Shooting bags - do you dress left or right?

[AZ-Robert]

How many of you shooters drape that bag on your firing side, and how many of you wear it on the "off" side?

 

[Halftail]

I'm right handed and my Possibles bag and Horn hangs on the right side.It just seems easier that way. :m2c:

 

[hobbles]

AZ-Robert
Mornin,, I am right handed so my bag is on the right and my horn is on the left,

 

[Birddog6]

I am right handed, but I taught myself to get things from the bag with my left hand. I want the bag on the left as I don't want things hanging on the possibles bag (measurer & patch knife & etc.) to mar the rifle that I carry on my right side.

:results:

 

[LRB]

I am right handed and wear my bag and horn on the left side. I hold my measure in my right hand and pour powder into it with my left then into the bore. I have seen many shooters, wearing their bag and horn on the right, do the opposite, then switch the measure to the right hand to pour into the muzzle. To my thinking, this just adds another unneeded step in loading. You are safer to some degree wearing on the left when shooting flintlock, if you shoot right handed. There is less chance of an errant spark setting your horn off if you forgot to re-plug after loading. All in all, it comes down to what is most comfortable for you. Historically, either way is correct, although the right side carry was, and still is the most common for a right handed person. Experiment and decide for yourself.

 

[2172]

left-handed, so my bag is on left, horn is on right..Hank

 

[bob1961]

I am right handed, but I taught myself to get things from the bag with my left hand. I want the bag on the left as I don't want things hanging on the possibles bag (measurer & patch knife & etc.) to mar the rifle that I carry on my right side.

:results:

birddog6 says it all.................bob

 

[Stumpkiller]

I'm right handed, wear my bag and horn on my right side. Priming occurs on the right side, and it's much easier for me to hold the rifle with my left hand and not have to reach across it to wipe the pan, "prick" the vent and prime it. I have a 15" x 15" haversack on my left, with four pewter buttons, that is 4x as large as my little hunting pouch, as well as my large rifleman's knife which I wear forward on my left hip (and occasionally a belt axe under the haversack). So, it's actually less bulky to carry my little shooting bag on the gun side. I carry a smaller knife beside my belt's buckle on my back where it won't scratch the gun.

 

[weirdjack]

I'm right handed, wear my bag and horn on my right side. Priming occurs on the right side, and it's much easier for me to hold the rifle with my left hand and not have to reach across it to wipe the pan, "prick" the vent and prime it. I have a 15" x 15" haversack on my left, with four pewter buttons, that is 4x as large as my little hunting pouch

Yep...I'm with Stumpkiller. That's pretty much how I do things.
Jack

 

[Black Hand]

I am right-handed and the bag and horn hang under the right arm. It is much easier for me to hold the gun with the left hand and use my right to do all the other stuff.
Black Hand

 

[SCATTERSHOT]

I shoot right handed, and shoot a flinter. I like everything on the left side for safety. I had a spark ignite some dribbled powder on my bag once, and although I replug my horn after every reload, it just seems safer to me to avoid the problem altogether.

 

[musketman]

Right side here as well...

 

[Stumpkiller]

Something else I notice: a lot of shooters wear their bag and horn low on the hip. I keep mine high so that I can hold it in place with my elbow when running . . . well, trotting . . . Ok, ambling in a determined fashion or ducking under brush and branches.

 

I'm right handed and wear my horn and bag on the right as well. The horn hangs just above the bag. A smaller bag on my left holds the cleaning patches and spare flints and stuff.

 

[Rebel]

Shoot right handed, with bag and horn on right side.

 

[Ridge]

I prefer it on the right, but I'm of the belief that you should keep the horn as far from the lock as possible. So being right handed I wear it on the left side.

 

[Maestro]

I'm right handed, wear my bag and horn on my right side. Priming occurs on the right side, and it's much easier for me to hold the rifle with my left hand and not have to reach across it to wipe the pan, "prick" the vent and prime it. I have a 15" x 15" haversack on my left, with four pewter buttons, that is 4x as large as my little hunting pouch

Yep...I'm with Stumpkiller. That's pretty much how I do things.
Jack

Same here... right-handed with horn & bag on right side - and just under the (well-padded) rib cage.

 

[doverdog]

I am a right-handed person, but shoot a rifle and shotgun left-handed. I wear my bag on the left side and the horn kind of high on the right. It is easier for me to use, being a natural right hander, plus, like previously mentioned, it is away from the lock and vent hole discharge.

 

[Bear Rider]

I'm ambidextrous. All my sidelock weapons are right handed, so that's how I shoot them. My bag and horn are on the left side, away from my gun and conveniently close to that of the guy to the left of me on the firing line. ::

 

[David Teague]

Something else I notice: a lot of shooters wear their bag and horn low on the hip. I keep mine high so that I can hold it in place with my elbow when running . . . well, trotting . . . Ok, ambling in a determined fashion or ducking under brush and branches.

I think it's a type of shooting thing, those who stand on a range to shot from the pouch like the longer horn and pouch straps... if your a woods runner, you wear em short. (Like in period use :thumbsup: )

I have set up gear both on the left and right in the past but my current choice is right side pouch and horn, priming horn from the neck in the center of my chest.

Cheers,

DT