Newbie when to load question

[bendjoseph]

Wednesday is opening day for muzzleloader season in Connecticut. My question is when to load my gun. Should I let it sit outside and get cold? Or just load it before I leave. I have a 20 minute drive to my spot. :idunno:

 

[Claude Mathis]

I have a 20 minute drive to my spot.

Why not load it when you arrive?

 

[paul v]

I have the same situation, I load mine (minus priming) just before I leave the house. If I don't shoot, I keep it loaded, usually in a cool spot (breezeway or garage) for the next day.

 

[George]

I always load mine the evening before, at home, in the warm, case the gun and put it in the car overnight. I've never had a problem doing it that way.

Spence

 

[palonghunter]

I'm with claude on this one. Load it when you get there. There's no good reason not to do it that way that I can think of. That has always been the way I've done it.

 

[silly goose]

I'm in the load it the night before camp. I have enough to do the morning of, and can take my time and load it with love in the comfort of home. I also leave it in an unheated garage for the duration of the season, and don't discharge it until the sights are on fur, or the season ends.

 

[daniel collums]

i hunt my place most of the season and walk from the house to the woods so i load before i leave the back porch and put the cap on when i get to the woods. if i am hunting out of a tree stand i always take primer off and re-prime when i get seated. if i don't fire it that day and know i'm going back the next morning i put one of the little rubber/plastic caps over the nipple hole after taking the primer off and put it in the gun rack (unless its been raining durning my hunt then i unload and clean),if i put it in the gun rack loaded i got a red plastic cap that i put over the muzzle just to remind me its still loaded.

 

[stinkyfeet]

I burn off a few caps, or foul my flintlock, before loading. As to when to load it all depends on where I am hunting if I am sneaking in to a small area I will burn off a few then load it before I get there. If I am hunting a large area or walking in a long ways. I will burn off caps and load when I get to where I park.

 

[bendjoseph]

Thanks everyone. I am going to load the night before, and store in my jeep. Plan on emptying it an hour later! :thumbsup:

 

[hanshi]

Righteous or not I usually load my rifle the day before and sometimes several days before I go out and leave it in the house. In all these years it's never caused a problem. If your gun likes you it will always be loyal.