How Much Powder Did They Take?

[smoothshooter]

Reading the thread on the bag molds made wonder how much lead did the trappers take with them since they had to use horses to take everything that they needed to trap and survive.

Then they had to take powder with them, again the trusty horse was needed. I know Lewis and Clark took their powder in lead canisters and melted the lead.

I read a lot and never have seen any mention on how much powder the trappers took with them. Also I never heard how the powder was package any idea? When and if they ran out of powder, they were out until the yearly gathering.

Any speculation on how much powder and how it packaged?

It would have depended on what the hunter was using for transportation, and how much he could afford.
Most hunters and trappers were not wealthy men.
Very large extra powder ( expedition horns? ) were sometimes used. Waterproof and more durable than any wooden keg.
Trapping does not normally require a lot of shooting, so a half-pound might last for a month or two for shooting the occasional big game animal for food and possibly the hide.
The eastern market hunters were a different story. Some of them shot dozens of deer per week for the hides.

 

[Trooper]

I have a book titled "Weapons of the Lewis and Clark expedition". On page 133 there is a pic with a statement that reads:

 

[SOLANCO]

An elderly member of our local historical society studied horns extensively. I will note that we are in southern Lancaster county, less than ten miles from where the first long rifle was built.
According to his studies, the large horns were for storage or long trips. Small containers, often small horns, holding enough powder for two or three shots were carried for ordinary day to day use.
The society is located in Conestoga, PA home of the famous wagon. Obviously, if you were headed somewhere in a Conestoga wagon, taking a keg of powder would be no hardship. But you would still want a horn for convenience.

 

[APG]

You can never have enough guns or too much ammo. That being said I'm sure the amounts of lead and powder differed depend on your goals. Hunting to sell the pelts or just hunting to eat. I would rather suffer carrying extra lead and powder than suffer from not having any lead or powder.

 

[Absoroka]

Supply needs also depended heavily on where and when you hunted or trapped. Looking for whitetails in the east is very different from trying to bring down a buffalo for dinner when you have not eaten for a few days. Journals indicate up to 25 shots to take down a bull. When wintering in the mountains, you might see one in a week so little thought was given to anything other than getting the bull on the ground. Grizzly bears could also be a target or a problem depending on the inclinations of the trapper and the bear. Clyman recounted a grizzly taking 9 shots, only one of which penetrated the vitals due to the matted fur and heavy fat layer. Trappers in the mountains also faced hostile local tribes that were more than happy to lighten their supply load and possibly their haircut. The single largest cause of death among trappers was conflict with various tribes, the Blackfeet accounting for more deaths than all other tribes combined. While many trappers preferred the fusil for its versatility, they came to appreciate the range that a heavily charged rifle would accurately reach and hold hostile raiders at a safer distance. Their lifestyle was very hard compared to our hunting outings. Rifle, powder and ball was their life.

 

[ETipp]

Ya know, its obvious that weight is weight, powder is powder and shot is shot. And in terms of the fact that trappers often ate the meat of most critters they trapped, that cuts back on wasted shots. I would think that some sort of pistol of smaller caliber would have meant a lot, in terms of killing small game for food if need be. I mean why shoot a rabbit, grouse or squirrel with a .50 or .54 when a .32 or .36 can accomplish the same thing for less. We know not how many of the old trappers carried pistols of smaller calibers. We know not how many carried larger bore pistols. Either way, a pistol of some sort could have been a life savor for them, literally. And in more than one way.

 

[shorthair]

Kinda makes you appreciate why Lewis & Clark took along an air rifle huh?

No doubt that a fair number would use a bow and arrow for some of their hunting because it is so much quieter, especially if they were in an area that was not friendly.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Kinda makes you appreciate why Lewis & Clark took along an air rifle huh?

Lewis was very keen on using some of the latest technology as part of the equipment brought by the Corp of Discovery. The air gun was brought to show the superiority of the white man's technology by having a rifle that fired multiple times and did not require the use of gun powder. There is little record of its being used for taking game other than as a demonstration item. And, of course, there is the one time that the discharge of the air gun knocked a woman unconscious.