-
Friends, our 2nd Amendment rights are always under attack and the NRA has been a constant for decades in helping fight that fight.
We have partnered with the NRA to offer you a discount on membership and Muzzleloading Forum gets a small percentage too of each membership, so you are supporting both the NRA and us.
Use this link to sign up please; https://membership.nra.org/recruiters/join/XR045103
Cheap Powder Horns?
- Thread starter TLanoy
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Guest
The ends of a cheap horn can be sealed just as well as an expensive horn. If a horn is not sealed well, remove the butt plug and fix it. If the stopper is loose, carve another one. Other than that, it's just about looks.
The advantage to a more expensive horn is that the maker has done all this for you and you know what you're getting.
But, every cheap horn I've seen from Crazy Crow, etc. has functioned just fine. They're just plain looking.
The advantage to a more expensive horn is that the maker has done all this for you and you know what you're getting.
But, every cheap horn I've seen from Crazy Crow, etc. has functioned just fine. They're just plain looking.
WillametteT said:
At some point they become more of an assembled kit and need work, particularly the butt plug and the stopper to get a water tight fit.
If you just want something for trail walks at Rondies they'll work fine as is.
If you want something to be out all day hunting in the valley you'll need to do some work. If you're hunting doesn't involve being HC then a belt pouch with 4 or 5 speed loaders is a better choice.
Sometimes individual craftsmen are not interested in making big bucks. They just enjoy making and selling stuff for a few dollars return.
- Joined
- Feb 26, 2008
- Messages
- 833
- Reaction score
- 14
Most good powder horns run in the $65-80 range.
If you consider the price of the raw materials and an hourly wage, this is a fair price.
That means they work as intended without any additional work on them.
A cheaper horn can work as well, but the shaping of the pour spout is mostly not done and the plugs fit not well and they're less easy to use because of less formwork done.
Here on the forum classifieds or at the Contemporary Longrifle Association website, you find a lot of good and fairly priced horns.
The two cheap horns I had, I just gave away after a while. One was crap and the other "workable", but not good.
If you consider the price of the raw materials and an hourly wage, this is a fair price.
That means they work as intended without any additional work on them.
A cheaper horn can work as well, but the shaping of the pour spout is mostly not done and the plugs fit not well and they're less easy to use because of less formwork done.
Here on the forum classifieds or at the Contemporary Longrifle Association website, you find a lot of good and fairly priced horns.
The two cheap horns I had, I just gave away after a while. One was crap and the other "workable", but not good.
I would consider making your own...get either a kit or a horn blank from "Powder Horns and More"..That way you know what you have and you've made it yourself.
WillametteT said:
A decent polished cow horn from powderhornsandmore dot com costs this much depending on the grade. But the ones under 15 bucks or so are not that desirable.
Use your own judgement.
Powder horns are not hard to make, but to get it right there are things one should know.
The problem with the vast majority of people in MLing is they think they should be able to buy everything, be it a rifle or a powder horn or whatever for what some cheap plastic POS would cost. You get what you pay for in MLing just like everything else. Its not necessary to have a scrimshawed horn. But its really nice if it does not let the powder get wet or trail powder behind or ignite unexpectedly. IT IS GUNPOWDER AFTER ALL. Its a BASIC SAFETY THING. So if you can handle it before buying BLOW INTO IT and see if it passes air. If it does its will likely leak water as well.
Dan
Like Dan said, blow in it to see if it leaks air. If it's not too bad you can press beeswax into the leaks with your fingers until they're sealed. You may have to whittle a new end out of a scrap of soft wood that fits better but you will still have to seal it with beeswax. Don't glue the end in place. If your horn ever ignites you want the end to blow out.
Having made many powder horns, I actually don't know how the guys who sell them for $20 even get paid for buying the raw horn. Most of the horns I start with though are all ready somewhat polished so I can see the color of it. I still thin them down though. I kind of like them thin enough to see the level of powder in them. I have a few hours making the real simple ones. Not fancy, it is not hard work, just takes me a little time. Some people like to use bees wax to seal the horns. I like to use "water glass". It can be bought at a drug store. It is a clear liquid that I pour in the horn and swirl it around the plug, then drain the extra back into the jar. One bottle is not expensive and there is a life time of stuff in it. They are WATER TIGHT, when this water glass is dry.
Guest
Like I said, the worst that can happen is it's not water tight, which you can easily fix.
Crazy Crow: $30 (they have a plain one on sale for $20)
http://www.crazycrow.com/mm5/merch...t_Code=4940-001-007&Category_Code=800-300-000
Crazy Crow: $30 (they have a plain one on sale for $20)
http://www.crazycrow.com/mm5/merch...t_Code=4940-001-007&Category_Code=800-300-000
Last edited by a moderator:
I am looking at those powder horns seriously but, after this post, I am also looking at one in the classifieds.
Does anyone have experience with Rick Froehlich's horns? I am liking the one with the squirrel and might be able to that high.
Does anyone have experience with Rick Froehlich's horns? I am liking the one with the squirrel and might be able to that high.
One of the best you can buy.WillametteT said:
I bought some cheap ones on Amazon because I wanted to practice some scrimshaw work. The more you bought the cheaper they were. They weren't too bad for the price but I wasn't looking for much and they were usable. Don't know if they were water tight or not. They were bad over seas, so probably why they were so cheap.
I want to thank everyone for their thoughts and advice. :thumbsup: All was taken into consideration and with final deliberations with the boss, I have sent Rick an email for the purchase of the squirrel engraved flat horn he has on the classifieds. I am hoping it will last me for the rest of my shooting day! :grin:
newtewsmoke
45 Cal.
...
