, 250] or in 100-bulk packed boxes.
I try to keep about 300 to 500 rounds on hand -- used for target/gun range practice.

Pros / Cons:
Transferring loose-packed rounds to a plastic jar with tight cap rather than keep in a cardboard box

Transfer bulk ammo into recycled divided packages

Should boxes of same caliber/weight ammo be mixed?

Should it be kept separated by manufacturer for quality control concerns?

Should I invest in plastic ammo boxes?



Just asking to learn what / how others do.

I use 30 cal metal ammo cans. Sometimes I put full 50rd boxes in them after I reload them they go in loose. I never saw a reason to buy plastic ammo boxes.

I just leave it in the original boxes. Since I have multiple calibers, I store each caliber on a separate shelf in my safe.
I like keeping all ammo in a safe because the controlled climate ensures maximum shelf life.

I like to "keep em seperated". Got some winchester white box and umc in ammo cans all others are still in the original box in the safe.

USA1 wrote:I just leave it in the original boxes. Since I have multiple calibers, I store each caliber on a separate shelf in my safe.
I like keeping all ammo in a safe because the controlled climate ensures maximum shelf life.

This.

There can be disadvantages to mixing it all together in one container. Let's say that you mixed 200 rounds each of Winchester White Box and some other Winchester FMJ in the same caliber.....plus 100 FMJ handloads using Winchester brass. Now you've got 500 rounds from three different sources, all with the Winchester head stamp. Now, let's say you start experiencing malfunctions. How are you going to know which load is involved so you know not to buy anymore of that ammo? Let's say you have a few squib loads. Are you going to notify Winchester, or blame your reloading procedures? Even if you can identify it as WWB, what lot# are you going to report to Winchester to get your money back? Let's say it's a double charge and it blows your gun up and injures your hand. Where are you going to lay the blame, and how are you going to prove it?

The only ammo I store in bulk is that ammo which I bought in bulk. The rest stays in the boxes I bought it in. I even save the boxes of rifle ammo when they're empty and use them for my reloads—properly labelled, of course.

My personal druthers:

I generally leave the ammo in whatever it came in until just before I load mags. Basically I am lazy, but also if I have a problem with the ammo, I know right away which other ammo came with it.

I would not mix ammo from different manufacturers, or even from the same manufacturer if it was different lines (e.g. 115gr FMJ and 115gr HP) because I want as much consistency as possible - different ammo gives somewhat different points of impact. And again, if I find a type of ammo that seems to cause misbehavior in my gun, it is a lot easier to separate if it is still in separate containers.

If I did empty ammo from its original containers, it would go into a bigger container, usually a surplus ammo can, like 10mmillie commented.

As for reloads, usually used the aftermarket plastic boxes for load development, but once I had something I liked, mass amounts went straight into the ammo cans. The only thing more awesome than a .30 cal ammo can full of bright shiny reloaded ammo is a .50 cal ammo can full of bright shiny reloaded ammo. Of course the .50 cal cans require a little more muscle to tote around when they are full, but the awesomeness makes up for it.

I went the ammo can route for store-bought stuff. .50 cal can can hold quite a few boxes in there... throw a dessicant in there and you're good to go.

This!! 50 cal ammo cans do the trick.

That's why they make them.

Extra vote for the 50cal ammo cans. I get more ammo or a new caliber: new ammo can.

I keep them seperate in the boxes and just carry an extra range bag just for ammo. Yeah it ends up weighing a million pounds but it is in there if I want it. I like to know what I am shooting.

I am weird though. I mic and weigh all my carry loads to check for consistency and rotate them out never later than a year or so. I don't like surprises.