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Main charge hunting horn

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JackP

36 Cal.
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Messages
259
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185
I'm think about making a powder horn for my .54 cal Dickert. It will sometimes be used for while hunting and sometime target shooting. I wouldn't want it to be so large that it would be in my way too much. For those of you that hunt, What length horn would you start with for a comfortable sized horn?

Thanks
Jack
 
The amount of powder it holds also relies on the girth of the horn. But as far as comfort in the field a horn 13"-15" overall wouldn't get in the way. With a modest girth it would hold at least 30 shots for paper, less depending on hunting loads in your 54. Of course, for deer hunting you try and get it done on that one first load.
All of the above is an educated guess. How much powder a shoe would hold depends on both the style and shoe size of the shoe. Same goes for horns. All different. But 13"-15" should work.
 
I like a flat horn for hunting as it hangs close to the body under my arm. Less chance of an errant knock to give my location away. My hunting horn hold about 700 grains of 3f, which is more than I will ever need for hunting and trail walks.
 
I'm think about making a powder horn for my .54 cal Dickert. It will sometimes be used for while hunting and sometime target shooting. I wouldn't want it to be so large that it would be in my way too much. For those of you that hunt, What length horn would you start with for a comfortable sized horn?

Thanks
Jack

Jack,

What is the powder charge of your load and how much powder do you use in the pan each time? For example and I'm not saying this is what you have, but let's say your charge is 75 grains and the priming charge is 15 grains for a total of 90 grains. Take that times the maximum number of charges you would use during a target match and add say 2 or 3 more of that number for spillage and or the lock didn't go off, etc., etc. For example if the maximum number of charges you would need for a target match, before refilling your horn, is 10 shots; then thats 900 grains plus another 180 to 270 grains (2-3 charges) for a total of 1170 grains.

OK, so 1170 grains is less than 1/4 pound of powder (which is 1,750 grains) so you would only need a horn that held less than a 1/4 pound of powder. You could use clean dry sand and using your powder measure by volume, come up with the amount that would have to be held by your horn. You could bag that up in a plastic baggie and see if a horn is big enough to do what you want, when you are selecting from different horns. If you can't actually do this in person and have to order a horn, then ask for one that would hold a 1/4 of powder. Then when you get the horn, you can cut off the rear end to hold that much powder or whatever amount of black powder you actually need.

Gus
 
What kind of target shooting would you be doing? e.g. novelty targets in the woods or at a range with a loading bench. I suggest you just buy a good looking horn that you like. Then later buy a smaller horn just for hunting. A common term for such is 'day horn'. You should only need minimal extra powder on a hunting outing.
 
Gus , I guess just about any horn would work for hunting as long as it held enough powder for just a few shots, hopefully it will only take one . For target shooting powder could probably be carried in a flash. Thanks all for your thoughts.
 
My horn is 10" oal, 21/2" dia. at the butt end. I do't know how much it holds but I haven't emptied it in a session yet, not to say that I wont in the future. I don't notice it at all when I'm hunting.
Getting off subject for a second for a quick question to all. Do you empty your horn back into the can when your done? The reason I ask is that I like using FG in my smoothie with shot and FFG with PRB, FFG in my .58 & .62 rifles and FFFG in my .32 & .45 rifles so I'm thinking I need 3 horns.
 
My horn is 10" oal, 21/2" dia. at the butt end. I do't know how much it holds but I haven't emptied it in a session yet, not to say that I wont in the future. I don't notice it at all when I'm hunting.
Getting off subject for a second for a quick question to all. Do you empty your horn back into the can when your done? The reason I ask is that I like using FG in my smoothie with shot and FFG with PRB, FFG in my .58 & .62 rifles and FFFG in my .32 & .45 rifles so I'm thinking I need 3 horns.
Thanks Hinamanra, that's good info with dimensions. For your question, 3 horns wouldn't be a bad idea, emptying the horn is pretty easy as long as you remember which grade you have in it, but refilling it is just a little harder at least for me.
Thanks
Jack
 
I use several horns for several guns, along with several bags, one for each caliber. Saves you from forgetting to change out all the extras when you switch out guns. The horns I make are all air tight, so no need to empty them.
Very easy to grow the collection of bags and horns and powder measures. Cheaper than that growing collection of guns we all have.
 
Gus , I guess just about any horn would work for hunting as long as it held enough powder for just a few shots, hopefully it will only take one . For target shooting powder could probably be carried in a flash. Thanks all for your thoughts.

Jack,

I have not made a lot of horns, but in my case I tend to make them like they were made in the period of the gun for which they will be used. For most of the 18th century guns, that meant the horns are bigger than what one would need for hunting, though they hold plenty of powder for target shooting.

For deer hunting, I used one of the pistol flasks shown in the link below as it carried 2 ounces or 875 grains of powder and that was MORE than enough for a day's deer hunt. Since I usually carried my horn separate from the pouch strap, I would just slip it into my shot pouch/hunting bag and not carry my powder horn. When it got cold enough to need to use gloves, this was a very handy way to carry my powder.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/69/1/FLASK-BAG

Years later, our recently deceased forum member Brown Bear used to talk about doing the same thing with a small cow horn powder horn he also carried in his hunting pouch.

Gus
 
Jack,

I have not made a lot of horns, but in my case I tend to make them like they were made in the period of the gun for which they will be used. For most of the 18th century guns, that meant the horns are bigger than what one would need for hunting, though they hold plenty of powder for target shooting.

For deer hunting, I used one of the pistol flasks shown in the link below as it carried 2 ounces or 875 grains of powder and that was MORE than enough for a day's deer hunt. Since I usually carried my horn separate from the pouch strap, I would just slip it into my shot pouch/hunting bag and not carry my powder horn. When it got cold enough to need to use gloves, this was a very handy way to carry my powder.
https://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/69/1/FLASK-BAG

Years later, our recently deceased forum member Brown Bear used to talk about doing the same thing with a small cow horn powder horn he also carried in his hunting pouch.

Gus
Thanks Gus. Would I be correct in thinking that most 1770's horns would probably measure 12-14 on outside curve not counting stopper? I'm getting ready to order a cow horn to make my own. I really like the powder horns with a staple in the in both ends for the strap. Don't know when they were in use but I'll research that.
Thanks
Jack
 
For hunting I would use a paper cartridge. They are quick and you can carry several without having so much to keep up with. You can also put a couple of primers in the end of it so everything is in one package. For percussion at least.
 
Thanks Gus. Would I be correct in thinking that most 1770's horns would probably measure 12-14 on outside curve not counting stopper? I'm getting ready to order a cow horn to make my own. I really like the powder horns with a staple in the in both ends for the strap. Don't know when they were in use but I'll research that.
Thanks
Jack

I'm sorry, I can't verify the dimensions. Pre AWI horns and AWI period military horns were often larger than later ones, though I don't know how much smaller they got in the AWI time period for civilian use.

Gus
 
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