Hunting outfit

[Archie]

Previously I had been using premeasured quick load tubes and a small tool kit stuffed in my pockets and a capper around my neck for hunting whitetails. I have recently changed my hunting clothes to all wool so my pockets will no longer do that job. I am considering switching to a possibles bag and powder horn. What is the most effective way to carry a bag and horn for quick access to ball and powder for the reload? Do you attach your horn to the bag or does it hang seperate?

 

[Trench]

Mine both hand seperate on the right side. If you haven't already done so, start shooting this way at the range and load from your bag. Getting in to the automatic loading routine through practice will help with "speed". Still, it takes me about a minute to reload.

 

[Rat Trapper]

I like the horn tied to the bag with leather shoe strings. My capper and measure are also tied to the bag and kept inside. I like a button on the bag flap so it will stay shut and things inside stay there. My short starter is kept on the strap. I like to keep things in the bag as simple as possible.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

If by quick access you are concerned with a quick reload for a quick second shot...,Forget about "quick access". Unless you are going to compete in some sort of speed loading match, it won't apply. For hunting, it's a non-starter (imho).

I hang my bag and my horn on my right side, the horn rides just a little higher than my elbow, and against the flap of the bag. I can thus keep the bag from rocking forward if I bend over to look at tracks or at blood, when hunting.

As far as the quick access goes, after taking your shot, you should calmly reload, then make sure your gear is secure and ready for you to move, then maybe sit and smoke a pipe, and give your deer at least 20 minutes, and some folks say 30 minutes before you go looking or start tracking.

If you made an excellent shot, your deer is down and you simply need to collect it. If you made a slightly less than excellent shot, the time you wait gives the animal time to lie down and expire. Rushing to reload, and going after the deer in less than ten minutes will often push the deer farther and farther from you, making finding it all that tougher. If you only wait a bit more than ten minutes, it often means you are still full of adrenalin and your are fired up, so you will think you are being thorough as you track, but in fact you will miss sign.

When I first started using BP and patched round ball, I had a string of deer taken where they basically flopped in place or went about 10 yards and dropped. So I didn't think that bit about waiting was true, so I didn't do it.

So then one day after taking a shot, I went out right after reloading, maybe it took me five minutes to start after the deer, and I turned what should've been about a 15 minute track into a two hour ordeal by going after the deer too soon,..., no need to have done that on my part..., and no need for you to experience that. The story ends, that when finally I settled down and started over..., I found the deer without a problem.

duh-oh on my part for sure!

So I learned that what I had been told was true and I should abide by it. It's a hard habit to form, I will admit, but it really does apply.

LD

 

[Archie]

please allow me to restate my question.

What do you do to minimize the fumbling and bumbling when loading or reloading from a bag and horn in the field?

I understand the issues with hitting an animal and tracking, blood trails and the time involved in allowing a possible less than lethal hit animal a chance to lay down. I have had my share of less than perfect shots in less than perfect conditions.

 

[silly goose]

I practice, and eventually the fumbling and bumbling goes away.

 

[Bob J]

I use the powderhorn for offhand target practice, range walk, etc. For deer hunting, I carry the hunting bag with a small container of powder inside it for reloading. Have an original flat bag horn I intend to start using in place of the plastic container.

 

[simeon england]

Howdy!

A good question!
First I want to say I carry a small shooting pouch, maybe 9" wide or so, and 9" deep. It has one small internal side pouch.(this is without measuring it, and I dont have it with me) I will discuss the contents of my pouch first.

I carry only what is needed to hunt or shoot inside my pouch, save for a small flint and steel kit which is in addition to my regular fire kit I carry in my haversack. The kit is carried in a tin made by hot dip tin, with a few other things, inside a brain tanned leather pouch.
Why the fire kit? I do not take my pouch and horn off in the woods, and sleep with them on. I do take my pack off which separates me from my fire kit. So the small one is for emergency cases if I were to be attacked at night by ye savages, or during the day when I had removed my pack for some reason. At least then I would have everything I needed to start a fire, and shoot on me at all times.
Back to contents; My precut and greased patches are carried in another tin, but a different shape from the fire kit. This way I can easily tell which it is by feel.
I carry a ball bag with about 12-15 balls in it. (A larger ball bag holding 60 balls is stored in my pack)
I carry in the side flap extra flints and a compass.
My powder measure is held with a piece of leather thong which is attached to the outter strap of my shooting pouch. I also have a vent pick and brush on a chain, but do not use the brush and prefer the bottom of my hunting shirt.
Two more things, a wing bone turkey call, and a period folding knife.

Now that you know whats inside, I will discuss placement. These above things are in their aproximate places always, and I know where they are by feel. The wing bone turkey call is always places upright along with the powder measure on the thong in the front side of my pouch. Then the fire kit pouch is next to that, again begin tubular and standing up. Next to that and towards the back of the pouch now is an oval tin (made by hot dip tin again) which contains my patches. After that and in the rear corner of the pouch is my ball bag, and folder, both upright.
It is packed and stacked good, and theres little room for anything else. When I go to reload, in as fluent of motions as I can I remove the measure, pour powder and dump down the barrel. The measure gets put back during my hands next trip into the pouch, saving a motion. After the measure is replaced, I grab the patch tin, remove a patch, and place it back in the pouch. Again not wasting a motion, I grab the ball bag while im in there, and remove a ball to place on the patch. The ball bag gets put back. I use a period practice of a looser ball and thicker patching, plus have eliminated the use of the short starter because it is not a historical item for my time period. All thats left is to ram it home, prime from the same horn, and fire.

As mentioned, it takes practice with doing this. I "ghost load" at home, meaning going through the motions without actually loading a ball, so I can learn and be more fluent with the motions and process. I only load from my pouch and horn anywhere I am, including hunting in kit. Even when I am firing just to shoot, I load from my pouch and horn. It works for me, and is what I love doing.
By the way, my horn is on a separate strap than the pouch. I put on the pouch first, then the horn over it adjusted so it rides just above the top seam and fold of the pouch. Both ride high on my right side, and are tucked under my arm.
And just to add, I carry a period ball puller and tow worm inside the wooden patch box of my gunne, in case you were wondering.

Hope this helps!

Simeon

 

[BrownBear]

please allow me to restate my question.

What do you do to minimize the fumbling and bumbling when loading or reloading from a bag and horn in the field?

I understand the issues with hitting an animal and tracking, blood trails and the time involved in allowing a possible less than lethal hit animal a chance to lay down. I have had my share of less than perfect shots in less than perfect conditions.

Kinda depends on your routine and what else you do with your bag, but for me and hunting, nothing beats the KISS principle. I keep paring down the gear I carry on hunts, and as a result my bags keep getting smaller. The biggest loss of time I know about is sorting and fumbling through a bunch of manure in a bag to get at what you're looking for.

I also have to contend with lots of brush, so I minimize # of straps and danglies that get hung in the brush. Less is definitely better for me.

My usual hunting kit for deer is a small loading block for 2 or 3 shots, a small "priming" size horn that holds about 10 shots worth of powder (it's about half the size of your average banana), and a capper or little bitty flint wallet depending on the gun. The horn goes loose into my bag along with the block and capper or wallet. Might drop half a dozen loose balls and a strip of ticking into the bag, might not. If I'm hunting small game, I use a bigger block for more shots, plus more loose balls and ticking (and a little tin of lube) loose in the bag for recharging the loading block once I empty it.

When I started out my shooting bag was about 10"x 12" but with years of shrinkage mine is now 6" x 7". With my whole kit in it there's room to spare, but I'm kinda stuck on that size because I can't get my hand into anything smaller, then pull it back out once I've grabbed onto what I'm after.

 

[hanshi]

I have the horn attached to two of my bags with one other bag carried with a separate horn on a separate strap. I agree that "practice, practice" is the best way for uniformity.

Truth be told, I've been using a horn & bag for nigh on 50 years. But when I've fired a shot and it's time to reload I might as well be wearing boxing gloves. So much for bobble free reloading. I will often carry premeasured charges which helps by shaving around 30 minutes off my reloading time :redface: :rotf:.

Taking one thing with another, premeasured charges work about as well as anything I've tried. My shooting bags are small but easily carry a couple of cartridges. Basically, one should forget about anything approaching "speed" or "fast" reloading. That's not what MLs are built for - with the possible exception of military muskets used in reenacting. Speed is the last thing a ML shooter should consider. As for loading convenience, many swear by "ball boards" and premeasured charges.

 

[FishDFly]

I have recently changed my hunting clothes to all wool so my pockets will no longer do that job.

Okay how many pockets do you have?

Powder, patch and ball(s) and starter, how many pockets are needed? Seems simple, how many shots in a day are needed?

How about a fanny pack and minimal needs? Could be made out of wool with a hand warner in the front. Don't need any pockets in the clothes.

 

[Spikebuck]

Archie, you don't have to get rid of "speed loaders." Here's a neat "traditional" style Rifleman posted
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1249539/

 

[George T.]

Well having read these answers I am going to think a while and then reread them I have come to respect the knowledge available here.

I carry my horn on the left with the measure attached to it. My possiable bag is carried on the right. I use a 5 shot loading block and the short starter and capper or priming horn is in the bag along with some tools in a button pocket.

I am going to use this set up as suggested when I am practicing but I doubt that mt speed will increase much but prehaps my confidence will go up. Geo. T.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Small shooting bag and horn on a seperate strap. Mostly because that offers me more flexibility with different rifles or guns.

I prefer to think of mine as "necessary" bags, rather than possible bags. I only carry what is necessary to shoot and clean the weapon. The other stuff is in my haversack or pockets.

 

[Archie]

It's not the ammount of pockets but size and ease of access. My old hunting vest had huge cargo type pockets but it was heavy and bulky. The new one has two small vest like pockets enough to hold a whistle and small compass and such.

 

[roundball]

Hats off to everyone who gets into / enjoys hunting using period clothing and the like...for some reason I never seemed to develop an interest in that.
Initially tried the idea of a shooting pouch but didn't find it to my liking, plus straps around the neck are a definite no-no as a safety issue hunting from the occasional tree stand. So for me, my interest has just been hunting the Flintlock rifles and smoothbores themselves while still wearing warm, dry Thinsulate / Gore-Tex clothes & boots.

But speaking of vests, I've always worn an 'upland game vest' which I actually use as an 'equipment vest'. Whether hunting turkey, deer, squirrel, I just change out the items to suit the caliber / gauge and type of game being hunted. It has a lot of pockets and basically does duty as a fanny pack / back pack / shooting pouch.
A couple of pockets on the front carry any/all Flintlock items for a day hunt and the rest of the vest pockets carry hat & gloves, food & water, rain gear, calls, cellphone, camera, etc. Items have settled into the most efficient permanent pocket locations over the years and without ever taking it off I can reach anything I need.

 

[S.Kenton]

Small shooting bag and horn on a seperate strap. Mostly because that offers me more flexibility with different rifles or guns.

I prefer to think of mine as "necessary" bags, rather than possible bags. I only carry what is necessary to shoot and clean the weapon. The other stuff is in my haversack or pockets.

I like your gear Stumpy! I like the horn on the top photo and the bag on the bottom photo.
Keeping with the subject; I normally take my possibles bag out loaded with about everything I need. This year however, I left the bag at home and opted to take my backpack. It worked out great..just didn't feel the same though.

 

[BrownBear]

Biggest thing is to get far away from the benches and tables at the range. Use only the gear you have on your body for shooting, and don't lay anything down. Pert quick you'll know what works for you and what doesn't. Everything will go faster and smoother on hunts too. For me range tables and benches are where I put my coffee cup, not where I put my shooting gear.

 

[BillinOregon]

Just thought I would toss it out that I have heard horn attached to bag is a post-1800 thing, if period correctness is a consideration.

 

[DUSTY 14]

bag over shoulder then put on a belt snug and the bag stays in place. then horn on separate strap. horn fastened to strap was for the militia so you showed up with everything on short notice.