Need Help With Shooting Accessories

[Carolina_Skinner]

Hey, Y'all, so, I'm going to be getting a new smoothbore soon, and I need help thinking of everything I'll need for it, including shooting accessories, accouterments, etc all historically accurate for the 1770's or so of course. The smoothbore will be a .62 Chambers Penn Fowler.

Thanks!

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Darn too late to correct the typo. Oops!

 

[Stumpkiller]

You can get by with surprisingly little with a smoothbore. Or add up loads of wads, cards, and accoutrements.

I used a Bess for 15 years and used tow flax for wadding and cleaning and a shot pouch with a spare flint and tow worm. Paper cartridges for balls. That was about it.

Now I like wads and cards for my 16 bore shot loads. A priming flask. Separate powder and shot measures. Real luxuries. ;-)

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Thanks Stumpkiller!

Nobody else? I need to make a new bag, and probably get a new horn, so what types of bag and horn?

 

[Patocazador]

A new bag is a convenience not a necessity.

Why a new horn? A small priming flask for the pan is all you should need.

 

[Grenadier1758]

There are a couple of good threads within this forum on selecting horns and bags. Look at the thread on "Small Pouch and Day Horn".

I keep October Country on the short list for production horns ( October Country Powder Horns ) and selection of shooting bags ( October Country Shooting Bags ). There are a number of horn makers on this forum that do a very good job of making good period correct horns for reasonable prices.

Since you may want to make your own, I would suggest that you visit your local Tandy Leather Store and get the Stohlman Leathercraft Book on the Art of Hand Sewing. You will need to go there for needles and linen thread. Your pouch will be much better of for that. Patterns are quite simple. Unfortunately the pattern book I bought many years ago is no longer available.

 

[SgtErv]

Many options with bags. I started with a fairly big one, 8"x10" with lots of inner pockets. I found that I loaded up on unnecessary items, and couldn't find them easily.

The one I use now is about 6"x7". It has one small inner pocket where I store balls and patches. Said inner pocket is big enough that I could fit a couple of tins of cards/wads/ and a shot pouch.

The little bag can store enough ammunition that I can shoot for hours at the range. Don't be afraid to use your patchbox and pockets, too.

For a horn, simple is best. ive used one with a wide spout as well as one with a narrower one. Found I preferred a narrow spout. Once you learn how to pour it (they have individual personalities haha) I don't think it matters too much. I carry about 1/4 lb of powder in mine and it's a slender one.

Tow worm, bullet puller, jag, toothpicks (for cleaning) vent pick, turnscrew - anything extra Ive discarded over the course of a summer of intensive shooting.

Go light and you won't miss a thing, anything you do miss will be made up for by a thicker wallet ha!

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

A new bag is a convenience not a necessity.

Why a new horn? A small priming flask for the pan is all you should need.

Patocazador, I need both a new bag and a new horn first off, because my bag is about 3x5 inches, and is not historically correct. It's a bag that I made when I was about 13 years old, and was good then, for carrying around a pocket knife, and rocks for my slingshot, but won't really cut it now that I need all the accessories for a gun.

Also, I don't necessarily need a new horn for my main powder charge, but I do need a smaller horn to keep my 4f priming powder.

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Thank you all for the help, keep it coming!

 

[SgtErv]

My bag is made of bark tanned deerskin with a linen lining. It keeps its shape really well and it's construction is simple. If you are inclined to make your own, I'd say that bark tan deer is an easier material to work with than cowhide. It's quite historically correct, too. It may be harder to find, of course, and if you have a Tandy Leather near you selecting good cowhide leather would be more feasible.

Priming horns - it's another one of the things I left behind, along with the 4F. Purely a preference on my part, though. For a small priming horn, maybe keep an eye out on the Contemporary Longrifle Association sales site. They've got some phenomenal bags there, too. It's where I got mine for well under $100

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Thank you!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Part also depends (imho) on your loading procedure. I have a different bag for my smoothies, because I have a pretty different procedure for them compared to my rifle.

So, IF you're doing small game, you're going for squirrels or rabbits, and most definitely if you're going for birds, you're going to need a bunch of loads of shot. Some folks like a shot snake, a horn, and a bag holding wads and over-shot cards, plus tools and such. They have two items slung over a shoulder, plus a small bag that way.

Other folks, myself included, like to use paper cartridges a la the military, with cartridges of premeasured loads for the powder, and cartridges of premeasured shot. So the bag needs to hold a bunch of cartridges, plus tools, and the only need is for a small horn to prime with. If using a caplock, you don't even need the horn.

I've found this works very well, as it allows me to put my SxS caplock to its full potential. I can load the right barrel with the wide pattern with #7½ shot hoping to kick up a bird, and the left barrel with #5 or #4 shot and a tighter pattern for squirrels and rabbits. It also works well with my single shot flintlock trade guns, so I use the same procedure for both. In fact once I forgot the bag, but had remembered the ammo can of powder and shot paper cartridges, and the horn, so I just put the cartridges in my coat pockets, and went after squirrels. With the right combination of waistcoat and coat, you might not need a bag, at all.

You'll have to decide what works the best for your gun and decide then what size bag will fit your needs.

LD

 

[zimmerstutzen]

There came a point at which I had two bags and horns equipped for rifles or smoothbores. Then it simply became a bag for my favorite flint rifle, a bag for my favorite flint smoothie and a bag for the small bore rifles. I used a civil war style cartridge box for my double percussion shotgun. Kept flask, caps, wads etc in it. I had access to black smith sides for leather and made my own bags and horns for each purpose. It became a matter of just grabbing the gun and appropriate bag to duck out the farmhouse for some back yard hunting. Beats having one bag and realizing you forgot something once you are in the woods.

I used the basic Tandy possible bag kit for my first (leaving the fringe off) and traced the pieces before assembly so I could make more. I would alter the bag's pockets or straps for the purpose. For the flint rifle, a patch knife sheath incorporated in the strap, a place on the strap also for the brass pan primer I used. A small pocket for extra flint and leather, a single combination screw driver and tough hole pick, For the smoothie, the same small pocket for extra flint and screw driver and leather. A place for balls and patches and a place for wads and a hand made shot flask. (Keep in mind it is illegal to possess balls here while small game hunting during part of the year. ) On the set up for the double barrel percussion, there was a "sheath" on the strap for the capper, a nipple wrench fastened to the back of the cartridge box, a powder flask and measure attached, a shot flask, etc. I restocked them when I returned from hunting.

Bags are easy to make with a few simple tools. Since tandy closed most of their stores finding the leather can be the hardest part. I prefer blacksmith sides over deer skin. It is stiffer and holds it's shape better. I use a leather apron in the shop made from a blacksmith side. It is easy to work. And I can make a bag in about 90 minutes while watching the **** tube. I made bags to donate as prizes over the past 30 years and folks still use them. Not as fancy as say those from October Country, but more woods friendly.

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Thanks so much for the help everyone! 'Preciate it y'all!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Here is my grouse hunting rig.

One pound of shot in the small bag (plug is hollowed antler and measures 1-1/4 oz of shot).

Inside is a divider and I use tins for tools and wads.

Here are the wads & tools for a dozen shots. I gave up on the large ball block as impractical.

For deer I leave the shot pouch and horn home and use paper cartridges with a round ball.

A variation is paper shot cups (slightly better pattern) I form at the muzzle.

 

[Carolina_Skinner]

Thank you StumpKiller, Very helpful!

 

[NeilMacleod]

I started of with watching youtube vids on "belt pouches" lots of stuff on the web too to get the odd pattern. Also bought the Tandy Windsor Belt bag for construction and pattern instruction (have not put it together). Expanded from their, now working on a Sporran bag.

My First pouch; http://imgur.com/a/iO6DI

 

[Rifleman1776]

I am always amazed at how often Tandy is mentioned as a source for leather and supplies. At one time just saying "Tandy" was as obscene as "inline". :shocked2:
The vast majority of my 'stuff' was either made by myself (not elegant but works) or purchased at big shoots and rendezvous. At those events you will find many craftsmen all with unique styles. Buying from them is both fun and memorable.
BTW, I have used leather from resale shops by buying jackets and boots then cutting them up for what I need. Leather upholstered furniture is another good source if you have a way of disposing of the carcass afterwards.

 

[jbwilliams3]

I am always amazed at how often Tandy is mentioned as a source for leather and supplies. At one time just saying "Tandy" was as obscene as "inline". :shocked2:
The vast majority of my 'stuff' was either made by myself (not elegant but works) or purchased at big shoots and rendezvous. At those events you will find many craftsmen all with unique styles. Buying from them is both fun and memorable.
BTW, I have used leather from resale shops by buying jackets and boots then cutting them up for what I need. Leather upholstered furniture is another good source if you have a way of disposing of the carcass afterwards.

If you're looking for veg tanned leather - and if you're doing 18th century, as this gentleman is, then that's most likely what you're looking for - then Tandy has sales from time to time on whole hides or shoulders, etc. I like being thrifty, but it's hard to find the right leather if your getting it from modern chrome tan, etc. There are other places to get veg tanned leather, but I've used Tandy when they had one of their sales. It's a good option, in that case.

As for 18th century smooth bore accoutrements, it's always best to start out simple. If I remember, I'll post some original sporting paintings tonight for inspiration. All of the accoutrements I've made recently have been mostly inspired by those images. Pretty much all the shot pouches (as in shooting bags) you see in old paintings, at least homespun versions, can be made with minimal tools and leather skills. See these two blog posts from Jim Mullins http://ofsortsforprovincials.blogspot.com/2011/03/making-shot-bag-or-pouch-part-1-of-2.html Unless you're portraying someone who would likely have carried professionally made gear (from a saddle maker, for example), then homespun in a "workmanlike" manner is a good option.

There is also a blog entry on that site about making a simple horn. I've tried my hand at horn making and prefer working leather. I purchased a simple horn for my son from Turkey Foot trading company. They seem to keep a selection of simple, hand-made horns on hand. If you're going for high-end, scrimshawed work, you'll have to pay more. It's always safe to go simple, though.

 

[NeilMacleod]

Just like "Radio Shack" was a swear word lol.
I only buy Tandy when its %50 off, I also have Gold card, other wise just have to wait till a deal comes around.