Is it not cricket to have a Craftsman toolbox as a shooter's

[coloradoclyde]

You should take pride if you made it yourself. Some of us are better at some things then others. My dad could do any sort of metal work very well, but his carpentry skills were marginal. My brother is the oppisite, me I'm all thumbs. Take joy in what you can do and do it well. Dont get caught up in things that dont matter to you.The builder and user is the only one to be proud of a box. You can only be ashamed of a box if it falls short of what you want.

Sage advice.... :v

 

[azmntman]

At least if you had a toolbox instead of a Walmart bag you could tell your wife you were working. :haha:

:shocked2: LIE TO MY WIFE? Nope (not when caught red handed). Worse is she thought I had went to walmart and bought all the stuff that fell out! She mad till she smelled the wonderful rotten egg odor coming from the kitchen as I cleaned later that afternoon and she realized I had indeed sneaked (snuk?) off to shoot!

 

[Alden]

What's this crazy talk about letting your targets speak for themselves and whatever you want to transport stuff with "it's all good." It ain't!

Almost every decision you make is influenced by the outside and with the outside world in mind from whether or not you got enough sleep to function with other people that day to whether or not you need to shave and/or shower, how you dress to what and how you drive, etc., etc., etc.

A wooden shooting box shows you care. It demonstrates so many things. About yourself, to your fellow shooters, and represents the hobby to the world. It is a sign of respect and an homage. It is the least you can do if you are not a novice. Less than than is just a slap in the face to everyone and everything. And, one'll probably make you shoot better too. Bottom line?

Don't be a hater and disrespect yourself, other shooters, or the safe blackpowder shooting sports. Do it right, with a wooden box, or don't do it at all.

A metal toolbox? A plastic tackle box!? A tool, no less a plastic, bag indeed -- that's JIMINY Cricket!

 

[Dewey]

:hmm:

I woulda thought that a fellas TARGET RESULTS would show where they are better than some expensive fancy box.....

"Better"... is a hard thing to define and even harder to measure.... :wink:

That's strange ... at our range, we can almost always find out who's "better" by the evaluation the target scores, LOL !

Don't get me wrong - there is nothing wrong with having a nice shooting box, but ...

Alden seemed to be saying (in jest?) that if one was below average skill-wise that they could give the appearance of being better by having a nice box. But as I said, their target scores (or firemaking skill with flint and steel, or 'hawk throwing, or ...) would quickly prove otherwise.

One of the best shooters/reenactors/hunters I ever knew had almost everything in his old hunting or possibles bags. The only fancy thing he had was his flintlock rifle ... and boy, could he shoot it !!!

Appearance is one thing, skill another.

A fancy pilgrim is still a pilgrim, LOL.

Bottom line: yes, a nice wooden box, if you need one, would fit in better at rendezvous (although a possibles bag might be more historically correct unless you are portraying someone like Stewart), but at the range ???

Use whatever works for you - fishing tackle box, tool bag, K-mart sack, or a curly maple handcrafted box.

 

[Dewey]

PS

If I was new to the hobby and I wanted to improve my historical appearance, a nice wooden shooting box would be near the bottom of the list, behind correct period clothing, correct period firearms and shooting accessories, and other accoutrements.

 

[Dewey]

Dang, Alden.

I've been shooting black powder and going to 'vous for nigh on three decades, and here you tell me that I have been doing it all wrong 'cause I don't have a wooden shooting box !!! :youcrazy:


Well, I'll get to the bottom of my list someday and get one, LOL.

 

[Dr5x]

The advantage of a "Shooting Box" is that it reduces the worry of showing up at the range and realizing you left your short starter-nipple wrench or whatever back home some 20 to 30 miles away.
Some years ago (possibly 30) Muzzle Blasts had an ad for a wooden shooting box kit which was easily assembled and which was designed so that gusts of wind wouldn't blow small items like wiping patches, away.

A shooting box doesn't have to be wood. I have seen some very good ones that began life as fishing tackle boxes.

One fellow at the range had a dandy metal box which he had repainted from red to a very good camouflage but which he kept tripping over.
I suggested he repaint it red

Dutch

 

[don hepler]

Won't work in a story.....

Atop a high meadow, I sat astraddle my gilded mule, and long time friend "Jackie". With snow blowing in from the north and east, I slide down from the saddle with my long rifle. I slide my fingers across the silver inlays of stars and moon, wishing for good luck. In the draw I could see movement of some whitetail deer, and with the wind in my favor, I could make a stalk. I reached for my Walmart bag hanging on the saddle, to get my plastic bottle of powder.

No, doesn't work well in a story.

 

[RonRC]

I don't care what type of box a person brings to the muzzleloader range.
However, I like wood. So I put away the fishing tackle box and bought a sewing box from Joanns sewing store for about $10.
Please forgive the redundancy in that I've posted pictures of my shooting supply boxes here before, but I will do it again in case it gives anyone constructive ideas.
The box just after some modification and reinforcement:

After all reinforcement, bracket replacement and staining:

I picked up another box in the gun section of Walmart. It had a very hokey woods scene on it that was easily removed with sandpaper:

With Philips head screws, the boxes are not HC/PC, but that doesn't bother me. They will be replaced by more representative screws when I have time.
Meantime, these boxes work for me.
Ron

 

[Billnpatti]

Perhaps you would be best to try the traditional side of this great sport before you criticize it.

Been there, done that, got a pille of crap that I no longer use to prove it. It was fun in the day but now I am over it. I shoot for fun and don't give a fat rat's a$$ what anyone else thinks of what I bring my stuff in. It's my stuff.

 

[coloradoclyde]

It was fun in the day but now I am over it

I'm glad you at least enjoyed it for a time....
Many people never get that chance....

 

[Dewey]

Won't work in a story.....

Atop a high meadow, I sat astraddle my gilded mule, and long time friend "Jackie". With snow blowing in from the north and east, I slide down from the saddle with my long rifle. I slide my fingers across the silver inlays of stars and moon, wishing for good luck. In the draw I could see movement of some whitetail deer, and with the wind in my favor, I could make a stalk. I reached for my Walmart bag hanging on the saddle, to get my plastic bottle of powder.

No, doesn't work well in a story.

Just as silly ...

"Atop a high meadow, I sat astraddle my gilded mule, and long time friend "Jackie". With snow blowing in from the north and east, I slide down from the saddle with my long rifle. I slide my fingers across the silver inlays of stars and moon, wishing for good luck. In the draw I could see movement of some whitetail deer, and with the wind in my favor, I could make a stalk. I try to open and reach into my wooden box tied behind the saddle .... "

On treks or 'Vous I use my hunting and possible bags, myself.

Just use my Bostitch shooting bag at the range. The other folk there with Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Remington 700s haven't complained yet ..... :haha:

 

[coloradoclyde]

Just use my Bostitch shooting bag at the range. The other folk there with Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Remington 700s haven't complained yet .....

Well, there's the problem.... :grin:

You're not shooting with like minded people.....your hangin with all those modern guys and their fancy dancy repeating telescopic wonders...

You should be shooting with guys that have Hawkins, and Pennsylvania rifles and such.... :haha:

 

[FishDFly]

As you consider in how to fit in with your range box you might wander the line to see what blue jeans the folks are wearing: Levis, Carhart, Wrangler or Lee, sure do not want to be out of fashion on the line, T-shirt or pocket-shirt

 

[Dewey]

Just use my Bostitch shooting bag at the range. The other folk there with Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Remington 700s haven't complained yet .....

Well, there's the problem.... :grin:

You're not shooting with like minded people.....your hangin with all those modern guys and their fancy dancy repeating telescopic wonders...

You should be shooting with guys that have Hawkins, and Pennsylvania rifles and such.... :haha:

Clyde -

I would LOVE to do that. And that is what I did when I lived in the Black Hills and was in a BP club (High Plains Free Trappers).

Here in this part of Iowa there are no BP clubs / fur trade reenactment groups that I can find - the closest one is in Des Moines (3 hours away).

I have joined a local gun club. They do have BP shoots once a month, but I haven't gotten to one yet. When I have gotten out (weekdays in the early AM), the modern gunners have been all I have seen. I have a sinking feeling that most of the BP shooters in the club have in-lines .... :barf:

A couple of shooters have been interested in my flintlock - maybe I will spur more interest ....

Then there was the woman to seemed to think it was some kind of rules violation that I actually
had gun powder at the range !!!

 

[Claude Mathis]

On treks or 'Vous I use my hunting and possible bags, myself.

Just use my Bostitch shooting bag at the range. The other folk there with Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Remington 700s haven't complained yet ..... :haha:

If I'm at a pre-1840 event, I try as much as possible to have my gear fit the period.

When at the modern rifle range, I really don't give any thought as to what my gear might look like. Why would I? :wink:

 

[Dewey]

On treks or 'Vous I use my hunting and possible bags, myself.

Just use my Bostitch shooting bag at the range. The other folk there with Ruger 10/22s, AR15s and Remington 700s haven't complained yet ..... :haha:

If I'm at a pre-1840 event, I try as much as possible to have my gear fit the period.

When at the modern rifle range, I really don't give any thought as to what my gear might look like. Why would I? :wink:

Exactly !!!

BTW, can anyone give me a historical reference for a shooting box being used at the 1837 rendezvous (my time era) ???

 

[Tinker2]

:idunno: I kinda thought Alden was funnin...he couldn't possibly dist my walmart bag?

Yea I know, I might be a redneck :hmm:

Nope, you would have to use 5 gallon plastic bucket


William Alexander

 

[Kansas Jake]

Where does my old green and rusty metal tool box that I mostly use when I shoot C&B revolvers along with a cardboard box with rifle stuff fit in this picture?

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have a sinking feeling that most of the BP shooters in the club have in-lines

In-lines??????......RUN :grin:

BTW, can anyone give me a historical reference for a shooting box being used at the 1837 rendezvous (my time era) ???

Nope..Not me, But I can guarantee that thar weren't no plastic.... :grin: