doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Quick loading for doubles device help.

Humpty I can get you one of these.

http://www.crootsengland.co.uk/product/byland_leather_loaders_bag/

These look like neat devices but......... aren't they a bit affectatious? Please don't anyone take offense, as I mean none, and, indeed, have never used one so probably shouldn't be passing judgement. But, being practical minded, and having shot many high volume shoots where loading fast is important, I am left with questions about any device like this.

If speed of loading is at a premium, and to spend upwards of $400 for something of this sort...., what happens when the device is exhausted of shells? Do you not have to totally stop shooting to reload it? All, except one mentioned, won't hold much over a box of shells, and that can be gone in a matter of minutes in a "warm corner". Now if you can dump in a box and they align themselves automatically with the heads outward to grab with the fingers, then you would have a real time saver.

With a shell bag, either belt or over the shoulder, one simply dumps in another box. It is very easy to learn to grab two shells and orient them in your hand so that they slip right into the chambers. I found myself doing this without looking after an hour or two of fast shooting, and catch myself doing it often on the sporting clays course and dove fields here. These devices may do that easier but, the time spent to reload them seems as if would be long.

I guess I am just very dubious about the real usefulness of such loaders. Would appreciate comments from some who actually use them, and enlightenment as to what is their niche. I can't imagine the niche to be high volume shooting.

SRH

I like mine because it is bigger than a standard speed bag and it makes my butt look smaller

Yeah they are a bit "affectatious" but so is shooting driven pheasants with a 100 year old English Sidelock.

However, the loadmasters work very well. They hold 30 shells which is plenty for one drive. They are easy to load from a speed bag when the shooting slows down or between drives. They allow the shooter ("the gun") to reload a side by side without ever looking down. Only shooting a pair with a loader is faster!

Dr. P

Guess that's why I hear that most driven shooters there are going to boxlock O/Us.

Thanks, though, for the reply. I kinda assumed they were for the breeks, flashes and tweed "go-to-hell hat" crowd. But, really, anyone who has the coordination to hit flying things with a shotgun can learn to pull two shells out of a bag by the brass, and load them without looking.

All my best, SRH

DREW, actually, I can give you directionally what would happen. Obviously, the device will add its weight to the gun weight. I will likely shift the balance backwards some. SWING efforts will not be affected much as the device is located near the center of gravity (balance point). Note that increase in SWING effort will be increased weight times distance to balance point squared.

Hope that helps some.


DDA

Salopian has more experience than me as a loader, but I'll throw in my two pennorth anyway.

Bags of this type are common on driven shoots, and are invariably carried by a loader. The Gun may be shooting with a pair or a single gun. Bear in mind that a drive can last for over half an hour so the action isn't steady and continuous, it's a mixture of slow periods and very intense interludes so speedy gun handling and loading are of great importance. Keepers and estate managers are really pleased when they present a couple of hundred high birds in a flush and some clown is fumbling about with his gun, and failing to fire.

When big numbers are expected the loader will have two bags with him, one for ready use, one for reserve. 30 cartridges aren't anywhere near enough for one drive on a big day not even near it; I've seen eight Guns take 1000 shots on some drives often enough.

Eug

Now THAT sounds like fun!

I like these things.

[img]https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...&permPage=1[/img]

I could have rationalized their use where I live for some of duck hunting. In august to September, in the Volga bottom, when you get to a shallow where the ducks feed. If you're placed well, right after sunset the birds start to come in like mosquitoes and for the next twenty minutes you can't load the gun fast enough. I tried bags and cartridge carriers, and often wished for one which would allow me to grab two at a time. 150 shells is a bit too much, however. 50 would be about right. Arguably, though, a good semi would be a more rational decision still; but I like shooting side-by-sides.

However, I have to admit I like loaders' bags simply for their aesthetic appeal. They just look cool.

Still, can't see myself paying 240 pounds for one yet, even though I'm sure it's worth the money in terms of quality.

Thanks everyone for your information and opinions. I especially enjoyed the insights into modern driven shooting.