Priming horns or not

[roger fisher]

I have recently had a few discussions with some of the guys in my club concerning the use of priming horns. It is my belief that they are a modern contrivance much like the short starter. I believe that at least a good many or most of the old boys were priming from the same horn they loadeed with. After all thats how the military primed, from the same paper cartridge.I've been trying it out at the range with three fff and it seems to work fine. What do some of you guys think?

 

[ihuntsnook]

On my last trip to the range I tried priming with the same 3f Swiss powder I was loading for the main charge. If anything, I thought it was even faster than the 4f Goex.

 

[jamesthomas]

3fff swiss is fast, and I use it for prime when hunting, but I've have this lb of 4f goex that is used at the range. When it's gone I'll be using 3fff KIK for prime. And yes the 3fff works fine in my priming horn.

 

[MSW]

fisher, for what it's worth, i agree with your assessment.

Not to say that i don't think little horns look way cool, but when i finally do use up the last of my FFFFg 'priming powder' (it's been a lot of years), i'll go to priming with the powder i use as the main charge.

just one guy's opinion. completely free and doubtless worth every penny.

 

[PA.1740]

YES! I think you are right. In THE DAY no one carried two horns and two kinds of powder :2
Have Fun
Phil

 

[roundball]

If you don't mind the question, what is the driving force behind priming with 3F...for example, eliminating the need to carry a 2nd horn...or being more HC...or not wanting to buy more priming powder, etc?
In my case, I happen to use Goex 4F prime because we know 4F granulation is faster and I want every part of my ignition chain to be as fast as possible.
And using a small pocket pan primer, my priming activity is much faster, more consistent, and creates less movement when I'm sitting on a deer stand than I if I try to prime from a large powder horn, etc.
But I'm not / never will be a "purist"...just curious what your goal is...


SHIRT POCKET PAN PRIMERS I USE FOR HUNTING

 

[necchi]

It is my belief that they are a modern contrivance much like the short starter.

I think your right, :thumbsup:
But they both sure are a handy modern contrivance ain't they?
Trouble is, if those Gents at the club are not students of history, you'll have a hard time convincing them and/or breaking them of smometimes decades old habits. :nono:

 

[BrownBear]

For me, a priming horn is just one more thing to carry. And I'm always cutting back.

I've dinked a lot with assorted powders for priming and found answers that satisfy me with my guns. No freeze frame photos and stopwatches involved, but my brain and trigger finger can't find enough difference to care about.

I gave away my last two cans of 4f as a result. I use whatever is in the horn for priming. If a gun likes 3f, it's primed with it. Heck, 2f works just fine. My Brown Bess gets a steady diet of 1f, and darned if that coarse powder isn't quick and reliable in that great big old pan. Must be part of the reason they put such a big pan on the gun originally, cuzz I sure don't find any record of a separate priming powder for the Bess.

Try your own charge powder for prime in your own guns and see for yourself. If you like it, you're set. If you don't, go to fixing.

 

[2172]

Istopped usig a priming horn about two years ago.I prime with my regular powder .Hank

 

[Rifleman1776]

This is one of those time worn issues that will never be resolved.
Do wat works for ye.

 

[illuveatar]

I've got one of those tiny priming horns like RB, I don't find it much of an inconvenience to use since it's lashed to the same strap as my main charge horn.

I would guess you're right that most folks didn't use two different powders but I haven't seen any actual historical evidence one way or the other.

Since I've got a pound of 4F I'll use it, and in 10 years when it's gone I'll reassess the situation.

 

[VTdeerhunter]

I have always used FFFF and a small priming horn to prime, since I have more than a few pounds of the stuff, I guess my grandkids will be too :rotf: I was also lucky enough to receive a set of hand made horns from my long time hunting buddy GJR902...rightly carved with ma name an everything...couldn't leave the little guy home when I go out, would hurt his feelings.....

 

[roundball]

I have always used FFFF and a small priming horn to prime, since I have more than a few pounds of the stuff, I guess my grandkids will be too :rotf: I was also lucky enough to receive a set of hand made horns from my long time hunting buddy GJR902...rightly carved with ma name an everything...couldn't leave the little guy home when I go out, would hurt his feelings.....

My average on hand Goex inventory is 2 cans Goex 4F/case, with the other 23 cans normally being 3F.
Use a lot more 4F ratio to 3F now that I have the .40cal Lancaster and use it at the range so much

 

[tecum-tha]

Although not necessarily historical correct, "modern" hunting with traditional ML guns is often a bit different. I carry a flat hunting horn in my bag (still about 20+ shots)and a small flat priming horn. This makes it easy to prime and one can leave the priming horn in a shirt pocket or more accessable than the bag. This applies for treestand hunting, where you should prime while walking to it (we go to our stands just at break of shooting light and often don't even get into them,because we have a shot opportunity), then unprime, get up the stand and reprime.
For timed match shooting, it is easier and safer to have a seperate priming horn. For safety reasons the gun have to point into the direction of the target before getting primed. This takes longer and is not as easy with a seperate horn and you will spill less powder.
I shoot 2F anyways and like NullB for priming.

 

[Larry Pletcher]

On my last trip to the range I tried priming with the same 3f Swiss powder I was loading for the main charge. If anything, I thought it was even faster than the 4f Goex.

Here is a number-line comparison between the priming powders I have timed:

Substitute powders are slower and off the page to the right.
Regards,
Pletch

 

[roundball]

Very surprised to see 7F slower than many others tested
:hmm:

 

[roger fisher]

If you don't mind the question, what is the driving force behind priming with 3F...for example, eliminating the need to carry a 2nd horn...or being more HC...or not wanting to buy more priming powder, etc?
In my case, I happen to use Goex 4F prime because we know 4F granulation is faster and I want every part of my ignition chain to be as fast as possible.
And using a small pocket pan primer, my priming activity is much faster, more consistent, and creates less movement when I'm sitting on a deer stand than I if I try to prime from a large powder horn, etc.
But I'm not / never will be a "purist"...just curious what your goal is...


SHIRT POCKET PAN PRIMERS I USE FOR HUNTING

Well ,I geuss my first goal is to strive for simplicity, you know ...less equipment ,quicker loading , etc. And I suppose my second goal would be historical accuracy.I have been experamenting with ultra thin patching and undersized balls too for loading ease without a short starter but thats another post ! :v

 

[Capt. Jas.]

I have recently had a few discussions with some of the guys in my club concerning the use of priming horns. It is my belief that they are a modern contrivance much like the short starter. I believe that at least a good many or most of the old boys were priming from the same horn they loadeed with. After all thats how the military primed, from the same paper cartridge.I've been trying it out at the range with three fff and it seems to work fine. What do some of you guys think?

To your comment and question....yes I agree with you. :thumbsup:

 

[Jim Blair]

YES! I think you are right. In THE DAY no one carried two horns and two kinds of powder :2
Have Fun
Phil

I've always wondered if many period horns given the "priming horn" ID weren't actually for pistols.

 

[Billnpatti]

I think you are right. I have never seen a priming horn in any museum. However, I use Null-B for priming my pan and I keep it in a brass pan primer. I like it that way and have no interest in the PC/HC stuff. I just enjoy shooting a muzzleloader and I don't worry about what grandpappy had or used. But for those who are into the PC/HC lifestyle, a priming horn is, in my belief, not HC/PC. From all that I can tell, they primed from their only horn.