Ragnar Benson

If you shoot a lot, surplus ammo is a good way to go. I was re-reading a book by Ragnar Benson last night, called "Living off the Land." It's an old book, but a good one. Benson has a whole series of self sufficiency books that were published by Paladin Press. He may not be Kurt Saxon , but he's close in my opinion.

One of the chapters in his book concerns reloading and how much ammunition a prudent person would have stored away in the event of "bad times." He's a proponent of surplus ammo, because it is invariably much cheaper per round than commercial ammo. I shoot a lot of surplus ammo for that very reason. I ordered a case of 1960's production Hungarian 7.62X54R, copper washed steel cases, berdan primed, 182 grain yellow tipped bullets this morning. Two spam cans to the case, 440 rounds per can, with an opener. 880 rounds of S&B or Winchester 7.62X54R would set you back about $9.00 a box of twenty rounds, wholesale. Of course, you could reload those, it should be said. Still, even with shipping, my case of Hungarian surplus ammo will be under $90.00 and I don't have to feel guilty or wasteful if I shoot as much as I want of it.

Benson, by the way, felt that a person should put back 1000 rounds of ammunition per gun as a safety net. He also kept adequate powder, primers, bullets and brass to reload several hundred rounds per rifle or pistol. He was not a "hobby shooter and reloader" so to him these were simple precautions. I have more equipment and supplies because I am definitely a hobby shooter and reloader, and enjoy both activities, though I confess as I get older I am doing less actual shooting.

Benson lived in Africa, and in Montana on homesteads that were "off the grid." My own experience with rural living tends to parallel his own and I really enjoy his books. Seems like I learn something new everything I read them.