[mauser06]

So....the gun is finished...I don't wanna start another yet...well...I do...but timing isn't great as fall is approaching quickly...and I wanna do more research before the next build....



I found a fella selling bison horns..he put a nice start on them...but they need finished...

I bought one and it came today....






Nice curly maple cap installed...of the horn is still pretty scaly... definitely going to take some cleaning up...


I hit or with the scraper for a bit and buffed it quickly with some wax to see what it might look like when finished....




After a bit that's what it looks like...

I hVe some scraping left to do yet...and I'm going to polish it by hand with rottenstone...


For the end, I have a brass priming valve I am thinking about using opposed to a plug...I'm used to priming with a valve and like using it...


I haven't decided if I wanna slim down the end of the horn to meet my valve, install a piece of maple I saved off my gunstock and use that between the valve and the horn, or use deer antler between the valve and horn...or even considered pouring pewter between the valve and horn...

I think any of the options could turn out very nice...


No matter what I have some work to do...

I usually wear my pan primer on my neck from a leather lace..this one might be a little too big..but maybe not..I ear a walkie talkie the same way and it's similar size and weight..we'll see...

I will post pics as I progress!

 

[tdd]

Dude, you are on the WRONG end of the state, lol.

Jacobsburg has the gunbuilding class, but also a horn class and a bag making class.

 

[mauser06]

...maybe one day! But then there is the whole work schedule in way lol....


Till then...."the hard way" it is...


I will tell ya one thing...if you wanna know what a Bison smells like....scrape the scale off a horn!! It smells like a real live Bison was down there with me lol...

I was worried about the smell...I cannot stand the smell of cutting bone and antler...I'm sure if I get to sawing on the horn that smell will come about...but scraping it..it smelled like a buffalo lol.


Matt keeps telling me before long I will be 100% traditional...dressing like an elf...I don't know if I will get THAT far...but I do love making my own stuff...I've always been a "tinker-er" and in the woods making stuff...this is all a little more advanced and practical than what I once made as a kid lol...




I need to put the rifle in the truck tomorrow....lots of hay came down in the last week...I spied my close range field being bailed over the weekend...it was a bit boring with the 22-250 last year....the flinter will be fun...and a few of the holes will take a little Kentucky windage 100-150yds away...

 

[tdd]

Matt may be right, but it'll take a while....

 

[blackpowder]

for those out chucks that are out there, I just break off 4 or 5 goldenrod stalks about 3' long and start out across the field. when I get to where I want to be, I stick them in the ground, set up my shooting sticks and wait. they usually come right back out and seem oblivious to whats going on. good luck and have fun!

 

[mauser06]

Good tactic blackpowder!


They have fairly good eye sight...but if you are careful and go slow I've walked up on many...never tried an actual stalk per se...


I'm off Monday and Tuesday...we got some rain...my favorite short field sights be prime...



Haven't touched my horn again since...

I think I'm going to fit a piece of maple off my gunstock to the horn tip...and attach the priming valve to it...the end cap is maple as well...so should look nice when finished...probably fit a couple pins into the horn and wood and do a pinned/glued joint


I know a plug is more traditional...I've always primed my pan with a valve...figure I will stick with what I know...



I'm torn between dressing like an elf and speed and ease in the field haha...powder horns...antler powder measurers etc are all awesome...

But it's so quick and easy to dump a measured charge from my rubber tubes into the bore and load my bullet and prime with a valve..

 

[tdd]

I carry a bag and horn when I hunt, BUT...

I carry a block with two patched balls in it and two RMC tubes with premeasured charges in my bag. If I don't need to reload in a hurry, I'll do so from the bag, where I have a shot pouch with balls and a baggie with greased patches. I have an antler measure I use with the horn, and I can reload just fine.

I have those two premeasured charges and balls in the loading block in case I knock one down and it's not finished, I miss and they stand there (it's sure happened a few times!), or whatever might necessitate a faster reload.

I have not gone to traditional dress, and I don't ever see myself doing it. I like to be warm, dry, and comfortable as much, or more, than the next guy, lol, and while I'm sure there are ways to accomplish that in traditional dress, I have hunting clothing already, lol.

As for priming, I bought a little priming horn from a vendor at Lewisburg. I see him there every year, and at Dixon's every year. I should know his name, but I don't. I got my loading block and powder measure from him, too.

Anyway, I used to use a brass plunger with a valve. For YEARS. I like the horn better. A lot better. I find it's a lot easier to prime rather than pressing on that plunger valve. I just pour and done.

 

[Blue Bird]

As for priming, I bought a little priming horn from a vendor at Lewisburg. I see him there every year, and at Dixon's every year. I should know his name, but I don't. I got my loading block and powder measure from him, too.

Anyway, I used to use a brass plunger with a valve. For YEARS. I like the horn better. A lot better. I find it's a lot easier to prime rather than pressing on that plunger valve. I just pour and done.

I enjoy making my own gear. I'll go to Dixon's to get ideas, then I come home and produce my own versions of loading blocks, antler tip measures etc. You'd be surprised how easy that stuff is to make and you don't need any fancy tools. Best of all is you're not paying somebody to do it. Those guys are in it for the money and charge top dollar for something that costs pennies to make trust me.

 

[tdd]

I don't know...I'd struggle a lot, while under pressure, with adrenaline, etc to pour a proper charge into a measure from a horn, then pour into the gun, etc.

The RMC tubes aren't speed loaders, they're just rubber "test tube" looking things with a rubber cap to seal them. Pull the cap, dump the charge. Seat a ball off the block and it's done. I agree one can load pretty quickly with a measure and horn, but if a deer is down and flopping, it's gonna be a lot of adrenaline and haste in the mix, at least for me it will be!

I think the tubes just take one more thing off my mind and I can just dump one in and be ready to go. Honestly, I could ditch my horn completely if I just carried a bunch of charges in the tubes, but I like having it.

As for "those guys being in it for the money," I would want to be paid for my work product, too, if I made something and offered it for sale. I don't begrudge someone with skill and knowledge I don't have the profit they ask for their work.

 

[Blue Bird]

The trick is to have your measure, and horn all on the same lanyard or close enough to hand to be able to grab each quickly. I see you're point but the time saved really isn't enough to warrant the change, I've used both methods and have only had the chance to reload at a standing deer one time in all the years I've been hunting. That time I did have the premeasured charge but I had to reach into my bag, pull it out, tear pour ram a ball etc. With a horn already on your hip, just grab pour powder into measure and dump.

 

[USAF_SP]

I used to carry a horn when I first started hunting with a Flintlock. Then decided I did not need to carry that much powder. Now I just carry 2 preloaded speed loaders with quick access and a couple old 35mm plastic film canisters with premeasured loads and patched balls in a load block in my possibles bag. Most I ever shot was three times in a day, so just figured I did not need to carry 1/4 to 1/2 pound of powder with me. I do have two horns though. One nice one I just bought a strap for at Dixon's gunfair if I decide to carry one again. I do like and admire nice powder horns