Shooting bag

[Gene L]

What do YOU carry in your shooting bag? I'm setting up a carry bag and need the info. I've searched but have come up with about a million searches which left me nonplussed. I'm toting a three extra flints, a worm, patches, a 4F primer and a measure, some M-milk, and a turnscrew. And a flint hammer in the tool roll. Oh, I've got other stuff in the "possibles" bag, but I'm looking for a minimalist solution.

And balls, of course. I'm sure I'm eliminatating something.

 

[necchi]

What do YOU carry in your shooting bag?

op:

 

[oldude]

Just what you need to make it go boom, everything else goes in the possible bag. For a day hunt 5 or 6 round balls, patches and 10 or 12 caps. Double or triple that for rabbit or tree rat. Jim

 

[Patocazador]

You need about 1/3 the amount of stuff I carry ... maybe 1/4th.

 

[smo]

:dead: :v:

What do YOU carry in your shooting bag?

op:

:dead:

:v:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Yes, it's been discussed before. But here is my rifle bag turned out:

35 balls in a moosehide bag

Grease lube (moose snot) in the small tin.

Six feet of lubed patching in a waxed deerskin bag.

I do have a small, flat priming horn now instead of the tiny flask.

Ball puller and a tow worm in my patchbox.

My smoothbore bag is much simpler.

 

[bender20]

I think it really comes down to what are you trying to accomplish. A guy that tends to walk an hour or so from his car is going to carry more than a guy who tends to be close to his vehicle. I don't know how far I'm going to be from my vehicle so I tend to carry more tools with me than others might because I want to be able to solve any problems in the field rather than having to return to my truck. If I hunted in areas that kept me close to my vehicle I would carry only ball, patch and powder.

 

[BrownBear]

Huh....

I'm just the opposite, and I spend a lot of time and miles far from wheels. Hence my love of small shooting bags with nothing in them but what's needed for the next shot. Extras go into a separate rucksack- handy, but out of the way of the job at hand.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING I hate worse than having to sort through a bunch of stuff in my shooting bag, just to load for another shot.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I don't have to unbutton my shooting bag for the first six shots. The five shot ball-block is in a sheath on the back of the bag. And if I have loaded before heading out I can shoot six as fast as I can pop a patched ball onto a load or powder (the measure is the one "dangle" I have outside the bag and hanging on the neck of the horn).

Most hunts are one shot and a reload before I approach the downed deer.


My smoothbore is similar - paper cartridges. I carry six so I can reload quickly without even measuring a charge.

 

[Patocazador]

Stumpkiller, what's the gizmo that looks like a .30-30 shell with a soldered piece of copper wire?

What is it used for?

 

[Stumpkiller]

That's me being too lazy to be authentic.

It's a 7.62x54R case with a wood plug and a bit of wire silver-soldered on the end. I kept one on the bag strap and a spare inside the bag.

They allow me to prime easily.

See it in use here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBZsbLUF4Wg

I have since switched to a neat little flat priming horn Horner75 made for me.

 

[Patocazador]

How many pan fillers can that shell hold?

I like that offset of the stock in the video.

 

[Stumpkiller]

About 10. Then I just reload from the horn (I shoot FFFg in that .54).

It's just got 1/4" of cast-off. It's a little "clubbier" than a golden age Lehigh but pleasant to shoot.

 

[Twisted_1in66]

I used to do custom shotgun fittings for the Orvis Company. I found that most people needed a 1/4" offset to line up their eye directly over a barrel, which is critical for a shotgun. Occasionally I'd have someone who only needed 1/8" and a couple of times had some big-headed guys who needed 1/2" offset. But that 1/4" offset worked for most people. It makes a big difference in the comfort and accuracy of shooting the gun.

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[Stumpkiller]

Years ago I came across an Ithaca/SKB 200-E (20 gauge) that fit me like a glove (three double-barrel set!) that is still my preferred upland and farm patrol "modern" shotgun. I used that stock to build my T/C New Englander kit and since gave the same measurements for the .54 flint rifle (Donelson) and 16 bore fowler (Brooks) I had built.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

A couple dozen .530 round ball
3' of bullet patching material
turnscrew/vent pick tool
punch
worm
tiny hand forged pliers
main spring vise
wood container with gun grease/bullet lube
6 spare flints and spare leather for cock jaws
powder measure
bullet board with five shots ready
bullet mold
lead ladle, and small lead piece
18th century repro compass/sundial
small handmade knife and Arkansas whetstone

LD

 

[Mickc01]

A couple dozen .530 round ball
3' of bullet patching material
turnscrew/vent pick tool
punch
worm
tiny hand forged pliers
main spring vise
wood container with gun grease/bullet lube
6 spare flints and spare leather for cock jaws
powder measure
bullet board with five shots ready
bullet mold
lead ladle, and small lead piece
18th century repro compass/sundial
small handmade knife and Arkansas whetstone

LD

Hey Dave, if you don't mind me asking, how big is your hunting bag?...Mick

 

[Black Hand]

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/302677/post/1606537/hl//fromsearch/1/

 

[Gene L]

I'm curious, Loyalist Dave, as to why you carry a mould and lead to cast bullets instead of carrying already cast bullets. Seems like that would reduce your carrying weight by a huge factor.

Sounds like you're carrying possibles in your shooting bag?

Thanks all for your replies. I carry my greased patches in a percussion cap tin. Moose milk in a ightweight bag has begun to bother me.