Possibles bag

[mikegalante]

Gentlemen,

As a newbie, I was curious as to what all your flinters carry in your possible bags for hunting or target shooting. I'm attempting to put one together and I'm always curious to hear what others include. Usually, I can pick up some good ideas that I never would have thought of.

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[biliff]

For hunting, I throw in 4 or 5 of those preloaded plastic tubes (yeah, it ain't PC, but it works), a flint wallet with three flints, a brass flint knapping hammer and some extra leather, one of those brass priming dispensers, a vent pick and a short starter. :m2c:

 

[rich pierce]

Balls of the proper caliber in a necked bag that lets them out one at a time. I have any extra or special cleaning tools (worms, ball extractors) in there, as well as a screwdriver and nutcracker-like pliers. Patch material and cleaning patches or tow. Flint and steel. Tinder. Small candle. Compass. Patch knife on the strap.

Extra flints, a vent pick and pan brush are in my patchbox along with a couple balls and some patching, for emergency use if the bag should be lost.

 

[Stumpkiller]

This is what's in my hunting bag (which is the same bag I carry hunting, target shooting, etc.) 6-1/2" wide x 8" deep heart-shaped moose hide bag.

Let's empty it and see what's in it right now:

Five-shot purpleheart bullet block in sheath on back of pouch. (The sheath was originally intended for a pouch knife, but it banged on my horn and I decided I liked the horn just over the bag). 1-1/2" striped maple stub-starter attached to ball-block with 10" of leather thong. Stub starter itself carried in bag. Moose-hide ball bag with 25 round balls (up to 45 if target shooting). Three pre-cut flint leathers in the ball bag. Six feet of 1-1/2" wide cotton tick pre-treated by soaking and drying in moose milk, carried in deerskin bag that was saturated in molten beeswax and baked. Two spare flints and one spare flint leather in tiny pocket just inside bag. Also in that pocket is a spare cleaning jag. A one oz. bottle of moose milk. Small tin of Moose Snot. A dry 3' roll of 1-1/2" x 0.018" cotton ticking and a dry 3' roll of 2" x 0.010" tick for patching or cleaning.

Tool roll containing "L" shaped screwdriver/pin punch, two vent picks, five spare flints, 12 cleaning patches, five spare vent feathers. A 16" x 1" piece of leather strap for added purchase in pulling a stuck rammer. A mainspring vise (Allen head bolt tossed and slotted head bolt added to replace it).

I also have a three-shot maple ball block attached to my horn strap that slips tightly into a loop with three balls wrapped in 0.010" patching that load very fast and easy for fast shots, as needed. 3-1/2" bladed patch knife carried on horn strap in waxed & baked deerskin sheath. Also on the strap is a powder measure made from a turkey thigh bone w/wood plug. The horn itself is a moderate 11" that holds about 3/4 lb of powder (enough for over sixty shots from my .54 - a treasured beauty made, aged and tastefully engraved by Griz).

 

[Wart]

My possibles bag has a inside pocket that I carry the balls in (20-25)... then in the bottom of the main pocket I carry 6 wooden needle cases with shot - now if I'm planning on doing more shot shooting than ball, I'll include a shot pouch (not sure how many shots it holds)plus some wads or hornet nest for wadding ... then I've got a tin with extra flint, ball puller, worm, extra leather strip for holding flint and a small hex wrench (this is to go through a hole I've drilled in the end of my ramrod to help aid in removal if stuck) ... I also have two extra strips of patching (rolled up)and a forged screwdriver.
On the bag, I have my powder horn hanging from the strap of the bag, a patch knife and a couple strips of patching, a powder measurer (made from a bone) and have my pick tucked into the strap as well.
I know it sounds like alot, maybe it is but it works for me.

 

I don't have a possibles bag or any parfleche but in my hunting/shooting bag you'll find: priming horn, a terbaccy sack full 'o fints an' a cupple leather peces, a "flinters tool", a lil' bag made 'o home tanned bucksin wi' 36 cal. balls, a box 'o caps iffn' I take my 36 cap lock, jag, roll 'o pre-greased patchin' and cleanin' material. On the strap 'o the bag is me short starter an' patch knife. Horn is homemade from a horn I got years ago while dehorning cattle an' is jes big enuff fer 'bout 1/2-3/4 lb. 'o 3f. Bag for me 54 is 'bout the same.

Vic

 

[BLAHMAN]

My bags (for my rifles, each has their own) contain a small pouch of 2-3 flints, cloth (patching, wiping my hands, blowin' my nose...whatever) a ball bag, priming horn (very small) jags to fit the ramrod (cleaning, puller, worm) in a small pouch, loading block (full and lubed up) a small tin of lube, a knife on the strap, some leather thongs (emergancy purposes) and last but not least.......a ham sandwich!


Can't ferget our lunch now, can we? :haha:

 

[Bob J]

Let's empty it and see what's in it right now:

Five-shot purpleheart bullet block in sheath on back of pouch. (The sheath was originally intended for a pouch knife, but it banged on my horn and I decided I liked the horn just over the bag).

Well, I was wonderin' about that! My new beaver-tail bag by Gray Beard has a sheath on the back (my percussion bag has sheath on strap). Was thinkin' about having a knife made for it, but when I tried one the horn "banged" against the knife handle. :nono: Not conducive to stealthin'thru the deer woods! Thought about trying to change length of bag or horn, but your idea makes sense. :hmm: Besides, bag is large enough to carry a knife inside (although John Durham makes really cool neck-sheath patchnifes - antler-tine handles)Don't suppose you could post photo of your bag with loading block?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Don't suppose you could post photo of your bag with loading block?

Well, I don't have a digital camera, but I been meaning to dig out the old FE and take some good 'ol fashioned pictures. Keep yer thumb here for a week until I can get them back and scanned here at work and I'll do just that.

The block is simple as can be. Five holes in a row, countersunk on the top (using a star bit in a hand-brace, no less). Block is 5/8" thick, about 1/1-4" wide and maybe 5-1/2" long. Upper and lower narrow edges beveled so it slides in and out of the sheath easy.

 

[Bob J]

Will look forward to seeing your setup. Sounds neat! :thumbsup:

 

[SAJones]

Also have several shooting bags (or bullet baags, depending on time period). The one I use the most has two sections. Back section has: flint wallet w/ 5 rifle & 1 pistol flint & leather, 4 bullet loading block, sack w/ extra mainspring & frizzen spring, some screws, extra frizzen, & mainspring vise/turnscrew (flat piece of steel w/ notches for each of the springs, stress spring & fit notch over spring, release stress), extra vent pick, flint knapping tool made of 1/4" rod, extra patching, two turnscrews for flint & lock, sack w/ jag, worm, small rod (headless nail w/ point removed), tow & ball mould in a canvas pouch. Front has: balls, patching, & flat priming horn w/ pick attached. Stuff I need to shoot with is in the front easy to get. A F&I style knofe is atached to the leading edge of the shoulder strap, as in plate 15 of Madison Grant's book. Seemed awkward at first, but once used to it it works fine. Horn is attached to shoulder straps w/ buckles on straps to adjust for length.

In my haversack, which would equate to the infamous "possibles bag", I carry hand forged pliers, lead ladle, flash guard, & occasionally extra balls. That's just the shootin' stuff besides all the stuff like flint & steel needed for a quick camp. Obviously, I wouldn't carry this for target shooting, but do carry it hunting.

 

[schrivener]

Depends on the weapon.
For my fusil, hemp canvas bag, containing a pouch with 10 ball, small leather wallet with 3 flints, tow-worm and handforged turn screw. bundle of tow, small roll of ticking. Tin of grease. Small bag holding about 5 shots worth of shot, and wadding. Powder measure made of cane hanging from the bag strap, vent pick stuck in the welt of the bag. Little box with ear plugs. Small loading block carved like a fish, with 2 shots in it. Deer antler tine.

Rifle, 'bout the same, only the tow-worm is a combination piece, with a ball puller. Loading block is a square, and holds 6 shots.

Found that the deer antler tine works well for flaking flints, using a compression method, and gives a better edge.

For maintence, I have a handforged mainspring vice, and spare springs that I keep in a separate bag, along with some handforged pliers, and more tow.

Unless I'm in a shoot, where I know I'll be shooting a LOT, I don't carry a lot of ammo in the pouch. I DO keep some bar stock, along with a ladle and mould in an oiled pouch that statys in the snapsack where-ever I'm camping.

Now, this works for me, and passes muster at any juried event. May not work for everyone else.

 

[jim gray]

Aside from items that are already listed here. I carry a couple pairs of disposable earplugs.

 

[mikegalante]

Gentlemen,

Thank you all for your input. Looks like I have some work today to complete my bag. :thumbsup:

Thanks again,

 

[Stumpkiller]

As promised, here's my bag and a picture of the contents:

 

[Bob J]

Nice setup, Stumpkiller! I like the horn, bag, AND accoutrements....thanks for posting photos. :front:

 

[trent/OH]

In my hunting pouch I carry a couple of "S" shaped hooks from any hardware store. If you have to cross a fence, especially barbed wire, you can hook the fence up or down and save your pants and anatomy from grief. I'll also carry a few feet of string when squirrel hunting if I don't have a separate pouch to carry game in. Some drinking water is good too.

 

[Blkpwdernut]

In my hunting pouch I carry a couple of "S" shaped hooks from any hardware store. If you have to cross a fence, especially barbed wire, you can hook the fence up or down and save your pants and anatomy from grief. I'll also carry a few feet of string when squirrel hunting if I don't have a separate pouch to carry game in. Some drinking water is good too.

Boy if my old gramps would have seen you hook his fence like that he would have had some strong words for ya!!

 

[scott k]

Nice looking horn! :thumbsup:
What do you use the ruler for, and is a plastic one with think metric on it pc :crackup: :crackup:
Lehigh...

 

[Rocky Johnson]

The S hook for the fence is a good idea.But how many would take time to use them? :winking: Rocky