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Do any of you have the problem of identifying reloads in your vest? I write on them with sharpies, try to color code them, etc., but in the heat of battle whilst trying to defend myself from evil attacking quail, or after the hunt when my shells are loose in my vest, it becomes a challenge to remember what is what.

Suggestions?

Guest

Since I'm an*l about a few things I'm passionate about esp. hunting and fly-fishing, I find by placing the same things on a regular basis in my vests really aids me in "the heat of battle". In both my hunting and fishing vests, I always place the same items in the same pocket(s0 all of the time. I just bragged to my wife the other day that you could place me in a dark room and I knew where every item is placed in my fishing vest. I always do the same habits with my shooting vest where I will (on habit) place my #8 in my left and #7 1/2 in my right pocket. I do the similar habit with my hunting loads where I put my "lighter" shot loads in the left side and the "heavier" shot loads in my right pocket. When I hunt waterfowl, most jackets have those nice loops inside the pocket where I place my "speciality" loads. Since I'm right handed, I put my "cripple killer" loads in my left looped pocket because I don't need to be too fast getting the rounds in my gun. I place my goose loads in my right looped pocket because the geese have the habit of just dropping in on you and I need to shove shells in my gun as quickly as possible.

Hope this organizational tip helps....

I usually carry a couple of different loads in my vest. I always use a different color hull for each load. I often use the Remington black hull for a basic 1 ounce 1290 fps pheasant load. I use the green Remington hull for a basic 1-1/8 ounce #5 load at 1275 fps. Fiocchi blues are used for 1-1/4 ounce loads.

I also make sure to replace any unused loads in the correct pockets. Finally, if I'm carrying a specialty load like a spreader, a subgauge weight load, or a very heavy load, I carry them in my pants pockets to avoid accidently loading a round that won't do the job intended. Since I tend to use the Remington black hull for the light loads and spreaders, I also mark the shell base with an indelible marking pen with a code letter. I use S for spreader and 3- (shot number) for 3/4 ounce or 7- (shot number) for 7/8 ounce light loads.

Guest

While it's good to mark your shells with the appropriate ID, it always seems that the moment I take my eyes off the bird to look at my shell; something doesn't go right. If I'm keeping an eye on a crip on the water and I look at the round I'm putting in my gun; that's when the bird decides to dive and I don't know it's directions of escape. Or if I have nice flock of geese pitching into my spread and I have to take my eyes off them, I usually miss something important. I just find putting an ID on the shell is good when you place the rounds back into their respective boxes.

I try to color code them all too, but even within a certain color, say, black paper cheddites, I might have two different recipes. If I put just one kind in each vest pocket, no problem of course. I'm leaning towards paper hulls and roll crimping simply because its easy to write the load on the os card.

*Last edited by brdhnt on Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:47 am; edited 1 time in total*

I came up with a formula several years ago that has worked very well. I color code the primers and try to use different cases for different loads. For example, if I havea green primer in a green cheddite case, it is 1 ounce of # 7's. A green primer in a blue Fiocchi low-brass case is 1 1/8th ounce of # 7's.

I take a magic marker and color code the primers while they are still in the factory tray for the shot size I am loading. Then I write on the box the case and the amount of shot.

Here is what has worked for me:

Primer colors:

Black - # 8
Blue - # 71/2
Green - # 7
Purple - # 5
Red # 4

I use this system with all the gauges that I load and have found that it works very well, especially at the end of the season when you have a bunch of shells scattered in various vest pockets, shell bags etc. I can tell by the primer what shot size it is and by the case what loading it is. I've even started doing this with some factory ammo since going in and out of shell loops can wear the writing off of the side of some factory shells.

This has worked very well for me.

TMB
________
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I use different shells like some people use choke tubes. I like being able to organzine shells in my vest so that I don't have to look at the shells when reloading and keep my eye on the sky. I have used small Crown Royal bags, etc. to keep shells separated in game belts that have only two pouches. I just picked up a new lightweight vest from Orvis that has four separate compartments that I think will work out well for me next season.

Guest

I have trouble organizing my sock drawer so I have settled on carrying no more than three different loads at any given time. I start the fall with 7/8ths ounce of 7 1/2s for Quail, 1 ounce of 7s for when I don't know what I will be getting into Pheasant or Quail and 1 1/8th ounce of copper plated 6s for Pheasant (my second barrel). When the weather starts getting colder and conditions warrant it the 71/2s are replaced with 1 1/8th ounce of 5s. When I am carrying one of my older short chamber Foxes, Lefevers or Parkers I switch all shot sizes from 2 3/4 inch hulls to 2 9/16th inch rounds. For the early Prairie Grouse season I stick with 1 ounce of 7s.

Joined: 19 Feb 2008 Posts: 443

Guest

Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 184 Location: Dover-Foxcroft, ME

As a bear of very little brain, I can manage only two loadings at a time. Hence, right barrel shells go in the right pocket, left barrel............

Under barrel shells also goes in the right pocket &c....... Dunno why......suppose they should go in my boot.......

Repeaters sometimes get a right pocket shell up the pipe, and a mag tube full of left pocket loads.

But I get confused even writing about this stuff......my wife is quick to note that I'm no Rhodes Island scholar...........

Sam

Terry Imal, so how did the I can find anything in my vest blindfolded line go over with your wife? did she demand a performance or did you try to bail out?

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

I use my shell bag for skeet in addition to the vest.My loads are also based on a certain hull.The pouch is used for the two most shells used for that day while the pockets of the vest are for specialty loads--spreader,etc.I am right handed and put the hardest hitting shell on that side

Ahh hell boys why mess with the choice. Here in Iowa we got a few ditch parrots and #5's smoke'em, 10 feet or 50yds. Take your choice. But I just don't have that problem of wondering what I'm carrying in the vest or for that matter what I'm shooting. The 37 ithaca in 16ga of course is just what the doctor ordered. Wink

Charlie

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

It's easy for me, I don't reload. Laughing

So what ever the shell is that is in the pocket, that's what it is.