Which Powder Flask Should I Buy For My Muzzle Loading Gun?

What powder flask would best suit my application? As with everything, forewarned is forearmed, and it's best to have the right flask for the job. Shooting rifle, shotgun and pistol all take different flasks or spouts, and it's important to have the right one to safely and effectively shoot. Here is what to look for next time you choose a nice shiny new flask to go with that equally shiny new gun.

Shotgun Flasks

Shotgun flasks are relatively straightforward. As shotgun charges are measured in drams avoirdupois, shotgun flasks feature cylindrical measures adjustable between 2 ½ to 3 ¼ drams. As only shotgun loads are measured in drams, these are not suitable for rifle or pistol shooting, as the inaccuracy that comes in throwing a larger, more approximate amount of powder would give both an incorrect and imprecise load in either. Shotguns are much more forgiving when it comes to realizing a load for your application.

Made to original patterns, and exact replicas of original flasks of the period, our range of shotgun flasks are finished in an array of styles from polished silver to wrapped in leather. Here are a few popular flasks that we offer.

Hawksley Fluted Copper Flask
Hawksley 'Shooter Scene' Flask

Pistol & Rifle Flasks

Pistol & Rifle flasks are slightly more complicated, as they come with two styles of measures, one being an internally adjustable 'push to fill' style that is slightly more fiddly but is a 'buy once and forget' affair. The other utilizes interchangeable spouts, and a shutter mechanism. This is used by putting your finger over the mouth of the flask, upending the flask, and throwing the shutter to open/close the main compartment, giving you your measure to pour into the chamber/barrel. This system is more straight forward but a different size spout is required for each volume of powder.
Both styles may seem a bit daunting at first, but after a couple of uses it really does become second nature.

Here's everything you need to get going:
Spouts 15-120 grains.
Fill Funnel
Dog & Partridge Flask
'Club' Flask
Pedersoli Pattern Flask
Or even a traditional Horn Powder Flask for a more traditional style.

By far the most popular of this type is the Tubular flask. It has all the benefits of finely adjusting the load using the interchangeable spouts, but the bottom screws off to fill with powder, making it easier to fill and making emptying at the end of your shooting session a breeze too. It holds plenty of powder so no stopping shooting to refill a halfway through loading your gun

Tubular Powder Flask
Deluxe Tubular Flask
Alabama Tubular Flask

Hopefully you've found this guide useful, and you know what you need. If you've any more questions either telephone us on 0113 256 9163 or email [email protected].

For a full range of our reproduction powder flasks we stock, click here.

Remember, we also sell antique flasks, if you prefer the authentic historical touch, click here