How many loads do you take into the woods

Four in loading block, 25 or so in pouch and ball bag and a horn full of powder (probably a half pound or so)...

roundball said:

Gotspark said:

"...hunting deer..."

Click to expand...

A loaded rifle and 3 reloads.

1 for a possible second deer
1 to replace the reload I drop in the leaves;
1 extra spare for insurance;

Click to expand...

Doesn't that come out to 5 not 4?
1. One in rifle/gun
2.one for possible second deer.
3.one lost in leaves
4. one to replace the one lost in leaves
5.one extra spare for insurance.

Gotspark said:

Might I ask what happened with the speed loaders and why?

Click to expand...

Well, it was this past fall in our youth deer season. It was my first muzzleloader hunt, I bought these nifty little speed loaders and I figured I oughta just put my powder in and put my oily patch and ball in too. Well, when you need them the powder had packed itself into a wet powder stuff that I hadn't noticed when I needed to quickly reload after I missed a button buck and he stood there still the gun just went pop. So then to top it all off when I went back to pull the load it wouldn't budge and I wore out the threads on the puller and ball so I had to take it to a gun smith. This was a terrible day but I eventually got a deer with the muzzleloader this year. Since presidents day I have now been muzzleloading for a year.

No...think about it

dats a good question , it depends on how bad you shoot :rotf: ,but in general , I have 5 rounds all ready in my ball block to use for deer and tree rats .

My ball board holds 5 balls. If I carry balls in a little tube instead, it also holds 5 balls. Plus one loaded when I start the hunt equals six.

If a herd of deer surrounds me and I have to shoot my way out of the trap, I try to line them up to take out 2 or 3 deer at each shot.

I take 3 in the block and one for the smoke pole.Lucky to use the one.

I carry a ball bag and horn too, so whatever is in the bag...maybe 20 balls.

Gotspark said:

Just wondering how many you take out when hunting deer.

Click to expand...

I guess this begs another question, why do some take so many into the woods when you would think 3 or 4 shots on a deer hunt would be sufficient. Before anyone gets pissy, not being a smartass, just wondering is all. I myself have never seen the need to bring more than 2 or 3 extra shots. I can see where some who hunt big woods may worry about getting lost but a compass should be taking some space in your bag instead of 25 balls. :idunno:

Didn't think of it in that direction.

Click to expand...

Jist pullin yer leg!

A serious answer is "it depends". Depends on how long I'll be out and what other game is in season at the time. Out one day (deer or elk or both) and no small game anticipated, then five is plenty. If small game might be included, then 10 or fifteen shots.

How long out for big game does not call for more shots cause only so many shots will be taken at big game. Unless I'm doing stupid things, I can take a deer and an elk with five shots or less (but have never done it :redface: ). How long out might require a few more shots for small game though.

It's no big thing for me. Last time I hunted big game, my shooting bag was still loaded heavily from a match where I must have had patch and ball for 25 shots left in the bag. So, that's what I went with. :haha:

The reason most shooters carry more than they really need is Indifference. They simply have not thought about why they are carrying so much stuff!

It took a few bad days in the field, with long treks back to the car in rain, or driving winds, or snow and ice to make you slip and fall before I began to take a serious inventory of all the stuff I had in my hunting pouch I never HAD USED in previous hunts.


Even when I began removing " Stuff", I erred on the side of caution. I can laugh about it now, but Inside my head was this voice telling me that I MIGHT need more "Stuff" this time. :shocked2: :rotf: :idunno: :thumbsup:

I have a ballboard which can carry 5 PRB and I use these possibility. My powder is stored in papercartridges. I normally need only one charge and ball, but when hunting roedder there is a good chance for getting more than one from the same stand.

Regards

Kirrmeister

More than 3 but less than 12.First time out muzzleloading took 3 loads including the one in the rifle. Missed a doe with the first shot. Reloaded and shot a spike with the second shot but only spined it. Third shot didn't kill the deer so I had to walk back to the truck for another load since I forgot my knife :cursing:
Here in Maryland we have 3 weeks of muzzleloading, and 2 plus weeks of regular gun season. I use several different muzzleloaders depending on mood or location, so I load each bag with 12 loads in tubes, 2 blocks with 6 patched balls each, a loaded capper and spare partial tin of caps. I usually put a couple tubes of powder, a loading block, and a capper in my jacket pockets when hunting but if I forget to put everything back in the bag and I grab a different jacket, I still have what I need the next time out. Also I dont need to replace loads that are shot or pulled during the season.

i was brought up by this say'n (if you need more than 3 shots to get your game, dont go hunting) i dont go hunting but if i did i would take 5, 1 in the smoke pole 4 extra, and 2 capers.

I take 20 or so balls and one half pound of powder and and enough patch for twice that much. I just weighed my bag,horn patch knife and rifle the whole kit weighs 11 lbs If I cant carry that all day there is something wrong

bkovire said:

i was brought up by this say'n (if you need more than 3 shots to get your game, dont go hunting) i dont go hunting but if i did i would take 5, 1 in the smoke pole 4 extra, and 2 capers.

Click to expand...

Oh I remember those days in Vermont long ago when the guys across the street from us would catch one running the wood. The shots would go on forever it seemed sometimes. :youcrazy:

I asked the question because a lot of the time I would just grab my gun and jacket and off I went. Sometimes I'd have a reload or two stuffed in a pocket or quite few times I'd find myself lucky I had the dang pan primer with me and the only shot in the gun. :haha: Drug more than a few deer up to the barn with that one shot though. :wink:

One already loaded and three extras patched in a loading block. Small day horn for both charging and priming. Flint or center fire, I never used 4 rounds in a day's deer hunting. I like to keep it light and simple. To me that's part of the challenge.

I carry a handfull of balls and loose patches in the bottom of my bag maybe 12-15 these are smaller than the ball I loaded the gun with to begin the hunt, in my haversack/shoulder bag I have two small bags of different size balls also. I try to get the experience as much as I can that was had in the past so I do not use the speed loaders and ball boards, I tried ball boards but did not find them much faster than loading out of the bag.Shooting out of a bag can be pretty quick if you spend some time with it, I am talking smoothbores here but did the same with rifles.I carry rope, food, sharpening stone, bag axe, pieces of cloth, and a variety of items in my shoulder bag and have yet to feel weighted down even when hiking for the better part of a day.

I never used 4 rounds in a day's deer hunting.

Click to expand...

I did once years ago and the boys had 3 deer to drag out. Was a nice day. :grin:

I just load my ball block up. I think it holds 6 balls. Its always good to have extra balls incase you get lost or something.