This is getting off track. My point was more or less that it is NOT unsafe to store your ML with bullet and powder. With respect to your current point, it depends on the gun. My gun shoots 1" high and left at 100 yards with a clean barrel vs a fouled barrel. I can live with that in a hunting situation, so I hunt with a clean barrel or "semi-fouled" with primer residue only. I cannot very well run to the range to fire a round off just before I go hunting to foul my barrel. If you can just step on your porch to do so, more power to ya. I dropped a deer with a heart/lung hit at 140 yards on clean barrel. I guess my gun rocks!