ORIGINAL: Encore50
Need a simple answer. What is the best thing to do after a day hunting and not firing a shot? Is it ok to leave the powder and bullet in the rifle? I don't see where this hurts and have been leaving the powder and bullet loaded. Also I have stored my ML outside in garage when loaded so the temps remain relatively the same and there is no chance of condensation in the barrel that would effect the powder.
Of course I always remove the primer, thats pure common sense gun safety.
I hunted once in the Adirondacks for 7 days. It rained every day, and I had a piece of plastic wrap over the lock/breech section and muzzle of my caplock rifle. Every evening I took it into an unheated woodshed, and removed the cap. Then re-wrapped the breech. Next day, I recapped it and rewrapped it. At the end of the seven days, it shot fine, and hit the target where it should have. It had remained loaded all week, with Clean Shot, no less.
If you keep moisture outof the muzzleand the breech section, there is no need to reload every day - as long as there is no way moisture can get into the powder charge. I think even a flintlock would work OK if it is wrapped correctly.