When do you load up?

[30_06]

Right after I pull it out of the car.

[Skinman]

i know it aint "safe" hunting but i keep a shell in the chamber at all times, just keep my safety on, keeps you from forgetting and ya never know when ya might just spot one somewhere where you can hunt and set up quick and quiet

[mike103]

This issue has caused several dust-up's on 24hourcampfire.com.

Always seems to come down to a East vs West thing.

East carries guns loaded.

West waits until they see game or arrive at stand.

I carry my guns loaded.

I carry a loaded gun every day of my life.

I always get a kick out of guys who say they will never hunt with a guy with a hot chamber because of poor gun handling they have witnessed.

If a guy handled a gun poorly hot or not I'm not hanging out with the guy.

[Spring_Woods]

I put three shells in the sleeve...but I do not chamber a round until I'm setting up on bird.  If my set up fails I remove the chambered round to change locations.  My Supernova has a VERY convenient button on the forend that allows me to un-chamber a round without re-chambering another round....safety first for me.  I WILL NOT hunt with another hunter that doesn't do the same.  I've seen TO MANY guys that don't practice good gun handling.

It's called a safety. It's normally located near the trigger. Use it and you don't have to unload your gun after each setup.

I load my gun at the truck.

[new2turkey]

I put three shells in the sleeve...but I do not chamber a round until I'm setting up on bird.  If my set up fails I remove the chambered round to change locations.  My Supernova has a VERY convenient button on the forend that allows me to un-chamber a round without re-chambering another round....safety first for me.  I WILL NOT hunt with another hunter that doesn't do the same.  I've seen TO MANY guys that don't practice good gun handling.

It's called a safety. It's normally located near the trigger. Use it and you don't have to unload your gun after each setup.

I load my gun at the truck.

A safety, like any other mechanical component, can and does fail.



IMO muzzle control is everything. NOT the safety.

[longspur]

If I got a gun in my home, in my truck, or in the woods, ITS LOADED. Flip the safety, pull the trigger and it will go off. Two exceptions, cleaning and climbing tree. If you do something with an unloded gun that would be dangerious with a loaded one you don't need to have one.

[Divenut2]

I hunt public land in IL, so I can't load up for deer/turkey until 1/2 before sunrise. I usually get to my spots well before that , so I get situated, maybe eat a little snack, relax a bit and load up the minute it is legal.

[CASH]

This is my safety

[NYbassman]

Guess I am in the minority. I feel there is NO reason to have a loaded gun while walking through the woods 1.5 hours before the birds will fly down. I would like to hear a good justification for that. Now late morning hunts, yes, it is loaded at the truck and stays loaded until I return to the truck, but there is no reason to load the gun at 4 am in the pitch black before a long walk through the woods. JMO.

[SR1]

Load up at the road for turkey,deer,small game but dont load the gun when hunting geese or ducks till I get the boat set or in the blind.

[stinkpickle]

...I feel there is NO reason to have a loaded gun while walking through the woods 1.5 hours before the birds will fly down...

Noise is the #1 reason for me.

[mmusso]

Loaded at the truck...

[drenalinld]

Great thread! I am not consistent, sometimes I load at the truck, other times when I set up. If I am going to a set up before daylight, I usually just load it after I set up. If I am leaving the truck going to a gobbling turkey I will be stuffing the gun as I leave! I have never noticed a little noise being a big problem when turkey hunting, although an empty chamber with a longbeard staring down the barrel is a huge problem.

More times than not I load the Mathews in the blind.

[trkehunr93]

At the truck, as long as I'm not parked on a roadside.  If thats the case as soon as I step into the woods.

[drum817]

I put three shells in the sleeve...but I do not chamber a round until I'm setting up on bird.  If my set up fails I remove the chambered round to change locations.  My Supernova has a VERY convenient button on the forend that allows me to un-chamber a round without re-chambering another round....safety first for me.  I WILL NOT hunt with another hunter that doesn't do the same.  I've seen TO MANY guys that don't practice good gun handling.

It's called a safety. It's normally located near the trigger. Use it and you don't have to unload your gun after each setup.

I load my gun at the truck.

I KNOW WHAT THE HECK A SAFTEY IS !!!! ..... AND, anyone who relies on a safety to function 100% of the time is gambling with his life or anyone who may be hunting with them.  With an answer like that you should probably take a hunters safety class