early morning hunt prep/newbie question

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gruvmann

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Hello all- this will be my first smokepole season. I've gotten into the habit of firing a few primers to ensure a clean/dry chamber before loading. That being the case, how do you guys prepare for an early morning hunt? Do you fire a few primers at home then load the powder and bullet before heading out, or do you do it all once arriving/prior to walk-in? I'm in a residential area so firing a few primers may not be the best thing, especially early. I don't really want to fire primers near a stand spot, either, as a few have relatively short walk-ins.
Any thoughts/ideas of how you tackle this?
Thanks!
 
Dry patch, load, ready to go! I never fire any primers before loading, never has been a problem, But, what ever works for ya.
 
Ok- thanks for the info. I was wondering if the primer fire was necessary but the thought of a misfire isn't too pleasant.

It's a CVA Buckhorn... inexpensive but shoots true.
 
When I used 777 my gun was sited in with a dirty barrel so I didn't have to clean between shots. I would either fire the gun the night before or stop along the gravel road on my way and fire it then reload. I also would fire a couple primers off before loading and still do. I live in town and no one noticed the primers.
 
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gruvmann said:
Hello all- this will be my first smokepole season. I've gotten into the habit of firing a few primers to ensure a clean/dry chamber before loading. That being the case, how do you guys prepare for an early morning hunt? Do you fire a few primers at home then load the powder and bullet before heading out, or do you do it all once arriving/prior to walk-in? I'm in a residential area so firing a few primers may not be the best thing, especially early. I don't really want to fire primers near a stand spot, either, as a few have relatively short walk-ins.
Any thoughts/ideas of how you tackle this?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

I too live in a residential area. If you feel more confident in popping a primer prior to loading then do so. There's nothing more miserable than being in the woods and not having confidence in your weapon.

I take a towel or old shirt and drop it on the ground. I put the end of the barrel on the old shirt and pop the primer. It greatly reduces the noise for your neighbors.

I like to load the night before. I'm too sleepy of a morning and the last thing you want to do is make a mistake.
 
One important fact. Be sure to take your primers into the woods with you. Once, I was running late in driving to my hunting area and got into a big rush. Climbed into my stand just as it got light. Reached for my pirmers and realized I had left them in my truck. Started seeing deer and had a MZ that would not go BOOM! :blush:
 
I put a patch on the jag, run it all the way down, pop a primer and look at the patch. There better be a good sized burned spot on that patch. It also makes the "pop" pretty quiet, so you won't wake up the house/disturb the neighbors, etc.

It's not a big one, but part of my routine. The flash hole in that breech plug is very, very small and hard to clean out properly. If there's anything left in there, it can cause problems. Shooting a primer or two is just cheap insurance.

I should have added:

ALWAYS run your rod down in that barrel before you do anything that might fire a charge that's loaded, but you forgot, etc. If your rod doesn't go all the way into the barrel, you better STOP and make sure the rifle isn't loaded. It doesn't hurt to look down the bore and see if you can see a little light through the flash hole, either.

If I'm on a multi-day hunt, I'll leave the rifle loaded and un-primed. When I do, I put a glove, a plastic cup, or something over the muzzle so I don't forget there's a charge in there. I wouldn't do this, except at the cabin, where I'm mostly by myself...not at home.
 
On a recent hunt we had rain, snow, hail, you name it. I left my rifle loaded the whole 7 days (Traditions Vortek, and 777 pellets). When I fired on the buck, worked fine.
Buddy had an Austin-Halleck with same pellets. He went to fire out on the last day...Pop of the primer, a funny sizzle sound and his bullet flew about 20 feet and dropped in the bushes!!
I guess it depends on how well your rifle seals the chamber end, as I think a tight sabot would seal from the top pretty good.
 
The night before I use canned air to blow through the nipple at a tissue on the floor , then I load it for the next day and put a Tompion in the muzzle to keep it dry for the next day till I get in my stand.

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Killing time said:
No need to fire primers. If your gun is clean, its not necessary. I've never done it and never had a misfire.
Click to expand...

same here - If you got it clean and dry...... and its ready to hunt ? Why put the residue of a fired primer in your flash hole,drum area ???? All that will do is slow your spark down.

Clean and dry... ready to load and go !!
 
I do the same thing now. Although I'm a little self conscious about it. I load a cheapo bullet with about 60 grains of powder the night before and stop on my way to hunt and shoot in into a ditch. Then I load it for real. My friends make fun of me. I'm glad someone else does it.
 

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