Photo Curtesy of "The Complete Black Powder Handbook By Sam Fadala.
This may be okay for shooting on the range, but it is a little too low for using in the woods.
The only way you can judge is to try the pouch out. Can you get your hand into the pouch easily? My youngest son's shot pouch is much larger than mine, so it can be worn higher if he wishes. This shot pouch was originally designed for use with a Brown Bess musket. Smoothbore shot pouches tended to be larger because they had a little more to carry. The smoothbore can use round ball, swan shot (buckshot) or bird shot, or any combination of two of these. Kaelem uses this pouch now with a .32 cal flintlock rifle, so he has plenty of room inside.
Kaelem's Shot Pouch.
My shot pouch in comparrison is much smaller, even though it is designed for use with my .62 cal fusil. But I like a small pouch, and I have got used to it over the years and can find anything I need by touch. I carry my pouch as high as I can and still be able to get my hand inside.
The Author's Shot Pouch.
Author's Powder Horn.
Here you can see that my shot pouch rides high on my hip. Any higher & I can't comfortably get my hand inside. The powder horn you can just see under my arm, and it rides high above my shot pouch. Both are easily kept under controle when stooping or running as can be seen from the following video.
The 18th Century Shot Pouch.
I think you're right about wearing things as high and tight as REASONABLY possible. I've had hunting pouches and even loose clothing snag limbs more than once!
ReplyDeleteGood post Keith...
ReplyDeleteGents, the height of carry I advocate is so that the top of the pouch is just sitting on the floating ribs, slightly forward onto the chest, that way I can just slip my hand in and get what I need... admitedly it is a habit I have carried over from the Military where I wore an assault vest rather than conventional belt webbing... also my pouch is quite small so it sits neatly in this poistion and reaches just below my belt line, so that when I'm walking or running it won't bounce on my legs or get in the way when I'm climbing over obstacles...
Karl