Carrying greased patches

[riarcher]

Got to be a better (more PC-ish) way of carrying loose patches at the ready than loose in the bottom of a possibles bag, in a Zip-Lock, or jar/tin (all floating around in the bottom of your bag).
How do you carry your patches at-the-ready when target shooting from bag and horn?
Would think skirmish shooters would have a handle on this too?

 

[2172]

My patches are carried as a long,rolled up, lubed strip of ticking. I carry them in a jar, or a ziplock...if I wanted to be pc, I guess I'd try wrapping the roll in a scrap of buckskin...Hank

 

[Swampman]

Use a needle and thread to make a stack. Dip them in your hot tallow to lube and let them cool. Peel them off one at a time. There should be a small pocked inside your pouch for them.

 

If you're shootin' a rifle with a Patchbox ya might want to carry them in your Patchbox. Traditionally that's what Patchboxes were for. If you're shootin' a plain jane workin' rifle w/ no Patchbox ya may want to carry them in a small Patchbox/tin in your pouch. This arrangement works for me and my rifles.
Don :thumbsup:

 

Carried as a long strip of greased cloth tied to my bag strap, cut at the muzzle.

Lead in an open topped pouch (falconeers' pouch) on the belt or outside of bag. It can be buttoned anywhere..

If hunting I carry a loading block.

The only time I open my shooting bag is when something just broke or went terribly wrong.

 

[Swampman]

Weren't patch boxes normally just filled with tallow?

 

No, those would have been called Tallow Boxes. Old dried out patches and tow worms have been found in some old longrifle patchboxes out west.

 

[Swampman]

As have patch boxes filled with tallow. I think most were just covered tallow holes. I think patch box is a misnomer.

 

[bwhoffman]

Saw a neat solution, probly not PC, but a good cure all the same....
Pard took an empty Altoids tin, but it in the fire to burn off all the paint, lightly wiped with 0000 steel wool, applied barrel browning (not blueing)paste and puts his greased patches in that.
I saw that and did the proverbial"why didnt I think of that!"
no more patches in the bottom ,falling out of plastic bag, wrestling with a zip lock.

FYI
Brett

 

[Legionair]

When I'm target shooting or plinking, and use precut patches- I carry them in a small wood box tied with buckskin.

If I use them hunting - I normally carry them ina loading block around my neck, or in the front pocket on my shooting bag in a waxed buckskin "envelope".

If I will be shooting frequently, I useually just spitpatch from a strip.

Legion

 

[musketman]

I use a musket cap tin for my pre-lubed patch needs...

 

[Swampman]

Using my method, I can load by feel in the dark if needed. Sometimes in the woods, I sleep with my rifle (loaded) so it's good to be able to repel boarders in the night if needed. Not taking your eyes off the quarry is a very good thing. I can change a flint without looking as well.

 

[oomcurt]

I think you have something there. If one thinks about it no doubt every fur trapper in the Rocky Mtn's. did the same thing. Today, with all the wierdos running around doing this would not be a bad idea also, being that familiar with your rifle and gear is not that bad an idea to begin with. I know this....never ever have I walked around in the bush with a gun of any type and had it unloaded and for sure if I was by my lonesome out in the woods for the night the same thing would apply. Yeah, you might not need it...but if you ever did that type of regimen would sure come in handy. Some folks might say to just give the bad guys what they want..not me..no way, for one, what guarantee do I have that they wouldn't kill me anyways? Secondly, if I am gonna walk that spirit trail for sure I ain't gonna be doin it alone. Thirdly, I would much rather be tried by twelve than carried by six. There have been at least two instances in my life where having a loaded gun has saved my bacon. Those were lessons well learned.

 

[riarcher]

"needle & thread",,, interesting! :hmm:
As mentioned, baggies and zips are not to my liking (P.I.A.) and tins are close behind.
Looking for fetching a patch with a single hand while holding the gun.
Tins , while nice, seem to require 2 hands for me (I'm a real clutz).
Now the Needle and thread may work. I can do as mentioned and possibly tie the thread so the bunch can be inside,, or flipped to the outside of the bag for easy one hand access on the range. Worth a try. (thanks for the idea)
Idea is for a relatively quick reload without using a bench or fumbling with trying to juggle too many items at once. Kind of a simple, methodical, functional system is what I'm after with as few steps as possible for a Bess.
Paper carts. willbe experimented with too. But, I've had folks tell me not to expect the same accuacy (gonna have to find out for myself on that :v ).
Thanks for the input,,, good ideas.

 

[Swampman]

Boxs and benches are not needed for accurate shooting. A well set up hunting pouch is all that is needed.

 

[Ridge]

Cutting at the muzzle became the only real solution for me.

Mine lays (greased) in a strip on top of my bag.

Of course, my bag stays kinda greasy. I don't care though.

It's a tool bag.

 

[Cruzatte]

Everybody does differently. I have a double pouch. In the front pouch, are my rifle balls, and a roll of dry patching. I use spit patches and cut each at the muzzle.

Cruzatte

 

[Swampman]

Cutting at the muzzle is a nice slow way to do it and you have to carry a patch knife. If your barrel is coned (as originals were) a patch knife won't work. The greasy stack method is fast and can be accomplished with a blind fold on.

 

[Stophel]

I was actually about to say the same thing as Swampman. I don't think cutting at the muzzle was the common way to do patches. If the barrel were coned (which, so far, SEEMS to have been the common method of ending at the muzzle), cutting the patch there wouldn't work, as it wouldn't be tight (the whole idea) and you would pull the ball and patch right out of the muzzle.

I'm going to try this: On one old bag, they found a bunch of square patches that were attached together with a string. The string was simply threaded through a corner of each patch. I don't remember if this string was attached to the bag strap, or simply carried in the pouch, but when ready for a patch, you simply yerked one off the string. Sounds good, anyway...

 

I have just recenty gone to threading the lubed patches on a piece of sinew and hanging this from my bag. Tie a small knot so the patches won't side off on their own. A litte tug sets them free without damage. The patches are convenient to get but not in the way. Works well.