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What is needed in your bag?

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I try to have what I need to run the rifle and allow me to keep it running (read flint and nipple wrench as needed).

In the patch box of my guns is what I consider the bare essentials if I had to only grab the rifle and run. A spare flint or two caps, a turn screw, and two balls and two patches.

My shot pouch is these same basics. But I do carry a bag mould and ladle…if I had to run out of camp nekked but could grab my gun and pouch I’d want to have what I needed.

If I could only grab the gun then I have three shots (assuming I could get a horn from someone either friend or foe…)
 
I have my SMR, bag , and powder horn. What should I carry in my bag to keep my rifle running when in Indian country? Pick, patch knife, what else?
Bob McBride of BlackPowderTV has a couple of videos regarding what you should carry in your shooting pouch. One is kind of humorous, and one is what he actually carries in his hunting bag.
 
Good point I forgot about my using a second mini-back pack bag. You put your non-essential for shooting stuff in it. I was always concerned about getting injured somehow out in the wilds. It might be several days before help can find you. So obviously you need something to eat water to drink.

If your cell phone works and you call for help then make darn sure you answer all incoming calls. There was a guy in Cali who made it tough for the rescuers to find him. He would not answer the phone for any calls he didn't recognize. Go figure.
“Dagnabbit! I even get spam calls out here in the wilderness!” Lol
 
I have my SMR, bag , and powder horn. What should I carry in my bag to keep my rifle running when in Indian country? Pick, patch knife, what else?
I realize @Pee Wee 's post was tongue in cheek, but it does beg the question: Are you interested in replicating what a southern frontiersman would have carried in his pouch 200 years ago, or are you asking what is recommended for a modern-day blackpowder shooter to carry, to maintain his rifle? Also, since the OP has a southern mountain rifle (SMR), does he want accouterments specific to the culture that produced that particular type of rifle, or would generic gear be adequate?

If you really want to know about what was used by authentic southern frontiersmen, you need this book:

Jim Webb Book.jpg

This was recently reprinted by the Contemporary Longrifle Association (CLA), and is a compilation of some earlier works by the author, Jim Webb. It is available through the CLA store for fifty bucks, which is not unreasonable in today's world: Sketches of Hunting Pouches Book

Realistically, people used to keep things pretty simple. Here is a pertinent quote about the Texas frontier, from Pioneer Days in the Southwest, by Goodnight, Dubbs, Hart, et al.:

Goodnight et al. p. 145.png

On the frontier, the "hunting pouch" was usually called a shot pouch or bullet pouch. Sometimes just a "pouch," if the context was clear, and I did see "hunting pouch" used one or two times in the period literature. In fairness, I did see "shot bag" one time. Some authors did mention the contents. Bullets were usually left loose in the pouch...they would gravitate to the bottom, where they were easily found. Out west, a lot of smaller items were fastened to the strap, outside of the actual pouch. This is Ruxton's description of Old Bill Williams in Life in the Far West:

“In the shoulder-belt which sustained his powder-horn and bullet-pouch were fastened the various instruments of one pursuing his mode of life. An awl, with deer-horn handle and the point defended by a case of cherry-wood carved by his own hand, hung at the back of the belt side by side with a worm for cleaning the rifle; and under this was a squat and quaint-looking bullet-mould, the handles guarded by strips of buckskin to save his fingers from burning when running balls, having for its companion a little bottle made from the point of an antelope’s horn, scraped transparent, which contained the “medicine” used in baiting the traps.” (Description of Old Bill Williams – page 144)

Jim Webb devoted an entire chapter in his book to showing the contents of actual antique southern hunting pouches he had examined. Here are a few sample pages:

Webb Book 2.jpg

Webb Book 3.jpgWebb Book 4.jpg

The images pretty consistently show a powder charger (sometimes two, with slightly different capacities), a worm or wiper, and a mould. I don't think they really did much casting at trailside, but a little "bag mould" would not take up much space, and if left in the pouch, would always be available when needed. Rifles were not always of standard calibers, and getting a new mould to cast balls for your rifle could be a problem. Mr. Webb devoted some space to knives, which he believes were normally carried on the belt. A lot of the pouches he illustrates have a wire vent or nipple pick suspended from the strap. Pouches for percussion guns usually had a tin of caps, or sometimes a little cap-horn. Mechanical cappers were evidently not used in the southern mountains. One other item which seemed pretty common, oddly enough, was a simple powder funnel. The quote from Texas (above) mentioned patch material, and spare flints for flintlock shooters. Mr. Webb also illustrated a hank of flax tow, which would have likely been carried in the pouch.

The pouches he illustrated were almost all very simple, with one compartment. I think he only showed one that had an inside pocket.

So, getting back to the original point, do you want to carry just authentic, documented kit when you are out for a day with your southern mountain rifle, or are you comfortable carrying some modern conveniences? It's up to the individual. Just for the record, I tend to carry too much.

Best regards,

Notchy Bob
 
Here’s the contents of my shooting bag for my .62 flintlock.
View attachment 173457
There is a little pocket inside the flap that holds the loose balls. There are a couple other small pockets to keep things organized.
View attachment 173459

View attachment 173460
A pocket in the back holds my pocketknife and whetstone.
View attachment 173461
Patches and ball puller are in the patch box on the rifle.
I Have That Exact Same Knife, handed down to me from my father. Found a guy online that makes an excellent leather belt sheath for it. The rest of your set up is just awesome.
 
When I go hunting, I leave the kitchen sink (sic) in my vehicle and take only essentials into the woods.

* Rifle w/ramrod
* Loaded cap dispenser
* 5 pre-loaded (powder charge for that particular gun & the projectile) speed loaders.
* Knife
* Compass
* TP ;)
Unless you are hoofing miles to your blind, the weight of your kit for still hunting is not hypercritical. But if you are walking all day, especially in rolling or steep terrain every pound off your kit is a blessing.
One other thing: Water. If you do not KNOW that there is potable water where you are going you need to bring for you AND your dog, if any. A gallon of water is over 8 pounds. As much weight as a second gun.
 
After you've done this for awhile Pee Wee, you'll discover exactly what you need in your pouch (and what you don't!). Once that happens, make a checklist and print out several copies. That way you can make certain you take what you need and leave the other stuff at home.
I made a point years ago of keeping track of what I used in the field and if I didn't use it in the previous two years it stayed home.

I haven't taken a rifle hunting in 20 years.
 
I started shooting with the Rendezvous guys. They carried "Possibles" bag. Anything you would possibly need! (I think someone already mentioned the sink.)
Getting more into history and more realistic, an article in Muzzleloader by Mark Baker put me on the right track. It is a SHOOTING pouch! The only thing that belongs in there is to service your rifle / gun for the next shot. That's it!
So I emptied out my bag and set it up to only supply the next shot. I was ready for the next woods walk shoot at rendezvous. It worked great! No fumbling through extra stuff to find what I needed. Reach in the bag, get what I need, get it loaded and SHOOT! I was moving. Then I got to a station that had no shooting required. You got points for all the extra STUFF you were carrying, jerky, Chapstick, pipe cleaners, candy bar, you name it. They must have read the same article and got quite a chuckle.
HA Ha. No extra points but I learned a lesson. Keep the extra stuff out of the bag and you will load faster with less hassle. I do it to this day. DY
 
I started shooting with the Rendezvous guys. They carried "Possibles" bag. Anything you would possibly need! (I think someone already mentioned the sink.)
Getting more into history and more realistic, an article in Muzzleloader by Mark Baker put me on the right track. It is a SHOOTING pouch! The only thing that belongs in there is to service your rifle / gun for the next shot. That's it!
So I emptied out my bag and set it up to only supply the next shot. I was ready for the next woods walk shoot at rendezvous. It worked great! No fumbling through extra stuff to find what I needed. Reach in the bag, get what I need, get it loaded and SHOOT! I was moving. Then I got to a station that had no shooting required. You got points for all the extra STUFF you were carrying, jerky, Chapstick, pipe cleaners, candy bar, you name it. They must have read the same article and got quite a chuckle.
HA Ha. No extra points but I learned a lesson. Keep the extra stuff out of the bag and you will load faster with less hassle. I do it to this day. DY
That's my thinking. I regulary carry an oilcloth bag (haversack) with all the other plunder I think I'll need/want while I'm out and about. I carry it on my left side. What's in that bag changes regulary depending on the circumstances. The contents of my shooting bag/bullet pouch seldom change.
 
Long ago, the original Hawken shop sold a very small M/L combo tool about half the size of a AA Maglite. Screws apart, came with a sturdy ring to hang it from. Nipple pick, screwdriver and nipple wrench combined. Saved several hunts. Wish I'd bought several. Nipple wrench fits two sizes.

All joking aside, as one who has responded to injured, stranded, and "dead right there" calls in woods and rivers too many times, unless you're re-enacting or similar, take a cellphone in a ziplock bag. Good friend died elk hunting when an arrow bounced off a tree in the mountains. Before cellphones. Today, he'd still be alive. Anyway..we'd hate to lose any of you.
 
I have my SMR, bag , and powder horn. What should I carry in my bag to keep my rifle running when in Indian country? Pick, patch knife, what else?
In my possibles bag, which is hung on my left side, I carry round balls, patches for loading, patches for wiping the bore periodically and spare percussion caps. This minimizes the stuff I have to dig for. Around my neck I have a patch knife, a powder measure and percussion caps on a dispenser. On my belt I have a large knife and a rifleman's pouch that holds all of the tools I might need to service the rifle in case of a malfunction. I also have a powder horn on my right side. I have tested various combinations, and this is what works best for me. --- I tried carrying everything in a possibles bag and I learned it took too much time to root around trying to find anything.
 
I started shooting with the Rendezvous guys. They carried "Possibles" bag. Anything you would possibly need! (I think someone already mentioned the sink.)
Getting more into history and more realistic, an article in Muzzleloader by Mark Baker put me on the right track. It is a SHOOTING pouch! The only thing that belongs in there is to service your rifle / gun for the next shot. That's it!
So I emptied out my bag and set it up to only supply the next shot. I was ready for the next woods walk shoot at rendezvous. It worked great! No fumbling through extra stuff to find what I needed. Reach in the bag, get what I need, get it loaded and SHOOT! I was moving. Then I got to a station that had no shooting required. You got points for all the extra STUFF you were carrying, jerky, Chapstick, pipe cleaners, candy bar, you name it. They must have read the same article and got quite a chuckle.
HA Ha. No extra points but I learned a lesson. Keep the extra stuff out of the bag and you will load faster with less hassle. I do it to this day. DY
Was there some rule that said all that other stuff some folks carry in their shot pouch, couldn't be carried on the woodswalk in another bag,,, a "possibles bag?"
 
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