Carry bag / horn on rt or left side???
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RussB
45 Cal.
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Stumps...Out of curiosity, how do you tell a "left" horn from a "right" horn?
I think the guy with the haversack, the possibles bag, a powder horn, and a rifle has way to much stuff, and should have Musketman carry some of it, of course Musketman could carry it anyway he liked and was most comfortable with.
Just my thoughts, of course your mileage might vary just a bit.
Russ
I think the guy with the haversack, the possibles bag, a powder horn, and a rifle has way to much stuff, and should have Musketman carry some of it, of course Musketman could carry it anyway he liked and was most comfortable with.
Just my thoughts, of course your mileage might vary just a bit.
Russ
It has to do with which way it curves when worn. When you wear the horn you want it to "wrap" around your body. Inside curve against your body.
You could carry your horn on your head with the Viking Powder/Priming Horn set... :winking: :crackup:
Another prime example of PC (patently comical) equipment. :crackup:
I find combining the two to be too restrictive. It's not as easy to fill, share or do many things with the two attached. It's the same reason I don't have my knife, hawk or powder measure attached to the bag. :m2c:
RussB
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Okay, I can understand that. Can ANYONE tell from which side of the animals head the horn came from? Am I the only one who can't just look at a horn and tell which side it is? Or, is this just more of the "old wives" tales I'm so used to hearing that supposingly surround, and add to the mystics of Muzzleloading?
To me, it would appear, that no matter which side of the animal's head it came from, if tied / secured properly, it would wrap around, or curve, to match the side it was carried on....and pointed in the direction you choose.
I ask this in all honesty, because I keep hearing of a left horn, and a right horn. When I ask why, or how can you tell? I'm most likely told; "Because, can't you tell from the curve"? or, "Because, it is"! Not good answers in my mind. I guess that is why I keep asking.
Respectfully, Russ
From what I've read and learned, the longer, "S" shaped horns usually require that the "Left" horn be worn on the right side of the body and visa versa.
(FYI...I have one 18" long...handed down through family generations...poured in a LB of Goex and it didn't fill it.)
But I don't see how "which side" would matter much when just using a short, basic half moon shaped horn
(FYI...I have one 18" long...handed down through family generations...poured in a LB of Goex and it didn't fill it.)
But I don't see how "which side" would matter much when just using a short, basic half moon shaped horn
That's true. It's the compound or double-curve horns that have a decided side they hang better on.
As you can see looking down on this horn, if you were to wear it on your right side it would stick out and catch your arm and bag or haversack. On the left the tip's curve would hug against your ribs. On a big 15" F&I War size campaign horn it is a worthwhile consideration.
Nice looking horn...my big 18" "S" shaped hand-me-down has a lot of blacks and grays on it...everyday working / hunter type horn, no decoration or lettering, etc...just obvious places to attach the strap...had them for 35 years since the Grandfolks died.
There's a short white horn too...no idea if it was used as a priming horn or just a small day horn (probably the latter)...I've kept them both hanging over my fireplaces for the last 35 years just like they always did.
Didn't know what I had until I got into flintlocks, then took them down and started examining, cleaning & polishing them, got some fiddle pegs and made stoppers...I need to actually hunt them once, take a deer with them, sort of add a little to their history.
It's a strange feeling to hold and examine something like an old powder horn that somebody made with their bare hands and used in everyday life...I assume it wasn't made in the 1900's so I guess it was made back in the 1800's...dunno
There's a short white horn too...no idea if it was used as a priming horn or just a small day horn (probably the latter)...I've kept them both hanging over my fireplaces for the last 35 years just like they always did.
Didn't know what I had until I got into flintlocks, then took them down and started examining, cleaning & polishing them, got some fiddle pegs and made stoppers...I need to actually hunt them once, take a deer with them, sort of add a little to their history.
It's a strange feeling to hold and examine something like an old powder horn that somebody made with their bare hands and used in everyday life...I assume it wasn't made in the 1900's so I guess it was made back in the 1800's...dunno
I think you can get away with a small bag and a small horn set up on the same strap. I have one set that way but it's a fairly large bag and map horn and it's just to cumbersome that way. I've seen originals on the same strap but they were all small. At any rate, I carry mine on the right, bag, horn, rifle.
quote]
I find combining the two to be too restrictive. [/quote]
I gotta agree with Claude, I have tried this combination and it just don't work for me. I keep my horn up high and I like to be able to pull it out to get powder and when it is attached to the bag it seems to drag everything with it. :m2c:
I find combining the two to be too restrictive. [/quote]
I gotta agree with Claude, I have tried this combination and it just don't work for me. I keep my horn up high and I like to be able to pull it out to get powder and when it is attached to the bag it seems to drag everything with it. :m2c:
Claude, I think the issue of carrying the horn on the straps has a lot to do with how one organizes all their gear. I use a real soft pouch so the bag and horn conform to one another and the horn stays put. The horn helps keep the flap shut. When I grab the horn the measure is right there. I can blindly reach into the bag and grab the bullet board/short starter. The capper is on the strap so I only go to the bag once. I haven't found any other system that works faster as far as how I reload but everyone has different needs. If you swab between shots, need a priming horn, cut patches, etc, then of course that changes everything because you have to go to the bag a lot and having the horn hanging in the way would be a mess. In looking at old set ups it seems that about half the bags had the horn attached and half had the horn separate. If I shot flintlock and carried two horns I would probably have them on their own strap and worn on the left. In any event attaching the horn to the strap of the pouch works for me. I keep the thongs rather short which seems to help. I agree about the patch knife, etc. It seems incredible to me that the mountain men had so much junk hanging on the straps. Maybe it didn't matter if you were in the wide open spaces or on horseback. 
First, let me say that I never try to convince people to change what they are doing. All I can do is explain what I do and why. And, I'm always open to new ideas. Evolution is a good thing. ::
I carry my bag and horn separate for several reasons. I like the horn tucked up under my arm. I find this to be the most "out of the way" position. The measure is attached to the horn. (It couldn't be any more convenient) If I carry the horn "over" the bag, it prevents easy access to the bag and sticks out too far. Too bulky. The bag sits just under the horn (touching it).
Because the horn and bag are carried high, under the arm, they don't flop around if I have to get someplace in a hurry. Admittedly this is not important if you're standing on the rifle range.
I also don't want the bag attached to the bag for convenience sake. If I have to loan my horn to someone, or fill it with powder, I don't want to have to take the bag off and drag the bag around with it.
There are as many ways to carry your horn as there are horns. I've seen people carry their bag and horn on opposite sides. It works for them.
Let's face it, modern man likes gadgets. I think we have added many "specialized" items that the old-timers did without. They could butcher a deer, slice bread, carve a ham or cut a patch, all with the same knife. It seems that we've lost that ability. I think many of the items attached to the modern mountain man's "utility belt" are undocumented and unnecessary.
:imo:
I carry my bag and horn separate for several reasons. I like the horn tucked up under my arm. I find this to be the most "out of the way" position. The measure is attached to the horn. (It couldn't be any more convenient) If I carry the horn "over" the bag, it prevents easy access to the bag and sticks out too far. Too bulky. The bag sits just under the horn (touching it).
Because the horn and bag are carried high, under the arm, they don't flop around if I have to get someplace in a hurry. Admittedly this is not important if you're standing on the rifle range.
I also don't want the bag attached to the bag for convenience sake. If I have to loan my horn to someone, or fill it with powder, I don't want to have to take the bag off and drag the bag around with it.
There are as many ways to carry your horn as there are horns. I've seen people carry their bag and horn on opposite sides. It works for them.
Let's face it, modern man likes gadgets. I think we have added many "specialized" items that the old-timers did without. They could butcher a deer, slice bread, carve a ham or cut a patch, all with the same knife. It seems that we've lost that ability. I think many of the items attached to the modern mountain man's "utility belt" are undocumented and unnecessary.
:imo:
My motto is: "Eschew dangles, jangles and tangles."
I have a powder measure hanging from my horn, and everything else is inside the bag. If I'm heading out for a lot of shootin I wear a ball block around my neck in addition to the one in the bag. I am having a sheath put on the back of a hunting pouch for the patch/field dressing/skinning/camp duty/general purpose knife I carry.
For deer hunting I'm beginning to favor a belt pouch as it stays in place better and is less bulky.
I have a powder measure hanging from my horn, and everything else is inside the bag. If I'm heading out for a lot of shootin I wear a ball block around my neck in addition to the one in the bag. I am having a sheath put on the back of a hunting pouch for the patch/field dressing/skinning/camp duty/general purpose knife I carry.
For deer hunting I'm beginning to favor a belt pouch as it stays in place better and is less bulky.
We started this conversation on powder horns and now we are talking about hunting pouches. While we are on that subject I'd like to know how others feel about all sorts of pockets and compartments in the pouch. I started with a single compartment, no pockets and then went crazy with double compartments and several pockets and I found I spent too much time messing with all the nooks and crannies so I went back to just a single compartment, no pockets. One pocket on the front of the bag would be okay I guess. I also started with a flap button, tried a metal stud, and now just let the flap hang free, never lost anything yet.
The first bag I made was a double "D" with two smaller pockets in the middle divider, and an inside and an outside pocket on the back! It was from a pattern book on "buckskinning" that Tandy sold. Has a patch knife in the strap, the horn mounted on the strap and a tube for a short starter. :haha: I still occasionally use this bag for shotgunning - I can keep the three types of wads/cards seperated and it does make loading the shotgun easier.
Now I'm down to just a flint "wallet" big enough for a half-dozen flints inside on the back and maybe a false front to slip the bullet block and a flattened roll of tic into. I find it easier to keep the small stuff in tins or small bags instead of seperate pockets. My equipment keeps getting simpler . . . just like me.
Now I'm down to just a flint "wallet" big enough for a half-dozen flints inside on the back and maybe a false front to slip the bullet block and a flattened roll of tic into. I find it easier to keep the small stuff in tins or small bags instead of seperate pockets. My equipment keeps getting simpler . . . just like me.
Guest
I do not really care if there are pockets in the bag or not. I use a loading block and my horn has a dump spout set for the rifle's charge. I never go into the pouch to load, only if something goes wrong.
Then I normally take it off and throw it as far as I can see, go fetch it back, and repair the problem! This means that the most important feature on my shooting pouch is a very good pewter button to keep the contents intact.
Repair in the field is a problem no matter how you organize or how many pockets your bag has.
I tried to buy an indentured servant to tote all my stuff but that didn't work out either!
At the range I use a shooting box and have all of the tools spread out on the table.
:results:
Then I normally take it off and throw it as far as I can see, go fetch it back, and repair the problem! This means that the most important feature on my shooting pouch is a very good pewter button to keep the contents intact.
Repair in the field is a problem no matter how you organize or how many pockets your bag has.
I tried to buy an indentured servant to tote all my stuff but that didn't work out either!
At the range I use a shooting box and have all of the tools spread out on the table.
:results:
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