You can load right away, but take a second after you dump the powder. Look at the muzzle of the rifle. If you see smoke still coming out, it gives me the creeps. I sometimes wait a while before pushing a patch and ball or sabot into the end of the muzzle. I figure no use making a pipe bomb. I have loaded right away but there is always that thought in the back of your mind.

Many of the old timers before reloading would blow down the barrel with their mouth until all the smoke stops coming out of the nipple or the vent hole. That they claimed indicated that all the embers were out. Many shooting clubs will not allow this practice so don't try it on a public range. That is another reason why many people swab a barrel. It is not only to remove the fowling but to also put out any embers that might be in there.

I even have a funnel type thing with a plastic tube that runs off it. The idea is you put the funnel in the muzzle and blow into the tube, blowing out the embers. The reasoning is, you do not have to put your face over the muzzle of the rifle that way. It was a free bee from a large order, so I have it.. we will leave it at that. Although it does work. The other thought there is warm breath, cold barrel might make condensation......

So in a hunting situation make the first shot count. If you need a fast second shot, go ahead and load as quickly as possible just do not put any part of your body over the muzzle. Just in case it does blow out at least you will not have some part of a ramrod or projectile coming through you. Also, in all the years of hunting, I have never hurried a second shot. I made the first one count and took my time with loading the rifle properly for the second shot. I have seen too many mistakes with speed loading.