Greetings My Good Mucus
regarding your need for a shooting bag -
One must decide if one desires a shooting bag or "possibles bag"
The point of the shooting bag is to have everything you need for your gun in one set, ready to hand.
The shooting bag ( aka "hunting pouch" ) is small by design and intended to carry only what was needed
for the one or two day hunt: a pouch of balls, tin of caps, greased shooting patches, a few cleaning patches
and cleaning jag, lost ball screw, nipple pick, turn-screw, fire kit, patch knife, and perhaps lunch.
on the outside of this one can have the hatchet or hawk sheath and the "hunting horn" ( smaller horn for enough
powder for say 50 shots) and measure.
One usually carries other accessories not required for the care and feeding of your rifle in your pockets- we discussed those in another thread some time back, and I still owe Dave some pics....
Whilst the larger "possibles bag" is more like an over-the-shoulder haversack, intended to hold all one needs
for many days on the hunt or the trail - one would typically add a bullet mold, folding ladle, lead bar(s) , more tools such
as a hoof knife/pick (unless afoot) , pliers (if one was mechanically inclined) , spare knife, "other spares" , coffe cup or mucket, "housewife" (sewing kit), razor, soap, sinew, thread, spare cloth or leather for mending, essential medicinals, thongs, cordage, and considerably more dried trail food such as pemmican, jerky, parched corn or sofky.
The Possibles bag is supplemented by the bedroll, which is wrapped with your "waterproof" or tarp (and in which spare dry clothing & spare mocassins are carried). The bedroll is a good place to carry your rope.
here is a pair of classic, plain 19th C shooting bags
http://rockymtncollege.proboards.com/thread/480/st-louis-style-shooting-baghere is a nice plain small possibles bag
http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/50/1/BAG-CANADA-Dhere are a variety of good solid bags
http://www.possibleshop.com/p-g-terry-pb.htmlif you google
leather muzzleloader "shooting bag"
and select "images" you will find a plethora of eye-candy
yhs
prof marvel