Fowler gear

[foresterdj]

My winter project is a Kibler fowler. I have never used a Fowler before. My question is to those who hunt with their fowler.

What do you carry and how do you organize it for efficient reloading?

For my rifles, and most of this would apply I am sure, I carry a few cleaning patches, a tin with jags, worm, ball puller and a couple spare flints. Powder measure, small priming horn a vent pick and a screw driver. Of course also a powder horn, and round balls and patches. When deer hunting I will have some of the little tubes with pre measured charge and a loading block with patched round balls.

To this the Fowler seems to add a variety of cards and wads some lubed some dry. Seems like hunting bag starting to get a confusing bunch of items in it to pull out in proper order for reloading.

So, what do you carry for Fowler hunting and how do you carry it?

[Pukka Bundook]

All very simple.
Wads in lower weskit pocket, caps in top weskit pocket,
Bit of copper wire attached to buttonhole.  (to prick nipple or touchhole)
a short turnscrew in a side pocket.
Powder flask with measure and fireproof top in a jacket side pocket with a flap to keepsparks out.
couple of flints in waistcoat other side top pocket if flint required.
The ramrod should have a cap that unscrews to reveal a worm for cleaning with tow, or pulling a charge.
on older guns, a bare tow worm was often on the other end of the rammer.

a couple of shot chargers could be carried in another pocket carrying a different size to the shot flask.
(See other photo)

[Tony N]

All very simple.
Wads in lower weskit pocket, caps in top weskit pocket,
Bit of copper wire attached to buttonhole.  (to prick nipple or touchhole)
a short turnscrew in a side pocket.
Powder flask with measure and fireproof top in a jacket side pocket with a flap to keepsparks out.
couple of flints in waistcoat other side top pocket if flint required.
The ramrod should have a cap that unscrews to reveal a worm for cleaning with tow, or pulling a charge.
on older guns, a bare tow worm was often on the other end of the rammer.

a couple of shot chargers could be carried in another pocket carrying a different size to the shot flask.
(See other photo)

Absolutely beautiful piece!!  I could look at that all day!
Thank you for sharing

Tony

[Daryl]

Beautiful guns, Richard.
For use with shot, a shot flask as Pukka B has shown, as well as powder flask or horn with a measure.
As far as wads, only the thin over shot "B" wads are needed, especially with a gun with no choke.
Pour powder as normal, press 2 or 3 thin "B" wads into the muzzle and push down 2" with a short starter.
Pour shot from measure (same as powder) onto the wads. Press into the muzzle another wad, then push the 'works' down onto the powder.
I won a trap shoot with this loading & shooting against guns with chokes. It works, but as normal, pattern testing should be done.
For use with ball, same "outfit" as with a rifle, except the ball should be .020" to .030 smaller than the bore.

[Hungry Horse]

 I’ve done a lot of bird hunting with a tradegun in twenty gauge. My rig developed over several years is this. I made a double headed shot snake with an Irish style head on the powder snake, and an English head on the shot snake. This makes it harder to make a mistake, and gives you the safety of a removable charger for the powder (the charger should be on a lanyard or you will lose it in the field). I made a belt pouch from a cut off section of horn plugged at both ends, with a heavy leather flap with a leather loop, that slipped over a pewter button. My wads were lightly dipped on one side in melted tallow, or bear grease. Small tools and flints were carried in my pocket. Priming powder was whatever was in the main charge so no extra horn was needed. There was a lot of trial and error before I put this rig together, along with lost equipment, wet powder, and lost hunting hours. Good luck.

Hungry Horse

[foresterdj]

Could you post a picture of the belt/horn pouch? I am not picturing it well in my head from the description.

[James Rogers]

For some reason when people use a fowling piece these days thoughts of tons of items in a huge bag come to mind. Surely if one plans to use all manner of cards and wads a division of same is handy. I approach much of my shooting of 18th century guns in 18th century manner to a degree to suit myself. 
I use a small belt bag or shoulder bag and also take advantage of pockets on my clothes. The bag usually holds tow for cleaning and loading (as well as shot chargers pre-loaded with shot and powder. I also sometimes use wasp nest or rubbed brown paper for wadding. Some use paper cartridges for simple loading.  I also carry a very small priming horn so as not to have to prime from my chargers prior to loading. Sometimes a snake belt of shot and a powder horn is carried if doing a bunch of shooting.  A worm, wad puller and a few extra flints is carried in a leather wallet in the pocket.

[Justin Urbantas]

Hey James.  Could you talk more about those shot chargers? I've never seen that before.

[James Rogers]

Hey James.  Could you talk more about those shot chargers? I've never seen that before.

Mine are repops made in India and of heavier metal than the originals i have seen in either brass or iron.  They have two compartments and each end has a spring loaded lid. There are written accounts of them being ordered with fowling piece orders in the mid-atlantic colonies.

[Pukka Bundook]

Justin,
As James says, the shot chargers are double ended for double guns. normally shot of a different size could be carried in them for a different quarry.

[jbigley]

Hey James.  Could you talk more about those shot chargers? I've never seen that before.

Mine are repops made in India and of heavier metal than the originals i have seen in either brass or iron.  They have two compartments and each end has a spring loaded lid. There are written accounts of them being ordered with fowling piece orders in the mid-atlantic colonies.

Hi James--Where did you find the India-made chargers? Somewhere on line perhaps? I's like to buy a few. Thanks! -- JB

[James Rogers]

Hey James.  Could you talk more about those shot chargers? I've never seen that before.

Mine are repops made in India and of heavier metal than the originals i have seen in either brass or iron.  They have two compartments and each end has a spring loaded lid. There are written accounts of them being ordered with fowling piece orders in the mid-atlantic colonies.

Hi James--Where did you find the India-made chargers? Somewhere on line perhaps? I's like to buy a few. Thanks! -- JB

I got most of them from Jon Laubach prior to his passing. I later bought a couple more from his daughter who had his remaining stock. I dont know if any more remain.  Jon had them specially ordered IIRC and were only available thru him.
I use powder in one side and shot in the other.

[jbigley]

Thanks James. -- JB

[Pukka Bundook]

Original shot chargers do show up from time to time. 

[Justin Urbantas]

Those are really cool. Definitely handy.
 I'm packing up everything I need for our Thanksgiving shoot this weekend,  and one of the events is a shotgun shoot.  Here's most of what I pack for the fowler. The Plano box is super useful  but obviously not period correct. Holds all the 20 ga wads I need for 30 shots.

[Hungry Horse]

 I’ve discovered when bird hunting here, instead of in Britton, or Europe, where you stand in one spot and let somebody drive the birds to you, that if gear is not tied to you, it winds up as a future artifact to be dug up in a century or more. I also found the minimum amount of components is the best. That translates to no priming horn, no over shot cards, no nitro cards, and no flint wallet. I use whatever powder I’m using for my main charge in my pan. I split a cushion wad in half and dip half on one side lightly in melted tallow. The other half goes over the shot. This very rarely gives a blown pattern. I’ve found that the marginally slower priming powder eventually helps with your follow through.

Hungry Horse

[James Rogers]

I’ve discovered when bird hunting here, instead of in Britton, or Europe, where you stand in one spot and let somebody drive the birds to you, that if gear is not tied to you, it winds up as a future artifact to be dug up in a century or more. I also found the minimum amount of components is the best. That translates to no priming horn, no over shot cards, no nitro cards, and no flint wallet. I use whatever powder I’m using for my main charge in my pan. I split a cushion wad in half and dip half on one side lightly in melted tallow. The other half goes over the shot. This very rarely gives a blown pattern. I’ve found that the marginally slower priming powder eventually helps with your follow through.

Hungry Horse

When shooting commercial wads i have done the same. I roll only their sides in a beeswax tallow mixture in a shallow cookie sheet then half them.

[Pukka Bundook]

Hungry Horse,
At this time in history, in the UK by far the most game was shot walked up, Very little driven.
Walked up might mean horseback though, as vast acreages had to be covered for a decent bag!

As usual, I will also interject that in dry weather, all commercial wadding can be forgotten and ivy leaves used for wadding with no detriment to pattern or killing power.
Leaves rolled int a ball and rammed down.

[Feltwad]

Here in the UK we have a different name and meaning for types of guns  What you call a fowler here we call them game guns and range from 12 bore  down to a small bore like a 32 bore or smaller . when the  bore size is larger than 12 then they are known has fowlers  for shooting water fowl such has  ducks and geese the extra large bore size is called a punt gun. all of these types here are used  and the most popular  are the game bores of 12, 14 , and 16  for the 12 the most common load is 2.3/4 dr  of FFFg powder to 1,1/8 oz of 5,6,shot this is the most common for pheasant, partridge. red grouse. woodcock .Enclosed are images  what we cll game and fowler.
Feltwad

Game sxs percussion game gun


Flintlock game gun







Fowlers

[WKevinD]

I carry my fowler loads in a belt pouch. Powder in corked copper tubes, shot in paper cartridges, wads in a brass cap box. My fowlers a flint  so I have no need for caps but I carry a small priming horn. Good for a days hunt.
Kevin

[Hungry Horse]

 That looks pretty much like my first bird hunting outfit but I lost pretty much all of it in two pheasant hunting trips. Now everything is on a lanyard or has been left at home. I have a lot more fun when I can just watch the dogs, and not have to worry about losing something that I can’t  load my gun without.

Hungry Horse

[JBJ]

The double ended shot chargers do show up online at antiques sales. However, the prices take my breath away! I found two currently offered (two different sites in the UK). One was asking 75 pounds (US $98) for one Sykes charger and the other dealer was asking 125 pounds ( US $165) for a single charger. Leaving those bits of gear scattered around the conutry side like Hungry Horse mentioned would be troubling to say the least!

J.B.

[Pukka Bundook]

JB,
Prices are nuts these days with lots of greedy vendors.
Mine cost maybe ten quid, so say 20 dollars each at most, but that was a while ago, as in, early 80's!

Never lost any out a jacket pocket with a flap though!