left side carry of pouch and horn

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Rt hand bag, left side horn for a right handed shooter. Balls and patches in a small pocket in the bag, easy to get with rt hand...steadier hold and pour of the powder measure with rt hand.  No short starter or priming horn. I too am getting a smaller horn for hunting.

[bigbat]

AND a big plus for carrying the pouch and horn on the "off" side is safety.  Your horn is on the opposite side of the flash with your body between the two.   Also from a historic point of view. I want the pouch on my offside or weak side in case there is a knife/hawk fight in the making. Then my strong side is un emcombered.  Just som thoughts on a purely personal deal.

[AndyThomas]

 Also from a historic point of view. I want the pouch on my offside or weak side in case there is a knife/hawk fight in the making. Then my strong side is un emcombered. 

In the story in Webb's book about the Harmans, and their fight with the Indians, Mr. Harman used his pouch as a shield. Interesting point.

Andy

[sonny]

if the right handed shooter wears his horn on left side how would you prime from the same horn??....instead of lifting the rifle on right side(butt out)an priming from main horn with the double twist that points to the pan then prime.You would have to shoot,then put rifle in crook of right arm,get powder horn in left hand,pull powder measure with right hand off strap,spill powder in measure ,then pass rifle to left hand freeing up filled powder measure to pour down bore,hopefully have a bulletblock an short started in strap to load an start ball down orrrrr,you must pass gun again to fumble in bag for ball/patch with left hand.when you prime with main horn,the gun is cross cheasted to get pan on side of powderhorn.then switch back to right to shoulder the rifle......geeez seems like a lot of left right passing........what would you do if you had to lay on the ground an return fire?onw side would be under you...............help......sonny

[BrownBear]

You raise a good point about the priming, Sonny.

I'm a lefty and have schooled myself to carry the bag on the left.  But dang.  Priming a righty gun with the horn on the left is awkward, even with the left hand.  Best is to hold the gun crosswise in front of you at horn level and then prime.  It got pretty tangly when I tried it right handed with the horn on the left.  I've been tempted to separate my horn and carry it on the right, even with my bag on the left.  Best "documentation" for me for at least the horn to be on the same side as the lock, wherever else you choose to carry your bag.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I find that I am more comfortable with horn and bag on the left for shooting right handed. Being right handed I seem to handle the measure better with that hand. When loading from the bag I usually use a bullet board. The only problem I have is when trying to prime a right handed rifle with the horn on the left. Tap, Tap, Tap....nothing....Tap, Tap, Tap....pan overflowing. Those little priming flasks solve that, but it's one more thing to have to keep up with.

A tip:   When you open your horn, put your index finger over the spout, turn the horn so the opening is pointed down and shake it. hold the tip over your powder measure or pan and more your finger to determine the speed and amount of flow.... "waste not, want not"  Being out of powder from spilling it all over is a  _ _ _ _ of a thing if the bad guys are after you!!

[josephprivott]

coming into the conversation late...

I'm a lefty but do carry and shoot with right-handed stuff (yep, I gotta have all my pouches made 'specially right-handed )

[Darkhorse]

I'm lefthanded and when I started in BP back in 1976 it just seemed natural to wear the bag and horn on the left hip. I didn't have many folks to set me an example back where I lived in those days. But the horn did give a lot of problems for awhile.
I built my first powder horn when I was 24 from a skull I begged off a slaughter house. It wasn't a large horn, probably what's considered a day horn. Anyway after going through a number of bags and rifles, I still carry that old horn.
The best setup I remember had the horn tied to the bag at "just the right height" and the straps were shortened to "just the right length"
Now the horn rides on leather straps knotted at the apex to "just the right length" since I carry different bags for different calibers but use only one grade of powder, I want the horn to switch easily, hence I haven't bothered to permanently attach it to one bag.
All my bags are set up fairly close under my shoulder and the horn actually rides just above the flap. The rifle never clunks (not anymore) against the horn.
Just have to experiment a little with the setup.

[Larry Pletcher]

You raise a good point about the priming, Sonny.

I'm a lefty and have schooled myself to carry the bag on the left.  But dang.  Priming a righty gun with the horn on the left is awkward, even with the left hand. 

I messed up my right hand and lost fine motor skills.  I started carrying my bag on the left for handling small stuff and  kept the horn on my right.  I could hold the horn with my right and the measure in my left.   As my hand gradually improved I went back to bag and horn both on the right.  I'm still clumsy but getting better.  I prime from a small horn in my right side pocket.
Regards,
Pletch

[Leatherbelly]

   Taylor, you did grab the cows right side horn. On the cow, the right side horn has the left twist and fits the left side carry perfectly. I'm like Nate. I like a leftside carried horn and wear my pouch on the right. I prime from a primer horn so It matters not that the horn is leftside carry. Just my 2 bits worth.

[sonny]

leatherbelly..........it would seem that there is a lot of passing back an forth from left hand to right when loading /priming.........would it not be better to put rifle in crook of left arm,an load prime pour ,seat ball,ram down.an prime with right hand......sonny

[Leatherbelly]

 Sonny,
   Not really, at least for me. I pour with left hand into measure held in right hand and then down the barrel it goes. Whilst holding rifle with left hand I can fish around with right hand in pouch for patch and ball.(I'm right handed)My measure gets the more steady hand.Try it.
I just noticed you prime from your main horn.I don't. That would be a contorsion act with a left carry if you prime this way. I carry my primer in my pouch so not a problem for me. ...and I shoot 2f in all my long guns and priming with 2f doesn't cut her for me.

[sonny]

leatherbelly...........if horn is left side
  where is your powder measure???strap??? inside bag loose??? ,,,,sonny

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

I load just like LB. My powder measure is attached to the bag strap on the right side, where I can easily find, hold and pour with my right hand...... the left is too shaky for that....  I  can handle the horn with it fine but not the powde measure...course I never saw the reason to practice anyway cause this works fine....   Nd I prime from the horn, No problem....unless the horn spout does not have a long pointed spout..... but that is a problem from the right too.....

[Roger Fisher]

I do not favor having a bag strap hanging around my skinny shoulder, so use a bear skin belt bag on my right side Horn hangs up high under my right shoulder.

Being right handed it works best for me holding the measure in my left hand and the horn in my right.  Prime (or capper) hangs around my neck and stuck inside shirt or tucked under my belt.

[James Rogers]

I do not favor having a bag strap hanging around my skinny shoulder, so use a bear skin belt bag .....

Roger,
It appears that some 18th century men felt the same. The Lyman pouch is a belt bag and I have some 18th century images going back to the 1720's showing shooters with belt bags.
I hope to have prototypes of a couple I designed that are based off these paintings at  the Southern Longrifle Show in Williamsburg in March.

James

[sonny]

rodger.........where is the powder measure? inside the bag loose?what about your prime......inside loose?I want to make the left side horn bag carry work so bad but pouring powder into measure........short starter with left hand pick up ,and bullet with patch to the muzzle all with left hand is tough..........how can u prime cross handed?............sonny

[BrownBear]

.........how can u prime cross handed?

That's the biggest problem I have shooting right handed guns left handed.  It's the same whether priming with the main horn on your bag strap, a horn on a separate strap under your right arm, or an unattached primer.  The old right hand just isn't coordinated enough to put a little prime in that small pan.

Not a problem with lefty flinters primed left handed.  Only solution I've found is to hold the gun in my right hand, crossways in front of my body with the lock toward me, then prime left handed.  With lefty locks, everything is real convenient with both bag and horn under my left arm, with or without a separate prime horn.

[brewyak]

I shoot right handed and hang my horn and bag on my left side.  I also write and eat with my left hand, I know a bit odd.  Anyway I hold my measure with my right and pour with left.  I am always making slight adjustments with my gear and the position of which I carry it

[Mike R]

I think the high right side carry [for a right hander] of pouch & horn was popularized by Mark Baker.  Period art shows several variations and commonly shows the horn and pouch on opposite sides--of course many of these illustrations are of Indians. When I started MLing  [and before I got into living history] I wore my pouch on the left and horn on the right [right handed]--it seemed "right" and handy. After reading early Baker articles I switched to all right. But I think one can make a good argument for whatever is comfortable to each--and have period art to back you up should that "PC" question arise...

[Roger Fisher]

rodger.........where is the powder measure? inside the bag loose?what about your prime......inside loose?I want to make the left side horn bag carry work so bad but pouring powder into measure........short starter with left hand pick up ,and bullet with patch to the muzzle all with left hand is tough..........how can u prime cross handed?............sonny

Adjustable measure tucked into front interior edge of belt bag, as posted the prime (or capper) hangs around my neck and tucked into belt or shirt.  starter is in loop outside bag but covered with heavy bear hair on flap, pulled out of said loop with right hand while holding the rifle or gun with left.  Slap said starter with right hand., held with left while rifle tucked between my knees,  I handle the primer or capper with the right hand.     I hope I explained this clearly!

[flintriflesmith]

...that image could have been mirrored opposite from
the original?
TCA

If it were the signature would also be reversed.

[Leatherbelly]

leatherbelly...........if horn is left side
  where is your powder measure???strap??? inside bag loose??? ,,,,sonny

I've got my measurer on a lanyard that is attached to the pouch's strap.When not in use, I tuck it inside the bag. My primer is loose in my bag...both accessable to right hand.

[sonny]

I use a right side carry with main horn right side carry.I have a seperate cord tied around neck of powder horn to powder measure(non adjustable-as the grains throw indicator is never correct),which hangs down long enough to just fit inside edge of bag.When i grab the horn, the cord with measure comes out with it.I usw my teeth to pull horn tip off,an fill measure with left hand,horn in right.I also have a touch hole pick in wooden tip to open up touch hole before putting back in horn.....seems good!........just feel that everything hangs on right side nothing on left.It kinda weighs heavy an lop sided an should be more balanced.If i could find a way i would have everything on left side an carry gun under arm on right side..................sonny

[bdixon]

Shoot right only, but ambidextrous otherwise, carry horn and pouch on left side.