AmericanLongRifles Forums
General discussion => Contemporary Accoutrements => Topic started by: Marcruger on March 31, 2015, 10:50:33 PM
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So as not to interfere with Tim's post, I am starting a new one.
Why would a right-handed person carry their horn on the right side?
I am righty, and prefer the horn on the left. My rifle doesn't bump it, I don't have to hold my carrying arm out from my body, and it leaves my right hand free to hold the measure.
I am thinking along the same lines as a modern hunter carrying his revolver on the left so as not to bang the rifle.
Left side horn carry also potentially shields the horn from the pan flash setting off the horn. Rare perhaps, but it has happened.
Best wishes, Marc
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I wear my horn on the right side with a strap of its own. This way I can carry the same horn with different bags setup for different calibers.
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I do the same. On the right side on it's own strap.
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I'm right handed and carry my horn on the right side. ( separate strap from bag ). To me it feels more comfortable.
~Tony
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I wear my horn on the right (separate strap) as well as my bag.
I do this to keep my right shoulder free from to get a proper mount. I also do it because the tip of my horn is more protected by my right arm when shooting.
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I shoot left or right but always carry my horn on the opposite side of the one I am shooting from. That's one of the reasons I like a horn without a staple and yes they do carry funny sometimes. it all depends on the horn.
Ron
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I shoot right handed ,carry my pouch on the right side and horn on the left .I have been usin original horns and they are better suited for the left side.That seems like the safer side too but thats just my opinion. Curt
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I shoot right handed and carry both my pouch and horn on the left side with my hawk through a brass ring on the bag strap. Like having all the accoutrements on the left out of the way of the rifle!
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I'm in the right handed shooter, left side carry of bag and horn camp. Works for me.
Steve
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So as not to interfere with Tim's post, I am starting a new one.
Why would a right-handed person carry their horn on the right side?
I am righty, and prefer the horn on the left. My rifle doesn't bump it, I don't have to hold my carrying arm out from my body, and it leaves my right hand free to hold the measure.
I am thinking along the same lines as a modern hunter carrying his revolver on the left so as not to bang the rifle.
Left side horn carry also potentially shields the horn from the pan flash setting off the horn. Rare perhaps, but it has happened.
Best wishes, Marc
This is personal preference. Or how the shooters learned. Looking at some of the outfits I wonder just how much time people really spend using the rifle and the horn and the pouch.
If I am hunting I wear the pouch and horn high, on horse back higher still. At matches etc lower since I am in the pouch more.
I have the horn attached to the pouch strap. I think anything else is major bother. If I were in the 18th c I would not change this. If I grab the rifle and the pouch I have everything. Separate the horn and pouch make no sense to me. But again its personal preference....
Right side BTW.
Dan
Dan
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I shoot left handed and carry my horn attached to the bag on my right side. But either way is comfortable to me, I just like less straps .
Pare-
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Just my thoughts on opposite carry, mainly relative to shooting from behind low cover. This is the only situation I can think of where a left carry, right shooter would be at a disadvantage. A right shooter is going to be lying on, or favoring his left side to shoot over low cover. The horn and bag on his left side would need to be pulled forward in front of his stomach in order to get into it easily, and would be more exposed to the pan flash, and have much less ease of shifting out of the way, than if carried on the right side. The right side carry would also allow easier access and more freedom of motion in re-loading from such a position. Those are just my thoughts, but with that said, I carry left and shoot right myself. My left hand finds things in my bag easier than my right, and I am more comfortable pouring powder into the muzzle with my right hand.
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I'm with Dphariss on this. I shoot right handed carry both the pouch and horn attached high under my right arm when hunting. That is how I learned and right side carry is what I am used to. Carrying it high is something I observed and found keep things tight and quiet.
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I shoot right handed and carry bag and horn on left side.
Typically, I have the horn suspended from the bag strap, but sometimes on a separate strap.
I usually carry the bag at about waist height, not real high or real low.
John
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I've got a problem - and they all nodded! I'm left handed and right eyed. I carry my pouch on the right side just at belt height or a little lower, and the horn on a separate strap well ABOVE the pouch. The horn ends up above my belt under my right arm where it is clamped in place by my arm while hunting. I carry my rifle usually in my left hand, but if it's my Hawken, I switch back and forth as my arms get longer. Since the first fall I hunted with it, I have added a sling, and my arms have returned to normal length.
I also have a horn I carry on the left side, because of its curve, and I do not have any problems switching back and forth.
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I shoot right handed - and carry both horn and pouch on the left side just above belt level.
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Well Taylor, I am left handed and right eyed as well, it is the only thing right about me. I shoot mostly left handed and always hunt left handed. I carry the gun in my left hand and have my bag and horn to that side as well. The weight of the gun keeps my arm lightly clamping bag and horn in place so they aren't getting caught on stuff.
Robby
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Robby and Taylor, I am just the opposite, I am left eyed and right handed but thanks to Uncle Sam I learned how to shoot from either shoulder. Granted I do shoot better from the left side but it sure was awkward until I got the hang of it.
Ron
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I shoot right and carry my hunting pouch and horn separately on the right side. I carry them high under my arm to make it easier to run with and they aren't as apt to flop around and get caught on limbs.
I have had a time or two where, because of the F & I twist of the horn, I've forgotten to put the plug back in the spout after loading and realized I was dumping a little powder on the ground. If I carried it on the left side then the spout would be pointed up more and would not loose any powder if I forgot to plug it.
I think it's all a personal preference now as it probably was back 200 years ago.
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Sure is nice to see that we all agree! ;D
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Sure is nice to see that we all agree! ;D
On personal preference.
Tim C.
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I agree on personal preference. its like carrying a pouch & horn high on the hip or low.
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I have always carried everything on my right side and I shoot right handed. I think this is mainly because that's how my Dad did it. Another reason is that it seems to be easier to shoulder a rifle with the strap on my left shoulder.
Aside from personal preference is there a more HC/PC way to carry, specifically attached vs separate straps for a powder horn? I have seen several original pouches with the horns attached. I think I remember seeing some separate but can't find any pictures or documents to support this. I like some of the woven straps I have seen and thought about adding one to a powder horn. It looks good but is it traditional?
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I am right handed and shoot right handed but wear my pouch on my left shoulder. The main reason is it seems natural to get things from the pouch with the left hand. I carry my horn on my right shoulder again because it just seems more natural to hold the measure in the left hand and pour with my right. I do wear the horn high under my right arm.
I keep saying I am going to try hanging the horn from the bag straps but don't seem to ever getroundtoit!
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Don't bother, Dennis. You're doing it the right way now. ;)
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Hmm…Interresting. I am right handed and right eye dominant. I carry my hunting pouch on my right side, strap over my left shoulder. My horn hangs from the same strap but there's just enough,maybe 10", of strap on the horn, too. It seems natural for me to hold the gun with my left hand and dig in my pouch or pour powder with my right hand.
Conversely, as a carpenter, I wear my nail pouch on the left side and dig into it with my left hand. I keep my hammer on the right. Either one, the other way around would seem completely bassackwards.
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Thank God we don't all want the same women, booze, or food. Different ways of doing almost everything.
Steve
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OK!... I carry my Flat Horn in my pouch and I'm comfortable on wearing the pouch on either side!
Rick
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Both carried on the right side with a separate horn strap, right handed, right eyed. If I want to shoot 2F in them, I can easily grab a horn with 2F in it instead of the normal 3F I use for the .40 and .45. If attached to the strap, I'd have to dump the powder and re-fill.
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Gotta admit Rick. You got me there. ;D
Steve
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Makes little difference has been my experience after awhile it will be in the way either side HA HA HA ;D :D
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When I started MLing back in the 70s, I carried the pouch on right side and horn on left [I am right handed]. Thought it more convenient for loading and the horn was out of the way of the rifle when carrying it AND out of the way when shooting of any sparks that might fly towards a carelessly unplugged horn---THEN I was told by the PC historical folks that I was doing it all wrong and the horn should be carried high under the right arm....took me awhile to get used to that....but God forbid I offend any PC person in camp ;)
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Okay...Im still confused ...so with this horn, first what side of the cow did it likely come off of, the "cows" left or right...? And then what side would you likely want to carry it on?
Thanks,
tca
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Mr. Albert, To me it looks like the horn came off the left side of the cow and assuming the rings with the strap attachments don't swivel around the horn, I'd venture to say it is designed for left side carry.
Doug T.
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That particular horn came off the left side of the cow and was worn on the right side as a powder horn. The front ring/band rotates freely around the throat.
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I thought i knew the answer, went for confirmation...
got cornfused!
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im right handed and shoot from my right shoulder. i tried carrying my horn and bag so that it would hang on my left side. the biggest reason in my mind was what if some crazey freek spark from my flash pan somehow end up flying over the side,and with uncanny accuracy land in the spout of my powder horn, witch has been known to be left unplugged between shots on occasion while feverishly fighting off marauding hoards of squirrels. for a couple of reasons i changed back to right side carry. one being all my left hand,(or stupid hand) had to do was hold the powder measure still, or hold the muzzle still. my right hand,(smart hand) had to do the things that require dexterity. pouring powder into measure and tapping that last little bit without spilling everywhere, pouring into rifle without spilling. mostly things that involve not spilling. and as has been mentioned, not having a strap on my shooting shoulder. since ive figured out the squirrels arent shooting back, or at least not yet, i take the time to plug my powder horn between reloads.
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Thank God we don't all want the same women, booze, or food. Different ways of doing almost everything.
Steve
Hmmm, not so sure. Anyway, speaking for myself, food only has to be palatable, the booze legal and the women the same species as I am.
Okay, now that all the serious stuff is taken care of, back to brass tacks. I'm right eyed and right handed; but I have killed deer shooting lefty - me, not them - but right side is my comfort zone. I don't like slings on longrifles; muskets/smoothbores scream for one, however. Due to physical infirmities I have to frequently switch hands carrying the rifle. Ever since the '60s I've carried horn & bag low on the right side. It seems to never have occurred to me that that was why it swung wildly, hanging up on twigs & stuff. Fairly recently I've begun wearing the bag higher (I still plan to shorten the straps even further) so as to secure it better. There are three bags and two of them have horns attached so no decision on horn placement is needed. So far the bag/horn has habitually been worn right side, the shooting side. Finally realizing this arrangement caused fumbles, left side carry may be the answer. With right side carry pouring from the horn feels natural; but then I have to go and transfer the measure from my left hand to the right. By left carry the measure is already in the right hand. Sounds better.
Therefore, I scientifically deduced that this is correct carry (for me). The third bag and third horn are on separate straps and will be dealt with later. Just saying.
The PC agents can sometimes be real clowns. Who are they to say which carry is historically correct? Our ancestors carried their bags/horns as they pleased; same as us. Personal choice of an entire population cannot be documented. Some of these clowns are full of s___ themselves. Have a nice day.
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So far the major considerations determining where the horn is carried are: 1 safest from flash, 2 convenience/manual dexterity when loading, 3 personal peculiarities. I want to add my personal peculiarity to the 3d item. I reasoned that being right handed that when hunting I carry my gun most of the time cradled in the crook of my left arm so as to be easiest to bring the gun into action. With the left hand and arm engage in carrying the rifle, having the bag and horn on separate straps on the right where they can be controlled with the free right hand and arm going through brush works for me. Also I often don't carry a horn at all when hunting, using pre-measured charges or a flat horn carried in the bag.
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Right handed shooter, each bag has a horn attached and all contain FFg and are carried on the right side. Due to a couple of old injuries on the left side, I just do more with the right and the left holds stuff for the right. I slide the bag behind my right rib cage until needed then rotate it for easy access. Don't know how someone figures a spark is gonna get around my body when the touch hole is pointed AWAY. I am sure SOMEONE in the 1600s-1800s had a sling on their rifle and carried horn and pouch on the right side.
Yep, just to clarify, FFg in all - .40, .50 and .54. The little .32 that has not yet been given to my grandson shot FFg when his dad was shooting it, revolvers, flint pistol, shotguns and all get FFg. AND I have a sling on my half stock .54 flinter. AND I use 4F in the pan. SOMEONE did.
I agree with Hanshi, some folks just get too carried away with what they like, want others to follow suit and use their conception HC or PC to support that position.
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Robby and Taylor, I am just the opposite, I am left eyed and right handed but thanks to Uncle Sam I learned how to shoot from either shoulder. Granted I do shoot better from the left side but it sure was awkward until I got the hang of it.
Ron
I am right handed and left eye strong myself, I am unable to shoot right handed because of my double curve scoliosis makes it impossible to shoulder a rifle. :( Plus because of a dog bite near my left eye I am unable to close it without closing my right eye also.
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Another lefty with a right-dominant eye here. I have gone away from production rifles only in the last year with my new custom gun, and in doing so, delved into hunting with a bag and horn. I used a hand-me-down horn (right side, but carried it both just to see what it was like), and grabbed the cheapest bag I could find at Dixon's for the first season, with the logic that I'd hunt a season to see what I liked/didn't like and go from there.
Worked for the bag, and I got a double bag made by Eric Fleischer for this upcoming season that I love. Still flumoxed by what I want to do with the horn. Guess I'll have to shoot and shoot and shoot some more at the range and see what I come up with....
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Right hand and left eye dominant until U.S.Army. I shoot rt handed flintlocks and carry my bag on the right and horn on the left....because I can hold the powder measure steadier in my right hand and pour from the horn easily from the left hand...... tried it the other way cause I wanted the horn attached to the bag strap.... but :o I couldn't hold the measure steady in the left hand while pouring with the right..... And I needed the dexterity of my right hand to find balls and patches etc. in the bag..... Its complicated ;D ;D ;D
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I have a copy of Art DeCamp's book "Pennsylvania Horns of the Trade" and it shows many many right side carry horns, regardless if the horns were left or right horns. Guess most of our early bretheren were right handed!.....Dan
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As the guy said after his divorce "We agreed to disagree".
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I'm right handed. Shoot that way. Carry my bag on the right. I like my horn tied to the bag. I like my bag high on the right side so I can puh it back behind my right shoulder when moving around. The swamp down here is thick. The high carry keeps every thing from getting tangled in the thick. Some folks say Southerners always carried on the left side. But, original bags iI have seen are rigged for the right side pretty much as often as for the left.
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I am right handed and carry my horn on the right side with its own strap.