Ball Bags

[45north]

I tried a search first but could not find what I wanted.
I am only interested in shooting roundball in my 54 cal new englander but I do not want to have a bunch of RB's rolling around in my possibles bag. Is it better to have a soft leather bag hanging off your waist belt, or a bag inside a possibles bag. I did see a nice ball bag in a teardrop shape and you pull the plug and tip it down and the balls come rolling out the funnel end.
Any ideas. Thanks
swampdonkey

 

[rabjr]

They are easy to form out of rawhide if you'd like to make one yourself.
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/shotpouch6.jpg

 

[BrownBear]

They are easy to form out of rawhide if you'd like to make one yourself.
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/shotpouch6.jpg[/quote]

I've made several from soft leather with draw strings. Based on using those, I'm making the next one of rawhide. Leather chew bone for dogs will be my source of rawhide.

The problem with a soft bag is the need to work the top open enough to reach in, then fish around to grab a ball. I get way too many in my hand when trying to dump. Doesn't seem to matter whether I hang it from my belt or drop it in my possibles bag- It's still a two handed job. The rigid bag with an opening just the right size seems like it would make a pretty good one-handed, one ball at a time dispenser.

If you're not inclined to make your own, there are lots of sources online, as well as wooden spouts and plugs if you decide soaking doggy chew bones isn't too bad an idea.

 

[rabjr]

Yep, this one was a gift from RC which I like a lot.
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/ballbag1.jpg

 

[45north]

There is a place in Springfeild Or. that has one of the pivot type that feeds out the bottom for only $ 15.00 plus S&H Which is not to bad at all. Maybe when the snow is on the ground this winter I will try to make one of raw hide with a caribou antler for the opening tip.
thanks for the help
swampdonkey

 

[rabjr]

This may help,
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...ost/423317/hl/shot+pouch/fromsearch/1/#423317

 

[paulvallandigham]

Hang around ball fields this summer, and ask for a couple of the old beat-up balls they have. The " Little League " ball covers, used in fast pitch games can make a nice small ball bag, and you can use the holes already cut for stitching. The 12 inch Softball covers make a good large caliber ball bag. The 16 inch softball covers make a good purse for your change.

By the end of the seasons, the coaches have dozens of these balls- they get one after each game- and over the years have more than they know what to do with. Throw the string bound inners to the pet dog to play with out in the yard. When it unravels, through it away.

 

[gjkershul]

For hunting you might want to consider a bullet board. A piece of wood with appropriate holes in it to hold roundballs with the patches around them.

 

[JohnnyO]

here's several styles, I have the stand up ball bag and it works great on the range when I can set it down, a ball flask might be better for the field

http://www.possibleshop.com/ball-bag.htm

 

[renovato]

I've tried several styles of premade bags over the years. I've found that the soft leather ones with the wooden spout are about ideal. They are flexible enough to be more comfortable to carry, yet the spout dispensing a single ball at a time is very handy. I think I got mine from Dixie or Track of the Wolf. They weren't expensive.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I would recommend against "hanging" a ball bag off a belt. Sooner or later you'll want to move fast and a two-pound blackjack catching you on the swing in "The Boys" will be no fun at all. The less you have to tangle, dangle and jangle the better off you'll be in all outdoor endeavors. A small belt pouch that is fastened to the belt like a Civil War cap pouch might be better.

I like a small, soft bag inside my hunting bag. Normally holds 30 .54 size but 60 will fit.

The ball-block is a great hunting choice, also. I have five pre-lubed patches and balls outside the pouch in what originally was a knife sheath. I can get off five shots without digging around inside the bag.

Most of my other accoutrements are "modular" and don't jumble together in my small bag. I onlt carry what is needed to shoot or clean my rifle in the hunting pouch.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Most of us carry far too many balls with us when we hunt. Obviously it depends on the bag limits for the game being hunted, and your skill as a hunter, but just how many opportunities are you going to get to shoot game in an area you can walk in a morning?

A very small ball bag that holds 10 balls for your rifle will usually do for most all hunting on day trips, or half day trips. If you are going trekking, then I think the typical ball bag that will hold 60 balls is more than enough. (8 shots a day for a week, plus extras.) I have seen men carrying 100 balls in their ball bags, and wondering why that shoulder strap is eating into the shoulders! :shocked2: :blah: :rotf:

YOu can make your own small ball bag out of scraps of leather.Stick to the thinner, clothing leather, rather than the heavy skirting leather you would use for straps, or a belt. Sew the bag, and then turn it inside out to protect the threads from abrasions. The leather is amazingly tough, when tanned, and wears very well. It may get dirty, but you can clean it in cold water using some soap and softeners. When it dries, oil it with a good Neatsfoot oil- the real stuff-- and then give it a good pounding with a soft mallet to soften it up again. Good as new.

If you put a bottle neck to it, make it long enough that it can be folded over and tucked under a piece of lether sewn to the outside of the bag for that purpose. That way the bag won't spill, in your hunting bag, and you don't have the bulk and weight of a wooden plug, or some other kind of stopper in the bag.

You can fold over the edges of the bottle neck to stiffen up that part, to make it easier to open it up to put balls in and get balls out of the bag. Sew the turned-down edges to the bottleneck, of course.

I do also like the idea of a ball block, but for larger than .50 caliber balls, keep the number to three. More than that and you have a heavy chain around your neck. I would rather have a second ball block in my hunting bag, than to carry 5 or more balls of large diameter in a single block around my neck.

 

[45north]

Thanks one and all for the replies, great information... I will have to try many different things to see what works for me. For now I am not going to do any hunting with it just some fun and practice. Maybe over time I will try some moose or BBear hunting but not until I have spent some time with the rifle and gear to become proficiant.

Thanks again

 

[BrownBear]

It's only come up on the fringes of your answers, but have you tried loading blocks? I've tried most everything else, and they sure work better for me on hunts than bullet bags and loose patches.

What caliber are you shooting? Where you located? If I have any on hand for the right ball size, I'd be happy to send you one to try out. They're dirt easy to make, so you accumulate lots and are always looking for an excuse to make more.

Handy as they are for big game hunts, they're even better for snowshoe hare in the cold. No more fumble fingers with those small patches and tiny balls. And you do a whole lot more shooting in a day on a snowshoe hunt. I wouldn't even walk out the door with my 32 of my 36 if I didn't have a loading block.

 

[brubincam]

-----my balls ride in the bottom of my hunting bag--lift the flap-toss some in--go right to the bottom-----

 

[bingo1952]

A deer scrotum makes a pretty good small ball bag. :rotf: :blah: Seriously it really does if it comes off a mature buck. Of course you have to get the buck before you can get the bag. :v

 

[45north]

that would be a good idea but the scrotom of the deer we have around here you could put several hundred 54 cal lead balls in it with room to spare. The only deer around this area where I live are the big kind 7 feet tall at the shoulders and 1800 lbs.live weight,(moose) but caribou might work better. Not a bad idea.

Thanks
swampdonkey

 

[45north]

Brownbear,
I am only just starting in the black powder world I just bought my first BP rifle about 10 days ago and I haven't even shot it yet. And I can't until I get it back from TC. It is a 54 cal, and I am in Tok. From the pictures I have seen they look like they are very easy to make. I'll give it a try when the rifle comes back and I have a little extra time. Thanks

 

[chance]

I was wondering if somebody could explain how to make a ball bag out of dog rawhide chewys? I would like to see a picture of one I think that would be great. thanks for the help.

 

[Goldhunter]

I'm assuming your talking about the rigid type, shaped like a bottle?

It's pretty easy. Soak the chew toy until it's soft and pliable. You can now untie/unfold it and flatten it out. It should be a square or rectangle shape. find a pattern, usually shaped like a bottle, and cut out. Decide what you want for a stopper; wood, antler, etc. Stitch up the sides while the rawhide is wet. You can resoak it at any time to soften again. Once it's sewn up, stuff with sand or rice and let sit until the rawhide is dry. Then knock the stuffing out of it. Put a few ball bearings in it and spin the bag around like you are swirling water to knock the last hold outs loose and clean the container out.

This is a pretty basic description. If you search on here for how to make a leather canteen, it's pretty similiar.