I Love tradition. However, I am not a purist. I like things to be practical to my particular needs.

In a previous post, folks were discussing their shooting bags. I am not a fan of shooting bags. I do not like things hanging or dangling from me. I hunt and walk/hike through some thick brush on occasion and the less hanging off of me the better.

I like to boil down my supplies to what is needed for each caliber or gun.

DanL

I have a (not so period correct ) plastic tool box of sufficient size to house all things needed for each caliber. I have multiples of powder measures, powder "flasks", caps or flints, and other similar needed accoutrements including small amounts of cleaning products. Each caliber has it's own tool box with said necessary associated items in it.

The boxes are well labeled, stackable and not too heavy to move around or take with me to the range or other location. They are also mostly waterproof so I can throw them on the back of my choice of transportation and not worry about a little rain.

For example, if I am shooting the .40, I grab the .40 box and gun and everything needed for the range session is there and ready.

DanL

When I go to the woods and/or hunting, I have a vest that I load up necessary items from my Caliber specific storage tool box.

Years back, I took an old very inexpensive lightweight upland hunting vest and added/sewed numerous pockets on the outside and inside.

This said vest is what I go to the woods with.

It is comfortable and fits over light or slightly heavier clothing (Alabama rarely has harshly cold weather anyway).

For Example, if I have my .62 smoothbore, I have OP wads in their pocket, over shot wads in their pocket, Shot in a shot bag in it's pocket, Shot/powder measure in it's pocket, powder flask/flat horn in it's pocket, etc., etc..

I am familiar with my vest and have trained myself as to what is in each pocket and where said pocket is located on the vest. Also, for small game, the game bag is already attached to the vest.

No rattling around, no rummaging around and no hanging/dangling items catching on brush.

This may not be suited for you or may not fit your persona, but it works for me. If there is one thing I have learned; one should do what works for him the best or fits one's level of tradition or sport.

I am not knocking anyone's choices only offering what I have found to work best for me in this hobby/sport.

DanL

Although I don't wear the period correct clothing when on the hunt I do prefer to carry all my gun tools in my shooting pouch.
I've been known to get down on my hands and knees to crawl through laurel thickets. The bag (and powder horn) has only been a very minor annoyance at those times.
At one time, however, I had a knife sheath fastened to my bag strap. While crawling through a thicket I lost the knife. So, I no longer carry a knife attached to my bag strap.
The only things in my pockets would be a folding knife, a compass, and a lighter.
At the range it is a different story. I have a wooden range box that I made myself. It holds everything I might need to keep target shooting.

To start with I'll describe my "range stuff". There, I carry too much I admit. I have a fishing tackle box I bought many years ago for a pittance. It carries staple gun, a few tools and enough other stuff to fill it up. Then there's the Samsonite bag with hat, muffs and it carries the patches, lube, ammo and such. In addition I always bring a few targets and, of course, a rifle. From car to shooting bench takes two trips and occasionally three trips.

Deer woods. About half the time I carry a shooting bag with attached horn. Otherwise I carry premeasured powder charges, balls and patches for 5 shots. All this goes into coat pockets.

For any other forays into the bush i.e. small game, just "roaming" and where more shooting is a possibility, I carry a bag/horn setup with just the bare essentials. As for hunting clothing I always wear period correct 1970s and later stuff.

OOooo! '70's! ...That far back?!

Remember "Haystack Calhoun", the professional wrestler back in the 1960's?
I was in the navy, my homeport was Charleston, South Carolina. On liberty in town, I was walking around Charleston dressed in civilian attire of blue jeans, shirt, and sneakers. Two fancy dressed pretty boy dudes started following me around. They were making comments about my clothing and laughing. I heard a reference to Haystack Calhoun.
Back in those days I could be somewhat intimidating. I turned suddenly and began walking toward them, my fists balled, and a scowl on my face.
The two fancy dudes ran away.
I still dress the same way.

Do it, "Haystack"!! You bet I remember him.

Well, I'm a card carrying "squirt". But only those who know me well are ever intimidated and these mostly my students. Because of balance issues I use a cane when I leave the house. And when I go shopping, grocery/hardware store/etc, I play the little old man card TO THE HILT! It's kinda nice for the ladies to call me sugar, sweety and so forth. And they often offer to pick up, carry or help arrange what's in my basket. I'm far from being any kind of "helpless"; it's just too much fun playing toddy.

I didn't mean to imply that I'm big as old Haystack was. I'm certainly not. Its just that back in the day I had a look about me, some called it an "evil eye", that some people found intimidating.
Back when I was 18-20 I was 6' and about 180 pounds. As I grew older I put on the fat and went up to 220. My cancer of last year brought me back down to 185. I've been watching my diet and working out to keep my weight where it is now. But, I'm an old man now and I can't intimidate anyone.
Those two pretty boys in Charleston were just making fun of my clothes, not my size. Nevertheless, some 50 years later, I still mostly dress in blue jeans.

Lol, I know what you mean...I hung up my cape with the "S" on it a few years ago....I carry a walking stick. Some might call it a shillelagh, 'specially those who know me. Women have never found me scary, but some guys, especially those who might have a reason to worry about another guy with "abilities" have been known to get nervous in my vicinity. But mostly I'm just an old has-been that enjoys being called sir, or (by women)"sugar", like Hanshi. I'm an Old Fart, aspiring to Cootdom. Lol.

When I go to the range I carry everything except the gun and range rod in a GI ammo can. I've never seriously hunted with a black powder gun except for one time, it was cold and I carried everything in jacket pockets. The M42 field jacket was good for that. As far as dressing I am the world's worst. Year round ware is abaggy fishing shirt with big pockets and the khaki baggy pants with the big pockets on the legs. I like lotsa pockets and my appearance doesn't interest me much. People tend to leave me alone.

quote:

Originally posted by Boartooth:
Lol, I know what you mean...I hung up my cape with the "S" on it a few years ago....I carry a walking stick. Some might call it a shillelagh, 'specially those who know me. Women have never found me scary, but some guys, especially those who might have a reason to worry about another guy with "abilities" have been known to get nervous in my vicinity. But mostly I'm just an old has-been that enjoys being called sir, or (by women)"sugar", like Hanshi. I'm an Old Fart, aspiring to Cootdom. Lol.

Back when I boxed I was always between 129 and 132 pounds. I'm now 140 which doesn't sound so bad until I point out it's all not in the same position as back then. I trained in a LOT of weapons, including the cane. The ones I use are fighting canes; think "livestock" canes.

It almost infuriates me - well, not really - but women smile or chuckle when I infer any expression of "malice", etc. I'm only violent while in the dojo, not otherwise.

Hanshi, that's the best way to have it. Let them think you're *just* an old fart that couldn't hurt a fly....You might actually get in one strike before the bad guy realizes he should take you seriously.

Back in the '70's when I was on a municipal police department I had a platoon sergeant who had boxed Golden Gloves as a teenager. On the side he enjoyed teaching local kids in self-defense boxing. I watched one time as three of the local "thugs" came to taunt and heckle him and offered to take him on. He offered to take on all three of them at once. Bim. Bam. Boom. All three were laid out on the floor quicker than you can read this.

Myself, I have had some training in Taekwondo, but now in old age I find Krav Maga the best option for me. Other than a CCW, of course. However, I would like to learn more about cane fighting (canefu?)

I like loading from the horn and Bag whether I'm just on an outing to my local Range, hunting, or at Rendezvous... Dangling stuff from my bag(s) don't bother me none. All my bags are laid out the same... The only time I take a Shooting Box with me is when I'm zeroing a new rifle at the Range, and I'll take it to Rendezvous to use for replenishing my bag and horn - and to clean my smoke pole's back in camp after a shooting contest.

Hey Joe, thanks for getting this thread back on track.
I, also, prefer loading from my bag when at the range even though I do have my range box with me. Better practice that way.
I don't like dangly things, however, since I often hunt in tangled brush and briars where such things can get caught and sometimes lost. I lost a favorite powder measure that way a few years ago.
I wear both my bag and powder horn on the same side, my left side since I am left-handed. I wear them high up under my arm so they don't swing around much and I can also clamp my arm down on them to keep from moving much at all.
I see so many pictures of guys with their bag hanging low on their hip. I don't believe that is historically correct as anyone who spends much time roaming the forest knows that a low hanging bag gets caught in the brush more often.
I do keep my powder measure tied on the strap of my shot bag. It doesn't have the reach to dangle far. Also, I wear a small wooden loading block on a throng around my neck. I keep it tucked inside my shirt when not in use, so it doesn't dangle at all.

Rancocas, I agree completely with you on the hunting and trekking bag & horn carry approach. I believe your words to be very accurate.

I think many of us today (including myself) we take the low carry of our bag and horn - along with the dangling items from our bag strap for granted because we know we're mostly going to be on that club firing line at Rendezvous for a limited time for "x" amount of shots - so the "dangling' of items becomes our short cut from digging into our bag to reload.

I bet there are many of us out there (including myself),,, if this were 1821 instead of 2021) we would be carrying our bag & horn just as you've described, and for the very reasons you put forth.

I'm a dangly type guy myself. But not TOO much so. The powder horn is on my right side as is my purse. It really is a purse; it came as a Tandy kit back in the middle 1980s. I was looking for a shooting bag and the store proprietor said he didn't have anything listed as such, but a lot of guys used this one purse. It looked okay so I got it and have been using it ever since.

The 70 grain powder measure is attached to the horn and sits in a small pocket I sewed to the horn strap. There is a smaller, 35 grain measure also on a thong which is tucked into the bag/purse, and an adjustable measure loose in the bottom of the bag. My knife is on my belt. Patches are in an Altoids tin which I tossed in a campfire to burn off the paint. Cow's knee, small pouch with flints, another with flannel cleaning patches and a third with the cleaning tools are likewise loose. And lastly a small bag with balls rides in the bag also. I prime from the horn so don't need another gizmo to do that.

I keep the stuff for different calibers in their ball bags, so the .45 cleaning gear pouch is in the .45 ball bag and the .50 cleaning gear pouch in the .50 ball bag. I use the same load and patches for both so don't need to change powder measures or anything else. I just need to grab the correct ball bag for the rifle I'm going to shoot, my purse and horn and I'm out the door.

During deer gun season I wear my old surveyor's vest since it's the required orange. Since it has lots of pockets I load what I need in them and leave the purse behind. I use a flask for the powder then so the horn keeps the bag company. For small game hunting and at the range I use the purse and horn.

And there you have what works for me to carry my stuff in.