I would have added this to Mikes shot snake post, but figured I didn't want to muddy up his post with my long-winded dribble. lol
8 or 10 years ago I bought a WC Scott percussion SxS, from RudyC.
I played with it some, killed a turkey with it, then hung it on the wall.
Since day one I've been lookin for a shot snake, but I'm usually a day late and a dollar short, so have not been able to score one.
Fast forward to last fall.
I couldn't hunt with my longbows because my hands, and wrists are bone on bone. OUCH 24-7
I knew I was going to have to do something about it, so arranged to have surgery on my hand in January.
I also knew I wasn't going to be able to turkey hunt with my bow, so figured I'd dig out the old SxS smokepole.
Now I'm back to needing a shot snake. lol
I know, I could put my powder or my shot in those little plastic tubes, but that would go against the reason why I use a muzzleloader.
So, I started lookin for a shot snake again last fall with no luck.
I was talkin to Rudy a couple months ago and mentioned my dilemma.
He said that he has 2 shot snakes layin around somewhere, and he'll dig around till he find's-em.
Lo and behold, he came up with the shot snakes. lol
One was in pretty tough shape, the other a bit too modern for my taste's.
I had surgery mid-January, and was told to stay out of my shop for a month(lol), besides for the first couple weeks, all I could use were my finger tips.
Sittin around is not one of my strong suits, I have to be doin somethin.
So, I started in on the shot snakes.
First thing is to work on a design.
I knew I wanted a Shot Snake, not a shot pouch.
You have some design limits, because of the nature of the leather and pairing it up with the brass Irish heads.
I like the "belly" down look better than the "belly" up look.
I also wanted to try a couple different stitches, so went with the baseball-stitch, and the cross-stitch.
I also wanted a little stiffness in the tube itself, so left a bit of a pucker in the joint, thinkin that with time and weight the seam will spread.
Only time will tell if my theories work out or knot. lol
Normally on a cross-stitch I would flatten the leather, and that works fine with the keeper loops, but not with a seam that I'm expecting to spread.
Other than the shape of the pouch, I wanted the vintage headed pouch to be made as close to original as I could, the CVA head was made to fit.
I used a shaved vegetable tanned leather for the pouches, and straps.
As of Thursday, I'm in a splint.
Two more weeks and, I can play out in the shop again.
Looks like I got finished up right on time. lol
Jim
