Possibles bag acruments... hunting vs. range work?

[DEVERS]

I know not every shooter has the same stuff in their possibles bag.

But, what is it that is common among all of them? I did a look through some books for good ideas and found a few items I normally carry around in a small fishing tackle box when I go to the range.

round balls in a leather pouch
ball starter
lubed patches in a tin
dry cleaning patches
extra tube of lube (T-C bore butter for me)
small bottle of "moose milk" (50:50 balistol-water)
ball puller
bore brush
scraper
cleaning jag
powder measure
powder flask (I am not a big fan of rattling horns)

[What do folks use to organize their cleaning stuff, or do they just let everything run loose in the bag?]

My one time hunting with a friend who likes smoke poles also had 3 "speed loaders" with 777 pellets and T-C maxiballs. Even when we were sighting in, he had those ready...

[He commented he has had those same 3 tubes for years and never had to use them except to practice with... only needed one shot]

The only other things I can think of would be non-period correct stuff. Cell phone, 1st aid kit, and skinning knife if you don't like carrying one on your belt. (like me)

Comments? Suggestions? Recommendations?

 

[MikeChapin]

For the range I pack along a toolbox with all the stuff I need. I shoot a lot of different rifles so carry balls, patches, powder measures and short starters of different sizes. I also have a plastic bag with cleaning jags and another with ball pullers. I pack along screwdrivers, knapping hammers, nipple wrenches and anything else I might think I will need. Also in there are a few priming horns and a capper along with a couple of boxes of caps.

Many of the competitive events I attend require that you shoot from the pouch. I usually just grab a handful of the proper patches and bag of the right size balls. Depending upon the rifle I will grab a priming horn or capper. In the bag I keep a knapping hammer/screwdriver, nipple wrench and about 10-20 cleaning patches. I also have a flint wallet in there. Between relays I will run a spit dampened patch down the barrel followed by a dry one.

For big game hunting, I just make up 4 or 5 speed loaders and put a capper or priming horn in my pocket. For small game where I will be shooting more, I use the possibles bag and horn like I do at a shoot.

 

[playfarmers]

At the range I carry a tool box full of stuff. For hunting, I have it down to a small plastic box[Ball-et, box] with balls and patches, 2 speed loaders, and my capper, or priming horn, and vent pick. It all fits in a coat pocket.

 

[chipper]

Everything I need comes out of the possibles bag. I load everyshot the same way from the bag. I try to mimic hunting as much as possible. It's really paid off for me. Speed shoots and woods-walks are just another shot.
I have my bag arranged where the powder measure, short starter and patch knife are hanging from individual holsters in the bag away from clutter. Everythings done by feel inside the bag and I can keep an eye on the horizon while I'm glancing down to load.

Regards
Wounded Knee the Saxon Barbarian

Regards

 

[Black Hand]

I'm with Loyd. No boxes for me, only what comes out of the bag. I will stow a box in the truck if I am going to rendezvous just for extra supplies or if a friend runs low. It really simplifies everything. And a lot less crap to carry that I don't really need!

 

[boar]

I use the bag, carry the bare min. Have horn fastened to bag ,don't like flasks, my horns don't rattle. Use bullet board,I make my own stick starters,out of hickory. Have a bag for each cal. Pick up bag and rifle and ready to go hunting. Dilly

 

[AZ-Robert]

round balls in a leather pouch
ball starter
lubed patches in a tin
dry cleaning patches
extra tube of lube (T-C bore butter for me)
small bottle of "moose milk" (50:50 balistol-water)
ball puller
bore brush
scraper
cleaning jag
powder measure
powder flask

Similar to what is in mine. I use moosemilk as a lube, so scratch that extra tube. Being a flintlock guy, I also carry a vent pick, two extra flints, a turnscrew for tightening the jaws on the cock, and a hammerstall for the frizzen.

Small pockets on the inside back of the bag (like Loyd's 'holsters') hold the powder measure, the lubed patches (not in a tin, but loose in their own pocket), and the starter. The balls have their own bag, which is also carried in the shooting bag. Everything else is loose in the bottom of the bag.

I carry the powder in a horn on its own strap.

When hunting small game, I carry along a 'haversack' style game bag. For deer, you would want a rope or some sort of drag... someone here on the forum posted a pic where he had the rope neatly stowed on the bottom of the shooting bag.

 

[Cruzatte]

I admit to being a sort of belt-and-suspenders sort of guy. And the reason is that when I go out to the range, I usually go for the whole week end. So, I pack all the extras in a box, and use that to restock my shooting bag.

Bag contents are

• .530 ball
• .015 patching
• priming horn
• a tin box containing a tow worm, ball screw, and an extra flint,
• hand forged screw driver
• a small bag of tow
• a few cotton cleaning patches (I told you I was a belt-and-suspenders sort of guy)
• a small tin of moose snot

My powder measure is tied to my powderhorn strap. I just tuck it inside the front pocket of my pouch to get it out of the way. For wiping down the bore between shots, I just use a spritz of water on a cleaning patch from my canteen. The tow is what I use back at camp for cleaning my rifle. I have also been known to tuck a vent pick into the hatband of my hat. I have dispensed with the use of a seperate patch cutting knife, in favor of the knife I carry in its sheath tucked into my sash, and I have dispensed with the use of a short starter, too. I found they just got in my way. A jag stays attached to the end of my loading/cleaning rod.

Cruzatte

 

[Stumpkiller]

I carry the same things in my hunting pouch no matter what I am up to. Plinking, hunting, target shooting. That way I know what I need is always available, but only what I need. Only the materials needed to shoot the rifle. Anything else is in my haversack (food, deer drag, etc.).

The leather tool roll has a turn-screw, five spare flints, jag, a dozen cleaning patches, two vent picks, a disassembled mainspring vise and a small metal oil bottle. The little leather pouch has six feet of pre-lubed tick (dried Moose Juice) and I carry a tin of moose snot and a 1 oz bottle of moose juice and spare patch material for extended shooting. I'll tote along 25 balls whether deer hunting or a woods walk, with extras in the haversack.

I wear my horn high so it doesn't "rattle" when I tuck it under my elbow.

Two things I have changed since the images are to remove the patch knife (I use a belt knife - same one I dress deer with) and have a bone handled folding knife in the pouch as a back-up and to use when filling the ball-block. I also carry a small priming flask (corked, holds enough for 20 shots or so, and I refill it from the main horn as needed). Easier to tap out a prime than with the horn.

No range rod. Spare jag and a ball-puller in the patchbox. Also a tow worm loaded with tow and another spare flint. All wrapped in a piece of patch material to keep it quiet and held together in the unlikely event the box pops open accidently (hasn't happened yet).

I keep a seperate bag and horn for each of my rifles, so I don't get somewhere with the wrong stuff for a given rifle/caliber/smoothbore.

 

[GreyWhiskers]

Devers,

I used to have to have a large table nearby to shoot any blackpowder firearm. But after watching some veteran M/L shooters do everything from their bag I adjusted.

My possibles bag is similar to yours in contents:

Leather ballbag - target shooting
3 shot wooden "speedloader" - hunting
short starter :redface:
Lubed patches in tin
capper
dry cleaning patches
small bottle of lube/cleaner
bore brush
ball puller
powder measure
nipple wrench
worm
I wear a powder horn over a shoulder. (can't decide which shoulder works best)

The bag has two small sewn pockets on the inside. I put my measure into one of them so it's easy to find. Most of the rest of the stuff is just loose in the bag but easily identified by feel.

I have leather strings attaching the capper and ball bag to the possibles bag. This makes it easier for me to pull them out of the bag and just drop them after use.

Still need a large table to shoot my revolvers. :grin:

 

[DrTimboone]

I use my shot bag whether hunting or shooting on the range so I practice with what I want to use under pressure if needed. In the shot bag I carry:
-spare flints in small pockets on back of bag
-round balls in a ball bag - 3 lose in inside pocket esily reachable
-lubed patches/patching material
-ball puller tip
-cleaning jag
-oiler
-steel pin for tightening cock screw on flints

On my bag I have a powder measure and a vent pick tied with sinew.

I carry my bag on my right side so I can get in it easily with my right hand.

I carry my horn high on the left side cause I find it easier to pour with the left while holding the powder measure under the horn with my right hand and then pouring into the muzzle with my right hand. I pull the stopper on my horn with my teeth as I find I am less likely to forget to replug the horn when finished loading.

Everything else goes into my haversack, depending on where I am and what I am going to be doing. At the range I have a box full of stuff in the truck if needed.

No patch knife and no short starter.

I am building a smoothbore now and it will be interesting to see what kind of stuff I have to carry to make it work best......


Works for me