Important rule I use , others have said this , Hate to see a fellow pour powder from a flask , or flask measure directly into the barrel. This could be dangerous. Recommend pouring from flask into measure , then into bore for safety. Hate to see you have an accident.
Quote from a 2016 post -
'I used to shoot lot of N-SSA black powder events and they had strict rules on loads and loading procedures. NO flasks/horns allowed, all loading from a ammo box with a leather flap that had to fall over the box when not actively loading from the box, etc. Very safe overall.
Each pre measured load was in a plastic tube with the bullet being the end cap. After firing the musket/percussion cap was left on the firearm to prevent a draft from loading from the muzzle. The pre loaded tube was withdrawn from the box, bullet pulled by hand or teeth, powder dumped into the bore from the side of the muzzle taking care to avoid having your fingers over the muzzle. Once the powder was dropped a lubed minie ball was inserted on top of the muzzle, fingers placing it in place avoiding the muzzle as best you could. Your ramrod was withdrawn from it's spot in front of your position, propped against bayonet stuck in the ground. Hold the ramrod from the sides and push/ram the ball home atop the powder charge.
Your musket brought up from the ground, hammer thumbed back to half #### and a new cap placed on the nipple. Once the sights were brought up to the target you thumbed the hammer back to full #### and took your shot.
I believe the loading sequence was derived from civil war manuals, was safe overall. I had a load of powder go off after I had dropped it in the bore and while I was placing the bullet in place on the muzzle. Got tattooed by some of the powder and most of the force was a loud 'pop' that got some folks attention but did no harm. I was told afterward that it was unusual for the load to take that long to go off as it usually did PDQ after it dropped down the bore.
Pics of the loading tubes:
540 888-3595 Winchester Sutler Page for Civil War reenactors to safely learn to load and shoot and cleaning your civil war musket and/or revolver There were others also, one being a rubber type you squeezed to get the bullet out.
The main reason behind it was SAFETY as you didn't want an occurrence if it was avoidable. That's the reason you loaded from the side of the muzzle, no body parts on front of it. No thumbing the bullet deeper into the bore, that kind of thing.
For hunting purposes there are tubes made that will also hold the cap of your choice along with the bullet and powder. Seems like a good way to have prepped rounds on your person in the field.
The times I've seen guys use a flask was to charge a revolver cylinder where there had been no rush to fire and some used to remove the cylinder and load it on a portable tool to hold the cylinder and ram the ball home when ready. Insert cylinder back into the frame and then place the caps on the nipples.'
