Powder horn spouts

[rollingb]

What is your favorite powder horn spout size?
I prefer a 3/8" hole in the spouts of my powder horns,.... this size doesn't take long to fill a 70-100+ grain powder measure, and since all of my horns get refilled (with powder) from the spout-end, 3/8" seems to work good for me. 

An old original horn I have, has about a 1/4" hole in the spout, but it's a "small-to-medium size" horn, and I think it was probably originally used with a small caliber rifle of maybe .32-.40 caliber,.... but it too must be filled from the spout end.

Your thoughts and preferences are appreciated. 

[Fyrstyk]

I agree with you regarding the hole size.  3/8" works well for me for the larger bores 45 caliber and up.  My two day horns for small game hunting have the 1/4" size hole, and they fill the smaller measures just fine.  Filling thru the spout has not been a problem for me, I have a small brass funnel that I use on both sized hole horns.  I just have to pour the powder slowly.

[Bigsmoke]

I have always drilled a 5/16 size hole in the tip.  Never had any complaints from the customers.
Earl Cureton drilled a 1/4" hole in his horns, but I changed to 5/16 once I started making his style horns.
On the horns that had the brass pour spout by Treso, it did have a 3/8" hole and Ffg poured like water out of it.
I always used fiddle pegs for stoppers during the last 10 years I made horns and I am not sure there was something in the company's selection that would have worked well for a 3/8 hole.  Maybe a cello peg or a bass peg???  Don't know.

John (Bigsmoke)

[rollingb]

I have always drilled a 5/16 size hole in the tip.  Never had any complaints from the customers.
Earl Cureton drilled a 1/4" hole in his horns, but I changed to 5/16 once I started making his style horns.
On the horns that had the brass pour spout by Treso, it did have a 3/8" hole and Ffg poured like water out of it.
I always used fiddle pegs for stoppers during the last 10 years I made horns and I am not sure there was something in the company's selection that would have worked well for a 3/8 hole.  Maybe a cello peg or a bass peg???  Don't know.

John (Bigsmoke)

I have a wood lath, so turning a stopper isn't a problem,.... I never thought about checking out the other "pegs" you mentioned. 

[BEAVERMAN]

I drill a 1/4" hole in the horn then use a tapered reamer to flare the hole a bit , that allows for me to turn a tapered plug with a nice snug seal.

[rollingb]

I drill a 1/4" hole in the horn then use a tapered reamer to flare the hole a bit , that allows for me to turn a tapered plug with a nice snug seal.

That is indeed the proper way to get the best seal,.... although I'm not sure the holes in powder horns made 200-300 years ago, were "tapered". (the old horn I have, doesn't have a tapered hole)

[ridjrunr]

I drill a 1/4" hole in the horn then use a tapered reamer to flare the hole a bit , that allows for me to turn a tapered plug with a nice snug seal.

That is indeed the proper way to get the best seal,.... although I'm not sure the holes in powder horns made 200-300 years ago, were "tapered". (the old horn I have, doesn't have a tapered hole)

Now im going to want to check my old horns. Curiosity has me trapped

[Ohio Joe]

When I make a horn (or Antler) for powder I use;

4fg Priming Horn & Antler - 3/16
3fg Horns - 5/16
2fg Horns - 11/32
1fg Horn - 11/32 & 3/8

[Bigsmoke]

I have always drilled a 5/16 size hole in the tip.  Never had any complaints from the customers.
Earl Cureton drilled a 1/4" hole in his horns, but I changed to 5/16 once I started making his style horns.
On the horns that had the brass pour spout by Treso, it did have a 3/8" hole and Ffg poured like water out of it.
I always used fiddle pegs for stoppers during the last 10 years I made horns and I am not sure there was something in the company's selection that would have worked well for a 3/8 hole.  Maybe a cello peg or a bass peg???  Don't know.

John (Bigsmoke)

I have a wood lath, so turning a stopper isn't a problem,.... I never thought about checking out the other "pegs" you mentioned. 

Well, sir, for the first maybe 10 years that I was making horns, I made thousands of stopper pegs.  Do you realize how much of a PITA that got to be?  When the concept of fiddle pegs kicked me in the head, man, I accepted it wholeheartedly.  And I never looked back.