I got a possibles bag, how do I utilize it?

[m1garand_man]

I finally got a possibles bag. It's a single cell bag and isn't huge. I'm trying to figure out how best to utilize it so I can make fast reloads vs be scrounging around blindly for things.

Better way to ask this is how do yall keep your possibles bags organized? Do you have any pictures of your bags set up?

I don't plan on putting many tools in there, a short starter, balls and pregreased patches that I'm not sure how to store so they won't make a mess but be easy to get at.

Also what do yall do with your smaller priming horn. Mine doesn't have a staple on the cap to hang it and since the cap is finished in a scalloped manner I don't think it's supposed to have one.

[Brian cox]

Only you can determine what works best. Go out and shoot, no loading table or boxes. The shooting bag will organize itself as you gain experience. Try to carry only what you need. When I first started, my shooting bag was overloaded. After a few seasons I noticed that at the end of each season I was carrying much less. Less is more, enjoy the process of refining your hobby into an art.

[P.W.Berkuta]

I like a bag that has a extra piece of leather that divides the bag in half and a little pocket sewn in for my flints and turnscrew.

[hanshi]

When I started with muzzleloaders I had a plain, open leather bag.  Being somewhat ignorant - "ignernt" in Southern - I carried almost nothing but ball, caps and patch in mine.  I used spit for lube.  Powder was carried in a horn on a separate strap.  Didn't know what a "short starter" was and simply used the wood rod for all loading.  I also cast all the ball I used.

[rollingb]

All my "shooting" bags lack additional pockets, or any kind of "divider", and contain,... loose balls, a small tin of lubed patches (only used when hunting), and my powder measure.

My,... vent pick, patch knife, flint knapping tool, powder horn (also used for priming), and a strip of ticking for spit patches, are attached to the bag's strap.

Any "tools" such as a sight-drift, cleaning jags, small flint wallet, tow, pliers, and etc. I need for cleaning/maintaining my rifle, (or smoothbore) during a day's shooting/hunting,... are carried in a medium sized haversack on my other side.
When spending time out and about with a smoothbore, I carry my lead shot in a small horn (which for me is easier to use than a "shot-snake") and is also carried in my haversack.

If you learn to shoot strictly "from the bag" without the aid of a shooting box, shooting table, tailgate, or etc., your fingers will soon develop "eyes of their own" whenever you put your hand in the shooting bag.

I find trying to load from a shooting table, to not only be awkward and annoying, but also takes me more time, than when I'm "loading from the bag".

[Elnathan]

Remember, Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

I can tell you what NOT to do! I followed Mark Baker's lead when setting up my pouch and made a little bag for each separate component, and then layered them in the single cavity depending on how often they were used (balls and patches on top, flints, turnscrew, and cleaning patches on the bottom, etc.) After a while I've figured out that it worked for Baker because he had everything for reloading outside his bag, whereas because I didn't use a loading block I had to go through a complicated process of fishing out the patch pouch from the hunting pouch, get a precut patch out from inside its bag, return the patch pouch back and pull out the ball pouch, unstopper it, shake out a ball, restopper and return the ball pouch, all the while handing onto 1) the gun, 2) the patch, and (at the end) 3) the ball. I need three hands, and everything inside the hunting pouch gets disordered.

My own solution for the next gun, when I get it, is to make a pouch with a pocket or divider, and keep the balls loose in one area where I can just reach in and grab one, and flints, turnscrew, tow, etc., out of the way in the other. Not sure what I'll do with the patches yet. I'm going to ditch the short starter too, as I don't think they are even PC for the 18th century, and if I can't get the gun to load with the rod alone I'll put a utility knife on the back of the pouch and use the handle to start the ball (which IS documented!)

Some suggestions:

With a single pouch, unless you are using a bullet board,  I'd suggest keeping maintenance stuff in its own little bag inside the pouch, and the balls loose at the bottom, so you can just reach directly down to the bottom of you pouch and grab what you need. Measure and pick can be hung off the strap of your pouch or powderhorn, the short starter can go in the pouch or in a loop outside it.

Don't overlook the patchbox on your rifle! If you have a sliding wooden one you can store cleaning/maintenance stuff in it, if you have a hinged metal one you can store precut patches in it. It is a very, very useful feature that is sadly under-utilized these days, IMO.

See if you can do without the priming horn.

[TP]

See if you can do without the priming horn.

No reason at all to have one, use the same powder as the main charge.

[m1garand_man]

I'll have to try priming with my main charge powder.

I started using my bullet board last week and it definitely speeds things up.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

If you shoot using only your bag and horn, you will develop the hand/mind skills to automatically load your rifle without thinking about it, finding what you need in your bag easily without thought.  Think minimal.

[Joe S.]

When my girl tries to find something in her purse she usually ends up turning the darn thing upside down and doing a total dump.Told her your hauling to much gear there trooper,how much of that stuff will you actually use?After watching that scene play out over and over,light bulb went off in my head

[walks with gun]

   I carry greased pre cut patches and half a dozen balls in a old  tin Secrets  or Altoids can that gets tossed in the fire to burn the paint off,  more balls are carried in a leather ball bag underneath.   If you have a good reliable lock, you can skip the priming horn and prime with 2 or 3F powder.   On very humid or wet day's you'll find you have better luck skipping the priming powder anyway ( draws moisture like a wick and turns to slime).   Frontiersmen got by 200 years without a short starter, just use a hair smaller diameter balls or thinner patch instead.     Load from your bag every time you shoot and you will soon find out you don't need half the junk in the bag.   I have 5 long guns and use a single cavity pouch for each of them.

[Rich]

I use a small bag. It has a pocket on the inside back. If I'm at a shoot, and it is a 5 shot target, I put 5 balls in the back pocket. In the pouch are only the items needed to shoot. Loose in the bottom of the pouch is a ball puller screw, a patch worm, and a cleaning jag. At the front edge of the bag, I have a ball bag. A turn screw is kept loose in front of the ball bag. A short starter is in the corner of the bag. I have some cleaning patches and a couple of extra flints wrapped in a piece of thin leather. The thin leather has a little pouch sewn in the end to hold the flints. The cleaning patches can be pulled out of the leather like tissues, without untieing the leather. About 30 shooting patches with a thread them so they don't get scattered around the bag. It works to use the patch box for shooting patches and reload the box from the bag. If it's a 5 shot target, 5 patches go in the mouth. (I use spit patches). I sometimes use a priming horn which will be in the bag. A vent pick and powder measure hang from the strap. I carry a small piece of line that I can tie around a tree and to the ramrod if I have to pull a ball. The ramrod has a hole drilled in it at the end and a small pin holds the line. The pin is also loose in the bottom of the bag. I use the turnscrew to knap the flint. 

[smylee grouch]

And here I thought the thing was for some place to put the extra Snickers bars that don't fit in the patch box. 

[n stephenson]

If you shoot using only your bag and horn, you will develop the hand/mind skills to automatically load your rifle without thinking about it, finding what you need in your bag easily without thought.  Think minimal.

Taylor, Very good way to put it!   I have been an advocate for  bag and horn shooting for years. We jokingly say , that we can always out shoot the "tackle box" crowd , because they are too tired , from lugging all that "stuff" . Keep it simple. Nate

[Hungry Horse]

 If you have a great big shooting bag, and don’t fill it full of all kinds of junk you don’t need, you will be the first one. I have a big old shooting bag made for me by a friend that did custom leatherwork. It’s beautiful, but it’s like having a giant magnet hanging on your shoulder. You clean it all out, and get it organized, and in no time at all, it almost too heavy to pick up. I am currently making a smaller one, but am now thinking it might be too big.

  Hungry Horse

[m1garand_man]

I have a small one and it fits my short starter, bullet board tools for maintaining my lock, a small handle made from a wooden drawer knob for my ram rod and that's about it. I could throw in a hand full of balls and patches but for hunting 6 plus 1 is more than enough.  I have one of those plastic ammo cans for the range full of boxes of balls, flints patches etc. My horn holds enough powder for 30 shots and my primer for 15. I also keep a spare flint and leather in my patch box along with my bullet puller and swab

[Timber]

Here are some photos of what I carry in my shot pouch. A long with the shot pouch I use a small belt pouch.
I carry a fowler and in this photo I had paper cartridges with shot, was turkey hunting, tow for wading and extra flints and turn screw along with my hunting tags.

[Pukka Bundook]

You have piles of good advise here already, but will add a couple of things.

As mentioned, as long as your lock is good, you can prime with same powder as main charge.  Never have primed fine myself with a flintlock.
Patches;
 I tear my patch material into long strips, then cut nearly through so they are joined at one corner.  After lubing  these can be rolled up and put in the bag. the lube in my case is deer tallow and feels pretty dry, so doesn't mess things up badly.
On outside of my bag I have  a hook, and can slot a short roll of these patches on for hunting, say 4 or 6, and one can be torn off when needed.
I also carry a bullet board, so the extra patches aren't really needed .  (just there in case)

Flints, turnscrew and such go in a little pouch in the bag, as does a sewing kit and flint & steel.  Bag has a divider, and a few balls live in one side.
I never like un-stoppering & re-stoppering things.  :-).............and tins usually don't like to part with their lids when We want them to!  (Unless we use old shoe polish tins with the lever to pry lid off)

Good luck,

Richard.

[Hessian]

I know we all like gadgets and stuff but often less is more!

I sew my balls into tallow greased leather patches and keep them in a leather bag in the bottom of my shooting bag. I have a coned muzzle and they load quickly and easily and are quite accurate with no short starter. My powder measure is teathered to the bag and stuffed in also. Turnscrew and flints ride in the bottom of the bag. Easy to get to and you can determine by feel. Some people carry a patch knife on their shooting bag but since I "prepatch" I don't.
Other gun tools, a big needle does double duty as a vent pick/awl and rides in the patch box with some tow, tow worm, and 3 greased patched balls. If I have my gun I have at least 3 shots and a means to start a fire. In one end of my pach box I have poured  solid deer tallow. The rounds are embedded in it to keep them from rolling around. The tow is on the other end. Sometimes  I put a coil of waxed linen line and a couple of small fish hooks  in a small tin box in my shooting bag. This adds the ability to fish/repair gear without extra weight.
Most of this is PC/HC with documentation. I wear glasses so I can start a fire with the lenses also.
I'm old and slow but given my rifle and a knife I can survive and thrive for a few days.

[JB]

good info..  I've be practicing loading from my pouch.  Thanks for sharing what works...

[rollingb]

I know we all like gadgets and stuff but often less is more!

I sew my balls into tallow greased leather patches and keep them in a leather bag in the bottom of my shooting bag. I have a coned muzzle and they load quickly and easily and are quite accurate with no short starter. My powder measure is teathered to the bag and stuffed in also. Turnscrew and flints ride in the bottom of the bag. Easy to get to and you can determine by feel. Some people carry a patch knife on their shooting bag but since I "prepatch" I don't.
Other gun tools, a big needle does double duty as a vent pick/awl and rides in the patch box with some tow, tow worm, and 3 greased patched balls. If I have my gun I have at least 3 shots and a means to start a fire. In one end of my pach box I have poured  solid deer tallow. The rounds are embedded in it to keep them from rolling around. The tow is on the other end. Sometimes  I put a coil of waxed linen line and a couple of small fish hooks  in a small tin box in my shooting bag. This adds the ability to fish/repair gear without extra weight.
Most of this is PC/HC with documentation. I wear glasses so I can start a fire with the lenses also.
I'm old and slow but given my rifle and a knife I can survive and thrive for a few days.

Not to distract from the topic of this thread,.... but, how accurate are the "balls sewn into tallow greased leather patches", when compared to just plain ol' (un-sewn) regular pillow-ticking patched round balls at distances like 75-100 yds?

[Craig Wilcox]

My son has a part-time business making and selling rifle slings.  So when I needed a bag, he made one out of sling leather.  He made a removable part that is divided into 4 compartments, giving me plenty of room to tote things.  Works well for the range, but I need to simplify for hunting.
Most unique thing about the bag that he made is that he carved a bull elephant into the closing flap!  I doubt that my BP .45 would do much more than really anger an elephant!

[Hessian]

rollingb,
Not 100% sure of the provenence but I do remember reading that the hessian troops used the "ball sewn into patch thing" in the Rev war so it was common enough for someone to write about it. I tried it. It worked for me. It is plenty accurate enough to take critters at those ranges. Real quick reloads also.
I use chamios (goat skin, the stuff you use to dry your car.) Put a running stich around a patch, center the ball in it , cinch up the ends making a "bag." Tie a knot and leave long tails on it to dip in the tallow. Melt clean tallow. Dip the little bags in the hot tallow. Set them aside to "harden." Then trim them up with a sharp knife. It takes a little time but I have had good results. You end up with greasy leather balls that load easily. Naturally you will need to develop this load just like all the others. I use a .475 ball in my .48. The chamios really soaks up the tallow. It seals the bore good and loads quick.

When you have a single shot firearm the ability to load quickly could mean the difference between life and death in a fight. We don't have to worry so much about that these days! Most of the hostiles have been dealt with.

[rollingb]

Hessian,.... thanks for the reply, I might try wrapping a few balls and see how they shoot in a couple of my guns. 

[Gun_Nut_73]

I use the following method to determine what to put in a possibles bag:

I take the bag and my range box to the range.  I then start shooting groups of 5, at different targets and distances.  Anything I need to take out of the range box goes into the possibles bag.  After about 50-100 shots, the possibles bag will have just about everything i need.