How do you wear your kit?
- Thread starter Timber Wolf
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I put the belt over the front strap, that holds it in place and still allows you to "swing" the pouch forward if you really need something in the back / bottom of the pouch
Kiltman20
32 Cal
There some good stuff in this tread. I'm semi new to BP, spent many many years with modern firearms. They're boring now, BP is so much more fun.
Wildrangeringreen
40 Cal
The biggest thing is to have your bag organized, keeping only what you will need to shoot the number of shots you are going to take (between resupplying from your stores), and not a lot of other stuff. It's all too easy to carry too much stuff, in too big a bag, and it become a pain in the behind (my first shooting bag was/is entirely too large, and held everything... including the kitchen sink lol)
Most of the long-hunters would have their mule/horse/wagon carry the majority of their shooting/living gear, and then leaving most of that stuff at their base camp when they were in the field, keeping them light to move around unencumbered. If I'm not intending to shoot a lot of shots, there are times when I go out without a pouch at all, and just have a few balls, extra flint, and a tool set and patches in the patchbox on the gun and a pocket flask (like the ones meant for a pocket colt revolver) (that's a positive for the small bore guns, you can fit a lot of balls and patches in the stock with those). I've never felt the need to use loading blocks, so I don't have much experience with them. My short starter almost never gets used, and lives in my range box (cheap tackle box) most of the time, as I would rather swab my barrel out every 15-20 shots than try to force a projectile through the fouling (which tends to deform the ball or bullet). Then again, all my rifles are shallow-grooved, so I don't need things to fit nearly as tight as some of you guys with deep rifling.
Just be very by-the-numbers with it, so that you don't fumble stuff or skip steps... . Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Honestly, while you are deciding how to set your kit up, you can do dry runs of loading in your home, just make sure the gun's not loaded and you don't actually load it. Go through the motion of bringing the piece down from the shoulder, holding it while you retrieve your powder and measure, simulate measuring the powder and putting it in the barrel, returning your measure/ powder, then retrieving your ball and patching and starter (if you use one), and then simulate priming. Not much difference between that and going through SPORTS drill in basic rifle instruction indoors. If it seems really awkward after a few dry runs, it's probably not the best arrangement, and you can try something else; and settle on the least-awkward setup until you can get out on the range to test it in live fire.
Most of the long-hunters would have their mule/horse/wagon carry the majority of their shooting/living gear, and then leaving most of that stuff at their base camp when they were in the field, keeping them light to move around unencumbered. If I'm not intending to shoot a lot of shots, there are times when I go out without a pouch at all, and just have a few balls, extra flint, and a tool set and patches in the patchbox on the gun and a pocket flask (like the ones meant for a pocket colt revolver) (that's a positive for the small bore guns, you can fit a lot of balls and patches in the stock with those). I've never felt the need to use loading blocks, so I don't have much experience with them. My short starter almost never gets used, and lives in my range box (cheap tackle box) most of the time, as I would rather swab my barrel out every 15-20 shots than try to force a projectile through the fouling (which tends to deform the ball or bullet). Then again, all my rifles are shallow-grooved, so I don't need things to fit nearly as tight as some of you guys with deep rifling.
Just be very by-the-numbers with it, so that you don't fumble stuff or skip steps... . Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. Honestly, while you are deciding how to set your kit up, you can do dry runs of loading in your home, just make sure the gun's not loaded and you don't actually load it. Go through the motion of bringing the piece down from the shoulder, holding it while you retrieve your powder and measure, simulate measuring the powder and putting it in the barrel, returning your measure/ powder, then retrieving your ball and patching and starter (if you use one), and then simulate priming. Not much difference between that and going through SPORTS drill in basic rifle instruction indoors. If it seems really awkward after a few dry runs, it's probably not the best arrangement, and you can try something else; and settle on the least-awkward setup until you can get out on the range to test it in live fire.
I follow the methods many of the right hand shooters have previously described. The only deviation is when shooting a flintlock, I move the powder horn to my left side. I think having my body between the powder horn and the vent might reduce the chance of an errant spark getting to the neck, so the probability of the horn detonating is even lower than if I have it on the right side. Does not affect my speed or ability to reload. My $0.02.
Period correct you loaded from horn, bag, pouch, and satchel.
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Tenngun,
Just curious why you carry a Hammer Stall aka Flint Cap aka leather Frizzen Cover in what is obviously a very minimalist pouch?
Do you put that on after you prime the pan and when you plan on or are moving around in your hunting area?
Gus
Just have it stuffed in the bag at the bottom if needed at an event, I don’t use it routinely and don’t want to forget having it when needed
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Richard Turner
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I'm a lefty, so all my gear is arse backwards, except for my longarms, they're all righthanders.
Wildrangeringreen
40 Cal
Us lefties just like to keep things interesting
user 48702
Richard Turner
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Worked for an old Master Sergeant one time who was also a lefty. He swore that Southpaws were the first original discriminated class of folks. He said the first time he ran across a machine whose bolts had left-hand threads, he literally cried. You should have seen his face when the secretary gave him a pair of left-hand scissors one year for Christmas, he acted like he was 5 years old.Us lefties just like to keep things interesting
I quit using a bench a couple years ago and never looked back. I do have a question though. In my never ending need to simplify I now omit the priming flask and prime right from the horn after loading. Of course, that is two times I have to replace the horn stopper. I find the 3F or 2F powder works just fine for me. I guess my question is, priming from the horn, is this an unsafe practice? I have never been called out on it and others in my group do it.
Wildrangeringreen
40 Cal
It's reasonably safe. I've never seen, or know anyone personally that has seen a live-fired gun that had an ember in the bore (reenactors tend to drop the whole cartridge down at once, and some of that paper doesn't get expelled if it is behind the powder, and smolders due to the significantly lower pressure in a blank round). Supposedly it can happen, but IMO, if it hasn't gone off by the time you load the barrel, it's not going to go off while you're priming. Just be sure to pull the cock back to the safety notch; or use the dog, if it's a dog-lock. The difference between Swiss 0B, 5F, 4F, and 2F in ignition time is so miniscule that in a reasonably well put together gun, you aren't really going to notice. I think the theory of smaller granules reaching ignition faster clouds people's perceptions sometimes. It's just simpler to use the same powder as the charge and was what most people did historically.
The replacing the stopper multiple times is one reason I like the spring loaded valves. You don't really see many of them in the US until the 1830's or so, but they really make things easy. Some high end European horns had them earlier. Since I shoot from cartridges, and a lot of people act like they're about to have an aneurism if you prime from the cartridge, I do carry a small priming flask with a push valve (the tube kind) in a small nylon pouch I made for it attached to my shoulder strap, just off-center of my chest (I also have a Brit-style cap pouch that fits in the same place if I have a percussion gun). In that case, though I've also eliminated a powder carrier, just the opposite one you have
I bet half of us or more prime from the horn, no no danger.
S.Kenton
58 Cal.
I try to keep everything simple. I load from my bag 99percent of the time I shoot. The only time I’m not loading from the bag is when I’m sighting a new rifle in, then It’s off a bench. I keep my bag and horn on my right side with horn slightly above bag. I precut strips of patches and cut those in sections nearly in half.. it makes it easy to rip off at the muzzle. In my bag I have caps in a small front pocket, a small ball starter, my powder measure, a small tin of lube, and a tiny altoid tin with small tools in it. I carry my round balls in a ball bag,with a strap around my shoulder and it goes on the same side as horn and bag. That’s about all I have in my percussion bag. Flintlock outfit is the same except I have a small flint wallet that doubles as a small tool bag. I try and keep stuff simple. I found out early on that it’s no fun to be digging around in a cluttered up bag…
I was at a shoot at Ft Fredrick when I was told that I needed frizen cover. I searched my bag and I left it in my shooting box. I was wearing a Lally House small quilled medicine bag that fit perfectly over my silver lock frizen. I told the range officer that he will never see a more expensive frizen cover.
Bighorserider
40 Cal
I guess I'm different. I'm right handed and wear my bag on the right but horn on the left. Some how it's more comfortable having the measure in my right hand and horn in my left.
I prime from the horn and find it easier to do if it hangs on the right. I just move it to my back when I’m gonna touch a round off
Day trek
my favourite way to carry my kit is in a canoe on a multi day trek in which case the kit changes considerably
Day trek
my favourite way to carry my kit is in a canoe on a multi day trek in which case the kit changes considerably
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