There are two ways to use the side saddle loader - you can continue to point the gun down range and pull rounds from the saddle with your left hand, primer down - inserting them into the loading gate with your left thumb. Or you can invert the shotgun, pull them from the saddle with your right hand - and insert them into the loading gate from the top. Most folks do it the latter way - but either methodnormally is done withthe primers"down" when the shotgun is in the shooting position.