day treks

[onefeather]

how big a pouch should i take for a two day or longer trek? and what should i have in it?also what size drill bit would i use to drill a 50 cal hole for a loading block? thanks

 

Hey Zonnie, You need to move this one probably.

Am I allowed to say that it could fit right beside the thread labeled Size of Possibles Bag and dated 5/16 in the Acoutrements section?

Or that there are recient posts (within the past week) that completely list the contents of a dozen or so possibles bags and shooting bags and answer all of this person's questions in detail?

He can click on the Accoutrements label or the Trekking label, or the Clothing and Equipment label and each of the answers will appear in the list of posts.

That is except for the size of hole in the loading block. Musket Man has not posted that list in a bit more than a month so it's time to do that one again.

I know that my value as a human and my ability to compare with Jack O'Conner is now void, but there were some fantastic answers to these questions (hardly any of them are mine) on the other sections and this fellow does not need to miss out on the information!

:front:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Whew! That's like asking how big a car you should drive. Depends on how much you usually carry and your driving style. Some guys lug everything they own, others just a few select items. If you only plan on shooting a few times, you can take a tiny pouch, or none at all if you have a ball-block on the horn strap. If you shoot every 15 minutes for all waking hours you'll need a larger kit.

My hunting pouch:

What's in it:

Tin of Moose Snot, 1 oz bottle of moose milk, "dry" moose milk lubed patching strip in waxed deerskin bag, extra patching, ball bag (25 to 40 balls depending on my plans), a scrap of leather strap for flint leathers or to wrap on the rammer for added grip should it stick. Two flints inside the flap in a small pocket. A tool roll with: mainspring vise, five flints, two vent picks, five vent feathers, a screwdriver/pin pusher/flint nibbler, and a dozen flannel cleaning patches. Five-shot ball block and attached stub starter in a sheath on the back of the bag (starter inside the bag so either keeps the other from getting lost).

Jag & tow in the patchbox. Three-shot ball block, measure and patch knife on the horn strap.

10" Rifleman's knife & 5" skinning knife in belt sheaths, flint & steel tinderbox on belt or inside jacket so it doesn't get lost if bag does. (The tool roll has flints & steel enough to serve in an emergency). Not shown is a leather frizzen stall/emergency powder measure that I toss in the bottom and usually forget.

Anything else I carry in a seperate haversack.

I carry the same bag for all uses, hunting, treking, whatever. 8-1/2" deep and 6-1/2" wide.


.50 cal ball block:

If you can find a 15/32" drill you're all set. I have a 7/16" drill (#7 auger bit) and I have to open the holes a bit with a pen-knife or sandpaper around a dowel.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Too loose by the time you get it smoothed down and the patch lubed up. :winking:

 

[onefeather]

thanks

 

[Twisted_1in66]

*SNIP* what size drill bit would i use to drill a 50 cal hole for a loading block? thanks

Hi one feather. The caliber rating is just a decimal designation of the fractions of an inch. Use a 1/2" drill bit and you will have the perfect size hole for a .490 ball plus patch. 50 cal. is 1/2", 75 cal. is 3/4" etc. After drilling the holes, I then coned the edges of them with some sandpaper and it worked fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[bradmartin]

What kind of wood (if any) works best for a loading block?

 

[Rebel]

See thread below called "loading block wood"

 

[Chiefs50]

I like maple but oak, ash and other hardwoods work well too.

mike

 

[bradmartin]

Thanks Chiefs50. I looked for "loading block wood" but never found it. I have a scrap of wood, well not a scrap so much as a thing called a "wine witch". But the wood was too brittle. So I'll try again later.

 

[onefeather]

in the french and indian war people used pine so i dont think that would be a problem

 

[bradmartin]

I'll ask the boss for some old pallets to play with until I get what I'm looking for. Thanks.

 

in the french and indian war people used pine so i dont think that would be a problem

Sorry One Feather, so far there are no loading blocks that we can actually date to the F&I War. Suspect yes, but not date.

:front:

 

I guess you are discounting the one Mark Baker pictured in a recent Muzzleloader Mag article? I believe it was dated 1757. Of course it is the only one....

in the french and indian war people used pine so i dont think that would be a problem

Sorry One Feather, so far there are no loading blocks that we can actually date to the F&I War. Suspect yes, but not date.

:front:

 

[brubincam]

why not make one out of thick leather? :sleep:

 

[rmg]

I made one out of leather. Hand stitched 3 real thick layers together, around the edge, and across the middle both ways, then drilled 4 holes. Greased it up real good, works fine.
Rich G