You might be a redneck....

[Eterry]

I needed to go to the farm today and wanted to shoot my new to me 14 bore.

I left my shotgun bag at a friend's, and had no 14 bore wads... but necessity is the Mother of invention.

Ok..I need powder, shot, wads, caps, and measurer.

Lucky I shoot 45-70. I grabbed an empty, 70 grains max loads please! Measurer, Check.

Lucky my first CVA horn was hanging by the door, with 3fffg. Powder, Check.

I was gifted 75 rounds of 16 gauge. Ready to load 1 1/16oz loads? Shot, Check.

Wads? Hmm. How about some paper napkins from Sonic? Check.

Get to the farm, I keep caps EVERYWHERE! Grab a tin from the Dad's old gun rack. Check!

Ok, first pop a few caps, done.

Now powder, I do fill the 45-70 case about 1/2" short of full. About 60-ish grains.

Now for over powder wads.

Tamp it down good.
Now for shot, I grab a paper JC Higgins 16 gauge shell, size unknown.
Cut the top off, looks like #6. Perfect.

Ok, shot down the tube. Another Sonic napkin down the chute, Tamp for good measure.

Now for a target. On the side of the house an old Samsonite suitcase sat, way beyond use. Perfect.
Hang it from a tree. Step off 20 paces, aim, fire.

A really tight group, although close range. No holes, about a foot square.

Is this how I usually operate? No way, did it work perfectly well? Absolutely.

I reloaded, slung my horn, dropped the tin in my back pocket, 4 shells in my front pocket, the 45-70 and a bunch of napkins in the other. Walked towards my stand and a crow crossed my path, full from eating my corn. The gun went to my shoulder as on hydraulics. The bird fell at the shot.

I recall a while back someone here listed all the new equipment needed to shoot a black powder gun. It ran into the hundreds of dollars.

Maybe this will show you don't NEED an expensive capper, which I use when shooting trap. You don't NEED an adjustable measure, an old cartridge or horn will do.

I NEVER shoot trap without wads, but I would have broke a bird, cause I broke one for real, with some free napkins.

I am always on the hustle for old shotgun shells; I cut them and cannibalize the shot. Today I used cartridges for ease of carrying the shot in the field.

But NEVER THINK you can use ANY SMOKELESS POWDER IN BLACK POWDER ARMS!! I ONLY use the shot, the powder gets dumped in the yard, hulls in a bucket of water, then the trash.

Ok, bring on the criticism.

 

[TDM]

No criticism here. We’re all guilty of over complicating an age old sport.

 

[Britsmoothy]

No complaints here, just applause.

 

[Eterry]

No criticism here. We’re all guilty of over complicating an age old sport.

Yeah, I was 14 when I got my 45 CVA, and dirt Poor. I used 30-06 shells for carrying powder, and duct tape for lids. Patches and balls in my pocket, caps didn't rattle bad in your back Wrangler pocket.
I walked about 2 miles to hunt deer, the tape came off several '06 cases. Big mess.
But I soon got it together and killed this big bearded hen. Walked on air for a month.
@Britsmoothy

 

[Eterry]

Yeah, I was 14 when I got my 45 CVA, and dirt Poor. I used 30-06 shells for carrying powder, and duct tape for lids. Patches and balls in my pocket, caps didn't rattle bad in your back Wrangler pocket.
I walked about 2 miles to hunt deer, the tape came off several '06 cases. Big mess.
But I soon got it together and killed this big bearded hen. Walked on air for a month.
@Britsmoothy

View attachment 206298

Oh, the "Bag" was a fake leather purse my mom gave me. I cut the short strap and used a bridle rein. Was a hard bag, everything rattled in it

 

[TDM]

Yeah, I was 14 when I got my 45 CVA, and dirt Poor. I used 30-06 shells for carrying powder, and duct tape for lids. Patches and balls in my pocket, caps didn't rattle bad in your back Wrangler pocket.
I walked about 2 miles to hunt deer, the tape came off several '06 cases. Big mess.
But I soon got it together and killed this big bearded hen. Walked on air for a month.
@Britsmoothy

View attachment 206298

Just yesterday, I went shooting in the woods with just the very barest of equipment. It was liberating.

 

[kyron4]

Yeah, I was 14 when I got my 45 CVA, and dirt Poor. I used 30-06 shells for carrying powder, and duct tape for lids. Patches and balls in my pocket, caps didn't rattle bad in your back Wrangler pocket.
I walked about 2 miles to hunt deer, the tape came off several '06 cases. Big mess.
But I soon got it together and killed this big bearded hen. Walked on air for a month.
@Britsmoothy

View attachment 206298

I use .300 Win Mag cases capped off with a wood plug to use when hunting as a "quick load". They hold 70 grs. of FFg nicely.

 

[Eterry]

I use .300 Win Mag cases capped off with a wood plug to use when hunting as a "quick load". They hold 70 grs. of FFg nicely.

IIRC, the '06 held 60grs. That was my everything load for my CVA Kentucky. What a tack driver it was. Well, 15 year old eyes didn't hurt.

 

[SOLANCO]

I've seen hunters carrying absurd amounts of ammunition. Both ML and unmentionable guys. I can see it if you are decoying birds or shooting doves. But 25 rounds to sit in a deer stand?

 

[Britsmoothy]

Yeah, I was 14 when I got my 45 CVA, and dirt Poor. I used 30-06 shells for carrying powder, and duct tape for lids. Patches and balls in my pocket, caps didn't rattle bad in your back Wrangler pocket.
I walked about 2 miles to hunt deer, the tape came off several '06 cases. Big mess.
But I soon got it together and killed this big bearded hen. Walked on air for a month.
@Britsmoothy

View attachment 206298

That grin

 

[Jim K]

All those pictures and no picture of the crow.......

 

[BillinOregon]

Mercy sakes, are those bellbottoms y'all are wearing in the turkey photo -- and an early Toyota P/U in the background?

 

[smoothshooter]

I needed to go to the farm today and wanted to shoot my new to me 14 bore.

I left my shotgun bag at a friend's, and had no 14 bore wads... but necessity is the Mother of invention.

Ok..I need powder, shot, wads, caps, and measurer.

Lucky I shoot 45-70. I grabbed an empty, 70 grains max loads please! Measurer, Check.

Lucky my first CVA horn was hanging by the door, with 3fffg. Powder, Check.

I was gifted 75 rounds of 16 gauge. Ready to load 1 1/16oz loads? Shot, Check.

Wads? Hmm. How about some paper napkins from Sonic? Check.

Get to the farm, I keep caps EVERYWHERE! Grab a tin from the Dad's old gun rack. Check!

Ok, first pop a few caps, done.

Now powder, I do fill the 45-70 case about 1/2" short of full. About 60-ish grains.

View attachment 206283

Now for over powder wads.
View attachment 206284
Tamp it down good.
Now for shot, I grab a paper JC Higgins 16 gauge shell, size unknown.
Cut the top off, looks like #6. Perfect.

View attachment 206285View attachment 206286View attachment 206287
Ok, shot down the tube. Another Sonic napkin down the chute, Tamp for good measure.

Now for a target. On the side of the house an old Samsonite suitcase sat, way beyond use. Perfect.
Hang it from a tree. Step off 20 paces, aim, fire.

A really tight group, although close range. No holes, about a foot square.
View attachment 206289

Is this how I usually operate? No way, did it work perfectly well? Absolutely.

I reloaded, slung my horn, dropped the tin in my back pocket, 4 shells in my front pocket, the 45-70 and a bunch of napkins in the other. Walked towards my stand and a crow crossed my path, full from eating my corn. The gun went to my shoulder as on hydraulics. The bird fell at the shot.

I recall a while back someone here listed all the new equipment needed to shoot a black powder gun. It ran into the hundreds of dollars.

Maybe this will show you don't NEED an expensive capper, which I use when shooting trap. You don't NEED an adjustable measure, an old cartridge or horn will do.

I NEVER shoot trap without wads, but I would have broke a bird, cause I broke one for real, with some free napkins.

I am always on the hustle for old shotgun shells; I cut them and cannibalize the shot. Today I used cartridges for ease of carrying the shot in the field.

But NEVER THINK you can use ANY SMOKELESS POWDER IN BLACK POWDER ARMS!! I ONLY use the shot, the powder gets dumped in the yard, hulls in a bucket of water, then the trash.

Ok, bring on the criticism.

Try wax paper for wadding. Works better than any other kind of paper, and is less flammable. I suspect it makes a better gas seal too.
That is all I had to use for wadding when I was a kid shooting a .410 shotgun out of necessity.

 

[Eterry]

All those pictures and no picture of the crow.......

The crow fell in the post oaks and Briar's. We call that portion the " Dark and Bloody "
I started to go after it, then thought better. Kinda wish I had.

 

[Eterry]

Mercy sakes, are those bellbottoms y'all are wearing in the turkey photo -- and an early Toyota P/U in the background?

That's a 1976 Datsun pickup, dog box in the bed, we coon hunted almost nightly.
This was in 1981, spring season. No call, just sitting where we'd seen them before. Dad had his Ithaca 37, but I got the shot.

 

[Eterry]

Mercy sakes, are those bellbottoms y'all are wearing in the turkey photo -- and an early Toyota P/U in the background?

Yea, my aunt gave me the bellbottoms and I wouldn't dare wear them to my small country school. There You wore Wrangler or Levi's, boots or goat ropers. Cowboy hats were excepted headgear.

If you could afford it you got the biggest knife in a leather case and wore it on your belt. No one said a thing.

Most boys, and 1 girl, had a Skoal ring on their jeans.

Pickups had gun racks and most guys had a shotgun or rifle in it.

A perfectly acceptable excuse for being late to school was " the cows got out".

 

[andy52]

I've seen hunters carrying absurd amounts of ammunition. Both ML and unmentionable guys. I can see it if you are decoying birds or shooting doves. But 25 rounds to sit in a deer stand?

1 round.

 

[Eterry]

I've seen hunters carrying absurd amounts of ammunition. Both ML and unmentionable guys. I can see it if you are decoying birds or shooting doves. But 25 rounds to sit in a deer stand?

I started carrying about 50 balls, fill my horn with powder, but that got old and heavy quick.

As a young man I carried a whole box of shells. Federal sold ammo in the red belt carry thingy, most hunters used at least one. I carried both. Now when hunting big game and using unmentionables I carry what the gun holds, 2 extra rounds in my pocket for single shots.

Also used to carry a handgun. I don't do that now. I've only had one occasion to use it. Hunting public land is different, there my duty pistol goes with me.

I did take my Queen Anne hunting a couple times. I never needed it, left it at the house.

 

[SOLANCO]

"Hunting public land is different, there my duty pistol goes with me."

I will not even enter a state game land the first week of deer season. And I will not hunt state ground weekends or holidays. I survived being shot at on purpose back in the day. I did not survive to die by accident in the deer woods.

 

[Eterry]

"Hunting public land is different, there my duty pistol goes with me."

I will not even enter a state game land the first week of deer season. And I will not hunt state ground weekends or holidays. I survived being shot at on purpose back in the day. I did not survive to die by accident in the deer woods.

We walked right up to a patch, about an acre, of Ganja one day. Did an about face and got to the car, called a few on duty friends, they went down and cleaned it up. No one there, but I didn't have a bayonet for my muzzleloader.

The nearest public land is on the same county where I spent most of my LEO career. And some like to go out there and cook up a batch of meth.