What's in you possibles bag?

[Jay Gardner]

Rookie question:

This fall will be my first season hunting deer with a ML. I'll be carrying a .50 cal Hawken reproduction - strictly ball and patch.

What should I carry in my possibles bag when hunting?

Thanks

 

[roundball]

Well, you could get several different answers depending upon how prepared you want to be in the field if/when Murphy's Law strikes...and you didn't mention if percussion or flintlock, so pick and choose accordingly of course:

Powder, caps & capper (or priming powder & pan primer), balls & patches, cleaning patches, ramrod accessories, spare nipple & wrench,(or flints, knapping hammer,& screwdriver), nipple pick, (or vent pick), patch knife if you cut at the muzzle, small dark rag for wiping the pan, lube, muzzle mitts & nipple covers & 'cows knee' for hunting in damp weather, etc, etc, etc, and I'm sure there's more that could be considered.

I like to be prepared for most events that could occur because I don't want to have to ruin a hunt by walking out to the truck just because of some little something that happens...hope this give you an idea...good luck

 

[Jay Gardner]

It is a precussion gun.

 

[musketman]

What's in my possibles bag?
Let's take a look.
AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!
A left over tuna sandwitch from two years ago.

Ooops! Sorry, it's just my old wool gloves.

I have a roll of extra patches, nipple wrench, cleaning jag, a tin of musket caps.

If I'm taking my flintlock, I replace the nipple wrench, cleaning jag, a tin of musket caps with extra flints, a brass knapping hammer and a .75 cal cleaning jag.

I keep my round balls in another pouch.

Tip: do not carry your ball puller, cleaning jag and extra nipple in your patch box. These items will rattle and could spook a deer if it's close.

 

[Rancocas]

IN my "percussion" bag I always carry the following: 1)small leather bag containing a ball puller, worm (patch puller), nipple wrench, and a vent pick. The ball and patch puller, of course, fit the end of my ramrod. 2)small pair of pliers, with the end of one handle ground into a screwdriver blade. 3)small tin of grease, which can be used for patch lube and also rust prevention on my rifle. 4)small amount of pillow ticking patch material. 5)small leather bullet bag containing a dozen or so round balls. 6)small capper containing percussion caps 7)short starter.
Attached to the strap of my bag is a sheath containing a small patch knife.
Also attached to the bag strap is a powder measure.
When hunting, I carry a loading block around my neck which contains 2 or 3 patched round balls.

My "flintlock" bag contains almost the same things, except instead of a capper and nipple wrench, I have a couple of extra flints, and a little flint knapping hammer.

Happy hunting.

 

[Jay Gardner]

I noticed that nobody who responded mentioned anything for wetpatching. Should I carry something like Clenzoil?

Also, how much powder will you carry in the field?

 

[musketman]

I carry a full flask or powdert horn, depending on which muzzleloader I take.

I would rather have too much powder, than run out miles from anyhere.

 

[djnye]

jut put together my first flintlock shooting bag.

powderhorn w/fffg
65 gr. charger on powder horn strap
priming charger w/fffg on horn strap
small shooting pouch containng;
small container w/mink oil
small bag w/3 flints and extra jaw leather
tool pouch w/screwdriver, barrel pin drift,small cleaning brush,trigger adj. wrench,knapping tool
adj. powder measure
small bottle swabbing alcohol
small bag w/6 balls and prelubed patch cloth
12 cleaning patches
small feather
hammer stall
patch knife w/starting stud on handle w/ sheath on side of shooting pouch

in addition, i carry a compass, sandwich and small flask of blackberry brandy(medicine), and a cow's knee in my coatpockets. i swab between shots and cut my patch at the muzzle and have my bag arranged so that i can get what i need without looking in the bag.

take care, daniel

 

[Stumpkiller]

In addition to the usual suspects, I carry a little tin for the small items. Mine contains a small nipple wrench, nipple pick, two spare nipples, a patch worm, a ball puller and a cleaning jag. I used contact cement to line it with red wool felt so the small parts do not rattle. Mine is an old 2-1/2# dia. 500 count pellet tin (for air-gun pellets), but a breath mint can or musket cap tin would work just as well. If you have a painted can, like an Altoids container, you can give it an 'antiqued' look by wrapping it in paper and tossing it into a wood fire. After it cools rub it with oil. It will have a blackened, almost case hardened look. All the better for hunting. I have a bunch in different tins I use for lubed shot wads, patches, spare flints folded in a strip of patch ticking, a tinder box, the possibilities are endless. She polish tins are the best, especially the Kiwi kind with the side levers to open the tight fitting lids. I melt patch lube and pour it into these. Looks so much better than a plastic tube. This is OK in the winter for Natural Lube 1000, but it can get too runny in the summer. My old Crisco/Beeswax/Mutton Tallow mix is good year-round if I keep the bag out of the sun.

Oh yes! And in deer season I also add a web deer drag with 10 ft of line to get the deer out and a pen to fill out the kill tag.

 

[Haggis]

I carry's 'bout like most does, but I also carry's my little medicine bundle fer when I gets, hang fires, misfires, or I miss somethin'.

I just rub my smoke pole all over with the bundle, take a few breaths, 'n' sure as grease'll slick back hair it'll come to me what went wrong.

Ya cain't beat a good medicine bundle when the Manitou starts fiddlin' with your huntin' tools.