This sounds like a good idea Chasam and I think I'll give it a try this season but I gotta ask Semi why keep the Renegade loaded like that for that lenght of time in the closet ?

Well gman, I carried it at the tail end of the hunting season and didn't get a shot. So it came home loaded at the end of the season. All of my post season range sessions have been with other guns, so it's still loaded. I'll be taking it along for a range session sooner or later. But until then, it's safe and secure in the locked closet. I wouldn't leave it like that if it were loaded on a fouled bore, or even one where I popped a cap to clear the nipple. But that was not the case. It was loaded on a perfectly clean dry bore.

Semi. I am very disappointed in seeing all that fouling on that scope! Clean it up or you shall suffer 10 lashings

That's not fouling Devil. The finish is scorched from shooting without any protection, which I just don't bother with.

havent u learned in your these years that you should always use protection before shooting?