So I need a shooting bag..

[strato50]

Hey all!
I find myself keeping all of my parts, flints, cleaning tools, patches and lubes in 2 old plastic candy containers... it seems I need myself a proper carrying bag!

So, what do you suggest? As it stands (and for the foreseeable future), I'll be sticking to my current 2 calibres, a .75 Bess and my .50 Kentucky.

What kind of bag and from which retailer would be suit my needs for carrying paper cartridges, my various tools & a medium powder horn?

Thanks!!

 

By my way of doing it, you don’t need A bag, you need two bags. One for each gun. If you are using the same powder in both guns you could get by with one horn.
What you put in the bag depends on personal preference. For flintlocks I include a screwdriver for changing flints ( a short piece of drill rod should work with the Bess) a short starter, priming horn, pre-lubed patching in strips to be cut at the muzzle, two or three extra flints, and a few patches for swabbing when loading starts to get difficult.
For percussion I would lose the screwdriver, and, obviously, the priming horn.
A small folding pouch that contains things like flints, ball puller, cleaning jag, etc. is a good idea. One of these days I’ll get around to making one.
In all cases but one, the balls are loose in the bottom of all the bags I have. It may not be the best method, but it works for me.
One thing I think every bag should have is a piece of steel about 1/8 X 1 ½ X 5 or so inches. Drill a hole near one end that is slightly larger in diameter than the ramrod. When the ramrod gets stuck near the breech and there isn’t enough sticking out to really get a good hold that little piece of steel will save the day. Stick the end of the rod through the hole in the steel and pull. It works every time and it takes up very little room in the bag.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Outfits like October Country, Dixie Gun Works, The Gun Works and even TVM used to carry bags of different sizes, styles and prices. You can make your own easily enough and I think even Tandys carried leather and patterns. Try Googling hunting or possible bags to find some serious bag makers with very fine and unusual bags for sale if you have the extra scheckles!

 

[tenngun]

very happy with october country,dont get a soft bag, some sell deerskin and outher soft suead skin bags that just dont work

 

[Spikebuck]

I think you ought to lay out your stuff you will want to carry, look at it and how you might want to organize it in a bag, then start looking at places that sell bags for ones of the size and number of pockets you will want to keep things sorted out the way you want. Several good places listed in a prior post. I have an October Country bag that is really nice. The Leatherman has really nice stuff. I see The Possibles Shop carries that brand: http://possibleshop.com/p-g-leatherman-pb.html Track of the Wolf is another supplier of various brands.

I have a leather one for Big Game Hunting and a Heavy Duty Canvas one for carrying stuff for shot shooting (small game, turkey, etc). The canvas one has the three small pockets on the outside front for your OP and OS wads, etc.

 

[hanshi]

Two of my bags were home made by me. The third was made by a good friend on the forum. All are rather small which I prefer. I don't always carry a bag or horn in the deer woods - I usually do in the squirrel woods, however. I'm about as likely to carry a few premeasured charges in pockets or in a bag. Seldom need a horn. Bags and horns are useful and traditional but just as often get in the way. Two bags have horns attached but not the third. I find attached horns to be more convenient than those carried separately. If you need to carry a few tools or spares you DO need a bag.

 

[Mickc01]

Not exactly retailers but I would consider contacting either T.C. Albert or Darrel Lang, two makers of truly amazing bags at surprisingly reasonable prices. Here are their websites:
http://www.thehuntingpouch.com/photoblog/ http://leatherfromthepast.blogspot.com/

 

[AZbpBurner]

Do you need a traditional-looking bag, or just something to put all your stuff into?

I have several old, small, insulated, nylon-fabric lunch coolers that are perfect. They are big enough to hold everything, yet they don't take up enough bench space at the range to get in the way. I have several for specific cap and ball revolvers, and also for particular rifles. I do have one that's a little bit bigger with a fitted 'pencil box' for flints, patches, lube and tools particular to my GPR that fits inside. It's handy when shooting both flint plus percussion on the same day; otherwise, I have separate bags that are more streamlined, when only using one rifle.

I also have powder horns filled with the particular powder needed for a specific rifle.

 

[mooman76]

I use either a canvas tool bag like the military uses or a tackle box. Too many calibers to put into one unless I want a real heavy box. Sometimes you can pick up a wooden tool box. Not pc either but kind of old timey.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I use either a canvas tool bag like the military uses or a tackle box. Too many calibers to put into one unless I want a real heavy box. Sometimes you can pick up a wooden tool box. Not pc either but kind of old timey.

I also shoot centerfire pistol, and have a couple of those canvas tool bags for .45 and .38 shooting. I like the little nylon lunch coolers, since I work a couple of short days, and usually go to the range directly after work.

It's too hot to leave powder and shooting supplies in the 160º truck parked out in the hot sun, and the little coolers with powder & primers don't give the irrationally uninformed and squeamish office drones anything to complain about.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I also have a traditional leather bag for woods carry, but it's kinda small since I seem to be a packrat with all the stuff I take to the range

 

[Stumpkiller]

My two favorites came from Calico Jack's Trading Company and Swampy.

In both cases for the same or less than a machine stitched characterless bag you can get an authentic and personable shooting bag.
http://calicojacks.freehomepage.com/catalog.html

Bag by Calico Jack. Horn by Griz

Bag by Swampy. Horn by Horner75

Swampy is currently under the weather in a big way but we can pray he rallies and gets back to making beautiful bags.

 

[Billnpatti]

If you are not needing to stay HC, you can go to an army surplus store and buy a musset bag. They are big enough to carry all the gear you want to carry including some grub, water, rain poncho, etc. without being too big.

 

[George T.]

At one time I had two but in that case you either need two of everything or try to remember to swap everything out. I now have one very good hunting/ possible bag made by our member Cutfinger. I have one very good nipple wrench , nipple pick , capper. I have a short starter for each caliber and a ball bag for each sized ball. These are by Cutfinger. When I head out I grab the ticking , balls and starter for the rifle everything else is in there.

I have bought several things from Cutfinger and they are all first class. He ships fast and there has never been a hitch. His prices are very fair.
I would check out the adds here first.

Geo. T.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I've seen a lot of Cutfinger's stuff in the Classified Ads. It all looks to be first rate quality

I suspect that the ball bag that came with a rifle, bag and accessories may be one of his.

 

[strato50]

You guys have been a great help, as always, I'm very appreciative.

I'm open to most any sort of bag really. I'll take a look through the classifieds and your other links!

I'm not a hunter so this is more of a storage and convenience thing for plinking and any range excursions I may take.

 

[Rusty_Nail]

I have a nice little shooting bag for in the woods, but for a range carry-all, and shelf storage of all of it, I went to Home Depot and bought one of the Husky 17" open canvas tool totes with the handle down the middle lengthwise.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-1...2002N11/203224201?N=c2g6Z1z0uukb#.UjRunb7D_IU

Holds everything I need; can of 2Fg, 3Fg, squirt bottle of 4Fg pan dust (all wrapped up to keep sparks away :wink: ), accessories, peanut butter jar of various parts and screws (Ya never know :grin and I can even put a pistol or two inside. And tools are readily at hand stuck in the outside pockets. Plus it doubles as storage at home for my shooting bag and horn. All my goodies to tote along where I am! :thumbsup:

And for a grand total on sale of $15.00 plus a few pennies!