Cartridge Bags Old & New
If on a hunt with a shotgun as the firearm, one will most likely see a cartridge bag slung over the shoulder or attached to the belt of the hunter. Although available in many different materials and of a vast difference in quality of materials and workmanship, there is nothing that beats a cartridge bag to hold extra ammunition on a hunt.
Whether made of natural leather or modern materials, a good cartridge bag can take the wear and tear, and outright abuse, and still look good at the end of the day. Just a wipe down with a damp cloth can make even a ragged cartridge bag look shiny new again.
Cartridge bags go back throughout the whole history of firearms. There are antique cartridge bags from the American Civil War that are well worn and are fetching quite a bit of money when sold. Every war in our history had some sort of accouterments as part of the warrior’s wear. Modern materials have come a long way to be both extremely durable under harsh use but still remain able to be crafted into a piece of kit that can be proudly passed down to the next generation.
There is a statement being made by the hunter who uses a quality cartridge bag to hold the extra ammunition for his firearm. Whether that firearm be an ancient English side-by-side, a .505 Gibbs, or even a modern auto-loading 12-Gauge, the cartridge bags look great, wear great, and keep a bit of history and tradition alive in our ever changing world.
Cartridge bags have been, and continue to be, available in all shapes and sizes to conform both to the user’s tastes and to properly contain the precious cargo of extra ammunition. Though it may not be a concern to run out of 12-Gauge shells on a duck hunt, it may be of great concern to run out of cartridges while on a hunt for dangerous game. It would be a terrifying feeling to need one extra round to put down that bull elephant, only to either not know which pocket the extra cartridges are in or to not have any extra at all! A cartridge bag keeps a sufficient and ready supply in one spot. Regular use automatically trains the hand to go to the cartridge bag for a reload.
For the smaller rimfire cartridges a cartridge bag is a welcome accessory. It is fun to sit and plink away at targets with an ample supply of .22 Long Rifle cartridges snug in a cartridge bag. It is much easier to dump boxes of small rimfire ammunition into a bag and have them ready than to try and pick those same cartridges out of a tiny cardboard box when it is time to reload.
Whether you shoot small rimfire cartridges or the big .50 caliber BMG, a cartridge bag will become a welcome companion on any hunting or target shooting outing. Whether simply plinking at paper targets behind the house, or stalking big game in Africa, a cartridge bag should be along for the fun!