Traditional Muzzleloading Association
Shooting Traditional Firearms and Weapons => General Interest => Topic started by: Steven Goselin on May 13, 2014, 07:51:43 AM
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I have only been shooting flintlocks for a month or so. Every trip to the range I learn something new. It is kind of exciting in a way, I am enjoying the newness of it all. When I was reading up on flintlocks in preparation for acquiring one it seemed like there was more info then I could digest. Several times I read the suggestion that it was prudent to have a bag for each rifle, but it really did not register for me. I kind of thought it was just a good excuse to acquire more cool stuff (which it is). Now that I have a second rifle the logic sinks in. The other day I was shooting my new .45 and I tooled up for that. This morning I decide to bring my .54. Different ball, different patch, different jag, different flint, and so on. As I switched over it occurred to me how easy it would be to miss something, get to the range and not be able to shoot. so it seems that either I bring a big box with everything for both set ups or get a second bag and equip one for each rifle. I am sure that for most folks here this lesson was learned long ago. New to me and now I do have a good excuse to get more cool stuff. LOL!
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I have a range box made from an old carpenters wood tool box. It has any ball needed for my rifles, patch material, caps, flints, cap wrenches, lubes, cleaning solvent, tools, ball starters, measures, funnels, cappers, pan chargers, and will hold 3 cans of powder. Granted it would be clumsy slung over a shoulder, but when I get to the range, if it isn't in the box, I didn't need it. ;)
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Having a bag per gun makes sense. I "shoot from the bag" regardless of whether I'm hunting or range shooting. Most of my muzzleloading friends have a separate range box they lug along for range shooting sessions or competitive shoots. Many also have a metal "range rod" they use for loading and wiping when not hunting. There's nothing wrong with either approach. For me, the bag is just simpler and is what I'm used to. Since I've become a smoothbore fan I've started keeping two bags for the one gun. One is set up for shooting round ball and the other is set up for shooting shot loads. It keeps things simple for my foggy old brain.
Storm
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I sure like the idea of keeping one bag for each gun.
And one horn for each bag.
And everything you will need for that gun in the bag.
And as part of your process, refill the horn and bag at the end of the day so you are ready to go the next time.
John
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Big smoke summed it up :toast as this is still a work in progress .
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this is still a work in progress .
It's a never ending process. As soon as I have it all squared away, a new gun follows me home and I start all over again.
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And one horn for each bag.
Maybe two horns per bag... 
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this is still a work in progress .
It's a never ending process. As soon as I have it all squared away, a new gun follows me home and I start all over again.
PD,
I thought I was the only one that happened to! :shake
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I like the idea of a shooting bag for each caliber; but I only use them out in the bush. For the range I have a large Craftsman tackle box that I bought, like new, at the Salvation Army Thrift Store. It was really cheap and I couldn't pass it up. It holds everything but my range scope and extra pair of ear muffs.
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i have a bag and horn for each long gun. i take a tackle box of tools 'n' such to the range, but only open it as the court of last resort should the gun or i get into "trouble". but for the most part, it's flinter, bag 'n' horn.
(http://i.imgur.com/WHiqUNC.jpg)
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Since I've become a smoothbore fan I've started keeping two bags for the one gun. One is set up for shooting round ball and the other is set up for shooting shot loads. It keeps things simple for my foggy old brain.
Storm
That is fine until you shoot a woods walk that has both clangers and thrown clay birds to shoot 
. For those I carry an Altoids tin with enough wads and a small shot carrier with enough shot to shoot at the birds too in my bag.
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All 3 of my rifles (a flinter plus 2 older, cap-lock CVA Hawkens) are .50 caliber which eliminates a lot of duplication of "stuff" I need to take to the rifle range with me.
I carry the important small "stuff" in an old fishing tackle box and the rest in a kinda heavy-duty knap-sack-like canvas bag with a large zipper, little rear wheels, a reinforced, flat bottom and a pair of handles with a "pulling" strap plus one of the rifles in a "hard" carrying case that I put on a smallish 2-wheel, foldable carrier with a flexible strap to hold everything on the carrier and on which I load all the stuff and usually pull it 60 yards or so to the 25/50 yard target range at the Club.
It's nuthin' fancy, but it works for me and does the job. 
Strength and Honor...
Ron T.