Possibles bag, what confussion

[Henry2357]

Was going through all my "stuff" and trying to figure out what goes to the range with you.

I have an 50 cal. Inline that has its own bag so no problem there even though that rifle may go on the market now, traditional bit me.

But, I have a 54 cal Lyman trade rifle and a 45 cal. TVM flintlock on the way. The bag is small. Some tools and powder measures are used for both but, do you just keep your stuff seperate and switch it out when you grab a rifle? Or do you just stuff everything in the bag? Or maybe a bag per caliber, that's what I'm thinking.
How do you guys keep everything straight when you shoot more than one caliber?
Then there all the cleaning stuff. Was thinking of getting an old wooden box and throw everything in there.
This may not be confusing to you experienced guys but, I'm still not sure even what to bring to the range.
But, never even have held a flintlock, not sure what.... I need extra.
I did do a search but, really couldn't answer my concerns.
Thanks, MJ

 

[Elnathan]

Each gun should get its own bag, I think. I only have one gun right now, but when/if I ever get the next build finished it will get its own dedicated bag and horn.

 

[Spikebuck]

I don't take a shooting/possibles bag to the range. I have a range bag that is maybe 9" x 9" by 14" that holds the things I need when I go to the range regardless of the rifle I grab. Most items are the same anyway. The only thing I need to be sure I have are the right patches and roundballs.

For hunting, I have one shooting bag for deer hunting and one for smoothbore small game hunting. My deer bag has some common items, so the rifle-specific patch material, the correct sized ball, and whether I throw in caps or my flint wallet is about all I need to think about. I only have one smoothbore, so I guess that bag is specific to the gun.

I can see where a bag for each gun would be nice, but my luck, I'd just grab the wrong bag anyway! :grin:

 

[Henry2357]

I thought about that too, heading out the door with the wrong bag. :grin:

 

[fleener]

I buy in expensive plastic tool boxes. One box has everything I need for the shotguns with wads for 13 and 12 ga. Other boxes are for rifles. I have several rifles but only have round ball rifles in .54 or .40 cal. I think I have 5 or 6 of these plastic tool boxes

My bullet rifles are all .45 and I use a nicer box I made out of walnut for them. I use this box when going to shooting contest.



If I need a bigger box, I switch to this one.



The only time I use a bag is if I go on a woodswalk.

Fleener

 

[mooman76]

I use a traditional tackle box, actually two now. I picked up so many different calibers I have one for large and one for small.

 

[coloradoclyde]

For range work use a box of some kind.....for hunting it's nice for each gun to have it's own bag....Unless you have so many that your house starts to look like a ladies purse shop... :haha: then I start switching components.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I keep a seperate bag and horn for each rifle or gun.

Whether hunting or target shooting I use the same bag for that piece. That way I know where everything is and that it's there when I need it.

 

[azmntman]

I thought about that too, heading out the door with the wrong bag. :grin:

I do it 25% of the time and I check first :redface:

Got a nice dedicated muzzleloader box from my son for a gift and thinking I will undo the current MANY different caliber boxes (which look alot alike) and start using the new one and just fill with the balls n patches etc for the gun(s) im taking out. I have lost many days shooting forgetting either the powder, the patches, the caps and/or the gun or bringing the wrong caliber box for the gun I grabbed. YES, I am getting old....saw a picture at Christmas and by GAWD there really IS a bald spot and its BIG :shocked2:

 

[smoothshooter]

Separate bag for each gun.

Get a small to medium sized tool box for range cleaning, extra powder, flints, caps, small hammer and drift punch, extra whatever you clean with, etc. that you would not want to carry in the bag.
Almost forgot: a small square of carpet to place the butt of the gun on whan loading someplace that has a concrete floor or gravel on the ground, or at a muddy firing point at a range.
Avoid the urge to load the bag and box up like you were the Battalion Support Weapons Sergeant.

 

[Cruzatte]

It's just easier to assign one bag for each gun when your guns are of differing calibers. I have a .54 caliber rifle, and a 20 ga. trade gun. Each has its own bag, powder horn, and powder measure.

 

[Henry2357]

Thanks gents, all good advice. I think I will go with a bag for each rifle and a box for cleaning. I also have you down size for all the darn cleaning chems, lubes, patches, rods and so on I have.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Good plan!.... :thumbsup:

I have many bags and many boxes....These days I can fit everything for shooting and cleaning in my bag and still have room for a "cold one" or two....

 

[Artificer]

My first pouch was a whopping failure even though it was for only one rifle. There was nowhere near the help available today, no internet, few books, etc., etc. and while my buckskin suede cowhide split pouch looked nice, it folded up into itself and was almost useless.

What I found was best for me was figuring out ahead of time what I needed a single pouch to do for both guns.

OK, so with very few funds available in those days, my goal was to make a Shot Pouch I could use for both a .45 cal. Flint Rifle and a .75 cal. Brown Bess. Furthermore, I would use it for all primitive target shooting events and for reenacting AWI, so it had to be authentic to the period as well.

I settled on a sort of civilianized Cartridge Pouch and made it big enough to put a removable wood cartridge holder block inside, though not as large as many military ones, for reenactments. I made a loop on each end of the gusset in the middle, and made the loops large enough for a .75 cal. Short Starter (competition use only) and the other end held my adjustable powder measure. When it came time to use it for the rifle, the .45 cal. short starter replaced the one for the Brown Bess, I put the correct size ball pouch in. I replaced the fabric for thinner one for the rifle. I did put a divider close to the inside edge and behind that lay the “Y” Tool as well as worms and some tools for both guns. I made two flint wallets, one for each size flint and kept that back there as well. Now if the match was only 5 or less shots, then I put the correct size balls loose in the bottom of the front part of the pouch. VERY easy to reach in and grab what I needed without looking into the Shot Pouch.

If I used it for reenacting, the ball pouches and any loose balls came out of the Shot Pouch, as well as the adjustable powder measure and Short Starter. Then in went the wooden cartridge block filled with blank cartridges. OR, if we might use a lot of cartridges for a good show, then I would not put the wooden cartridge block in place.

Though I have made more Shot Pouches since then, this remains my favorite pouch for everything but some kinds of hunting.

Gus

 

[cadb6942]

Buy wooden cigar boxes from a store.. each caliber gets its own box.. take out whats unique to that rifle and put it back. As an example i have a copper pipe measure for my 12 gauge and a similar one for a .50 cal. I put my measure on a lanyard with a small tag that says what it is..keeps jags and such from being confused..

 

[Ames]

"Almost forgot: a small square of carpet to place the butt of the gun on whan loading someplace that has a concrete floor or gravel on the ground, or at a muddy firing point at a range."
Never bothered. I just load on top of my boot no matter where I am.
As far as bags, one per cal. would be nice but not realistic for my finances. I adjust by swapping out ball bags in my pouch. Caps and flints stay in all the time. And I know its not HC but I don't reenact, just hunt and target. I use old hard sided eyeglass cases to house the odds and ends by caliber. Going 50 cal. today? Load a ball bag of 50's and the eyeglass case into the main bag and you are good to go. Easy.

 

[Henry2357]

Thanks, this weekend I'll play around and see what I need. I want to minimize as much as I can.
Whenever I do something I go hog wild with "supplies" don't want it to be the same this time.

 

[Black Hand]

You guys sure make this complicated. My gun bag contains everything I need to shoot and clean my gun (except for the water used). See http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1606537/

 

[Ranger1759]

I have 4 flintlocks that are in rotation, depending on what I'm doing. 3 smoothies, and a rifle....each have its own bag, with jags, powder measures, and other essential equipment...It was a pain/pleasure putting 4 bags together, but the constant switching out was worse. Now I just grab a gun and bag and know everything I need is in there.

 

[coloradoclyde]

You guys sure make this complicated. My gun bag contains everything I need to shoot and clean my gun (except for the water used). See http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showpost.php?post/1606537/[/quote]
It's funny actually.....It eventually turns into some kind of male machismo wizzing contest...
the guy next to you has a bigger cooler box so you get a better one...sometimes I think the real competition is behind the bench instead of in front of it.... :haha:
I'll be the first to admit though....looking at guys gear is far more interesting than looking at their targets.