How Many Rounds For The EOTW

How Many Rounds For The EOTW

You have prepared to survive your own brand of the “End of the world as we know it” scenario. Its 30 days in the cities are looted and your survival rations are running low. The few survivors are armed, dangerous and hungry. It’s time to bug out to a safer rural location. Which of your EOTW guns and how much ammo could you carry?

Logically you would want a pistol so let’s say 1000 rounds of 9mm = 30lb (approx.)

You would want a rifle so let’s say 1000 rounds of 5.56mm = 30lb (approx.)

That’s not a whole lot of ammo for an EOTW situation and would be easy to take if you have transportation. But what if you don’t? What if the roads are impassable or you have no gasoline and you have to walk out? Suddenly those 60 lbs of ammo and the space it takes up is a limiting factor on what other survival supplies you can carry. I don’t know about you but the thought of hoofing a hundred pounds of gear around all day every day is a pretty daunting task, especially on limited rations.

I chose 9mm and 5.56mm for this example because they are very common rounds. If you can scavenge ammo, they are the calibers you are most likely to find and if your rifle is 5.56mm you can use .223 with it too. We need a defensive capability and a hunting capability. Using our firearm will be a tool of last resort simply because ammo will be hard to replace. Avoiding confrontation will be our primary goal. So if our primary ammo need is hunting lets drop the 9mm to 200 rounds and the 5.56 to 400 rounds. We cut our weight down by 45lbs and saved a load of space. I can hear the shrieking and wailing that that is not enough, so I will give you something in return.

Enter the old relic most people don’t consider worthy of consideration as a serious EOTW Gun. My old Winchester Model 57A. Old and extremely well used, yet totally reliable. With basic iron sights and a bolt action the gun is simplicity itself and has the added benefit of being chambered for .22 S,L,LR.(.22 is the most popular target and plinking round so should be easier to scavenge) Add 650 rounds of .22 LR whole package weighs in at 10lb giving me a net weight savings of 35lbs.

In our post-apocalyptic world small game will be our main source of food the .22 will adequately take care of this. We still have our 5.56 for occasional larger game, but remember even if you get that Buck or Boar, how, would you preserve or even carry your kill.

If surviving in the long term is going to be an issue I will take the little .22 rifle every time over carrying an extra 35lbs of ammo I may or may not need.