How Much Ammo Can A Human Being Carry

[LBB]

I think 1000 rounds was what I carried with the MG3

In Afghanistan the average German solider has I believe 5 magazines with him, so about 150 rounds

Really, 1000 rds? Let's do the math. 1 grain is 1/7000th of a lbs.

One 7.62x51mm weights 384 grains * 1000= 384000/7000 = 55.14 lbs. That's without links, add 20# for links and you have 75#s. That's without the MG3 which weights 23.15 lbs. That's 100# you naked, no pack, no clothes, no extra barrel and no kit at all.

Wow.

You know, next time I run a course, just as a stupid experiment, I'm going to have a pack and fill it with all my ammo and mags. It should be about 500 rds of pistol and 500 of 5.56 plus mags. I'll throw in water and food too. I just want to see how fast I fatigue and to see how quickly my performance deteriorates. I may even carry a second long gun just to prove how silly this carrying an extra "sniper" rifle is.

Ok lets see, we have an MG3, weight 11.5 kg
1000 rounds of 7.65 is about 24 kg
I don't know the weight of the belt, so lets say 2 kg extra for the belts.

We have 37.5 kilogram so far.
I think the extra barrel is 1.8 kg, lets say 2kg to have it easier.

39.5 kg

For the marching, I always had a 15 kg backpack plus water, about 3 kg, plus G36 about 3 kg, plus the rest of the gear I leave out because I have to carry it anyway.
Total 21kg

When I use an MG3, I wouldn't carry a backpack of stones. Also a MG3 crew is made of two people, the gunner and the other guy.
So do you think that one of them can carry 24kg of ammo, while the other one carries 11.5 kg of an MG3 plus a little more ammo?

I think yes they can, I did it in the past.

[aus.templar]

aussie 7.62x51 gunners carry at least 800rounds between them and their #2, 1000 is the standard though (50 or 100 on the weapon depending on threat level, then 4-500 with each person. Extended patrols or those expecting heavy fighting will dish out more belts to other soldiers in their section as well as carrying up another few hundred in their packs...
(Note: this was blank ammo but the weight is similar) I bumped into a bloke on a training thing and he had a minimi with 100 loaded on the weapon, 600 linked in pouches on his belt and 500 in his pack. His #2 had his own magazines for his rifle (8) and 400 in links on his webbing and 500 in his pack. Apparently they were going to seriously brass some shit up.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

My max loadout (killed my legs) was an ALICE ruck weighing about 40 pounds, an M16 with 280, and an M240 with 1000 rounds. I didn't do it because I wanted to, and I would have left my M16 and all it's mags if I had been allowed to. My average spring speed under fire was basically a slow jog, and I was hurting real quick.

That said, military loadouts are not a viable standard of measure. My loadout was because our actual machinegunner took a bullet to the leg a few days prior. 1k for the MMG was the order, because we knew where we were going was hot. To give a better idea what a single person or small civilian group might expect to fire, one should look at the insurgent groups. Two, maybe three mags per man, because they don't patrol out to make sustained engagements on the regular. When the S hits the F, they bug out, quickly and efficiently.

Just sayin.

[Regular Guy]

My max loadout (killed my legs) was an ALICE ruck weighing about 40 pounds, an M16 with 280, and an M240 with 1000 rounds. I didn't do it because I wanted to, and I would have left my M16 and all it's mags if I had been allowed to. My average spring speed under fire was basically a slow jog, and I was hurting real quick.

That said, military loadouts are not a viable standard of measure. My loadout was because our actual machinegunner took a bullet to the leg a few days prior. 1k for the MMG was the order, because we knew where we were going was hot. To give a better idea what a single person or small civilian group might expect to fire, one should look at the insurgent groups. Two, maybe three mags per man, because they don't patrol out to make sustained engagements on the regular. When the S hits the F, they bug out, quickly and efficiently.

Just sayin.

Yeah, 1,000 rds and food/water for 3 days plus shelter? Right......

[LBB]

My max loadout (killed my legs) was an ALICE ruck weighing about 40 pounds, an M16 with 280, and an M240 with 1000 rounds. I didn't do it because I wanted to, and I would have left my M16 and all it's mags if I had been allowed to. My average spring speed under fire was basically a slow jog, and I was hurting real quick.

That said, military loadouts are not a viable standard of measure. My loadout was because our actual machinegunner took a bullet to the leg a few days prior. 1k for the MMG was the order, because we knew where we were going was hot. To give a better idea what a single person or small civilian group might expect to fire, one should look at the insurgent groups. Two, maybe three mags per man, because they don't patrol out to make sustained engagements on the regular. When the S hits the F, they bug out, quickly and efficiently.

Just sayin.

Yeah, 1,000 rds and food/water for 3 days plus shelter? Right......

Ok the two weapons plus ammo is already about 50kg or 110 pounds.
Plus 40 pounds extra load?

So how far did you carry 150 pounds of stuff around?

[sigboy40]

Ok the two weapons plus ammo is already about 50kg or 110 pounds.
Plus 40 pounds extra load?

So how far did you carry 150 pounds of stuff around?

Pot, meet Kettle.....

LBB, it's a damn shame I dont live in Amarillo anymore, I would have a lot of fun with you IRL.

/troll feeding

[LBB]

Ok the two weapons plus ammo is already about 50kg or 110 pounds.
Plus 40 pounds extra load?

So how far did you carry 150 pounds of stuff around?

Pot, meet Kettle.....

LBB, it's a damn shame I dont live in Amarillo anymore, I would have a lot of fun with you IRL.

/troll feeding

blablabla

[Jeriah]

I've known enough veterans with slipped discs, replaced knee joints, and other back and leg injuries, that I don't doubt anyone who says they carried an absurd load while serving. Now anyone that said the LIKED it, I'd look at a bit funny. We've all seen the slumped chump who had to hump a mortar baseplate in addition to his regular load. When a general uses the lives of his men like a carpenter uses nails, he isn't going to care if a few of 'em get bent in the process. None of this makes it a good idea for a civilian, or something I'd want to do.

[Regular Guy]

My max loadout (killed my legs) was an ALICE ruck weighing about 40 pounds, an M16 with 280, and an M240 with 1000 rounds. I didn't do it because I wanted to, and I would have left my M16 and all it's mags if I had been allowed to. My average spring speed under fire was basically a slow jog, and I was hurting real quick.

That said, military loadouts are not a viable standard of measure. My loadout was because our actual machinegunner took a bullet to the leg a few days prior. 1k for the MMG was the order, because we knew where we were going was hot. To give a better idea what a single person or small civilian group might expect to fire, one should look at the insurgent groups. Two, maybe three mags per man, because they don't patrol out to make sustained engagements on the regular. When the S hits the F, they bug out, quickly and efficiently.

Just sayin.

Yeah, 1,000 rds and food/water for 3 days plus shelter? Right......

Ok the two weapons plus ammo is already about 50kg or 110 pounds.
Plus 40 pounds extra load?

So how far did you carry 150 pounds of stuff around?

I didn't carry 150 lbs, ever, cause its Fucking counter productive.
No one carries that much because you can do nothing else except move slowly from one point to another. Sure, even today I can carry 1000rds but you can't fire or move. Jesus, dude. Do you always argue the pros and cons? Couple posts ago you were argueing for carrying 1000rds, now against it.

[RickOShea]

furpiles....."the gift that keeps on giving".

[sigboy40]

furpiles....."the gift that keeps on giving".

LBB is making a decent play for the postiton...........

[LBB]

My max loadout (killed my legs) was an ALICE ruck weighing about 40 pounds, an M16 with 280, and an M240 with 1000 rounds. I didn't do it because I wanted to, and I would have left my M16 and all it's mags if I had been allowed to. My average spring speed under fire was basically a slow jog, and I was hurting real quick.

That said, military loadouts are not a viable standard of measure. My loadout was because our actual machinegunner took a bullet to the leg a few days prior. 1k for the MMG was the order, because we knew where we were going was hot. To give a better idea what a single person or small civilian group might expect to fire, one should look at the insurgent groups. Two, maybe three mags per man, because they don't patrol out to make sustained engagements on the regular. When the S hits the F, they bug out, quickly and efficiently.

Just sayin.

Yeah, 1,000 rds and food/water for 3 days plus shelter? Right......

Ok the two weapons plus ammo is already about 50kg or 110 pounds.
Plus 40 pounds extra load?

So how far did you carry 150 pounds of stuff around?

I didn't carry 150 lbs, ever, cause its Fucking counter productive.
No one carries that much because you can do nothing else except move slowly from one point to another. Sure, even today I can carry 1000rds but you can't fire or move. Jesus, dude. Do you always argue the pros and cons? Couple posts ago you were argueing for carrying 1000rds, now against it.

As you might have seen, I said carring 1000 rounds and a MG3 with three people.
Doc Torr said he carries an M240 with 1000 rounds plus an M16 with 280 rounds plus 40 pounds in other gear.


His stuff would be around 150 pounds for one person, while I said 80 pounds for two people.

1000 rounds of NATO 7.62 by 51 weights 24kg or about 50 pounds.

I still argue you can carry 1000 rounds, but not the stuff Doc Torr says.

[Regular Guy]

I'm with crypto now. Seriously, do you really think if you can, you should?

[LBB]

I'm with crypto now. Seriously, do you really think if you can, you should?

No I don't think that I should.
I had to, when I was in the Armed forces. They give you all kind of shit to carry only to see if you quit or not. We carried a ammo box filled with sand.
So yes, I still think 1000 rounds and an MG3 can be carried by the MG crew, but one of them will give up his assault rifle so this can be done.

Carrying it in any other situation were you might need to jump behind the next rock, no I wouldn't even think doing so.

[Sckitzo]

I think standard combat load for our 249/240 gunners was 800 rounds, I don't see 1k being that far off.

I'm also not getting why people are flaming the shit out of LBB, I'm with Jeriah, if you've been in the military or know someone that has chances are you've heard them bitching about having to carry a stupid amount of weight in a counter productive fashion, it's possible just not a good idea.

Is anyone on here saying they WANT or NEED to carry 1k rounds? Not that they can?

[Kommander]

furpiles....."the gift that keeps on giving".

My thoughts exactly. As several people have stated the amount of ammo a soldier can carry during wartime is irrelevant to the prepper. Most infantrymen and the like are in much better physical condition that your average prepper and have totally different equipment requirements. Unless part of your part of your survival plan it to close with, engage, and defeat the enemy you should not be kitted out like a soldier.

[Doctorr Fabulous]

My point was that physical conditioning aside, there was no running, jumping, or much of anything. My job was to drop where I was and shoot un til someone else suppressed for my ass to walk quickly to a better spot. My other point was that we were planning on going and starting "the shit." Furpiles aside, the "how much ammo" comes up a lot, and I wanted to point out that regardless of what you think of LBB, there are guys my size carrying a 200 pound loadout. The big issue is that everyone brings up the military as a guidance point. You know what I had when I ran out of ammo, or rolled an ankle, or blahblah'd my blah blah? A convoy armed with HMGs to come resupply, and big fucknasty helicopters when things got rough. So don't use what me or LBB or Kutter or [insert other ZS vets here] have carried as a background. I now limp mildly after running distance from ruckign around a 100lb gear load on a daily basis. YMMV.

[squinty]

I'm sure I can carry more ammo than I would choose to carry, 'cause I want to be able to move and there's other stuff I'll need.

[Regular Guy]

Well, I see this in terms of not how much you can, but what you should. I can leg press about 600 lbs. So I think I could get about 400 lbs up and walk very slowly with it. However, what's the point?
As a m-60 gunner when I was in the AF my job was to suppress the enemy. Now in civilian life, I have absolutely no need what so ever for suppression fire. In the very slim chance I may use a rifle for self defense, it aimed fire only. Therefore if I actually had do get down I really don't see a need for more that a 20 rd mag. Sure, there could be that one in a million but I'm not counting on it.

[Ruppism]

well my friend when he was in iraq he carried a m249 and he carried around 600 rounds of 5.56 by himself, and hes not a huge guy hes like 5ft9 and 170lbs, but me personaly i think i could carry about 400 rounds of 12ga , about 600 rounds of .270 and i could carry like 10000 rounds of 22 rimfire but why would i ever need to carry that much ammo, i think i could make it for a very long time in a zombie paw with just my .270 loaded with 5 rounds and a box of 20 i dont plan on doing a lot of shooting
but then again i would also have my Walther p22 so i would carry a shit ton of .22 ammo i would also probly just ditch my shot gun the ammo is heavy and i dont really need it if i have my p22 and .270 so my finaly ammo load out would probly be 500 .270 rounds and 2000 22 rounds

[AwPhuch]

500 rounds of anything besides maybe .22 is heavy..even 9mm MAK, 500 rounds is close to 20lbs!

The bigger the boolits the heavier they get...and if you are on foot...it will get HEAVY quick!

Remember you need water, food, clothing, shelter, first aid, (insert anything you think you need), then walk 20-30 miles...and if you get to the end...I guarantee the 1st thing on your list you will consider getting rid of it a bunch of that ammo\

When I was in the prime of my life in the Marines...we went on a full gear 70lb pack, rifle, flack vest, helmet wearing hump...it about killed us ALL...even at the 1/2 way point our battalion commander decided to "give us a break" and we put everything but our 782 gear and rifles in the trucks and slicked it back the last 9...even after doing that we lost 1/2 our battalion due to fatigue (they all got in the trucks)...
[we were pogues and not grunts though]

[ODA 226]

I've known enough veterans with slipped discs, replaced knee joints, and other back and leg injuries...

I used to carry and run with insane loads on my back too! Tomorrow at 13:40, I have an appointment with my orthopaedic to see when I can get my left knee replaced.....

210 to 330 rounds of 5.56 is more than a basic rifleman should ever need to carry. More than that, you lose mobility and become combat ineffective.