I have left mine loaded from one year to the next if clean and not fired. Took it hunting and killed a deer. I noticed that shooting right before hunting season to clean, that I always hit the target, so why waste the load? After shooting, it needs to be cleaned before too long. miles
why waste the load ??? mmm good question .
If your worried about cost , get a Co2 discharger and blow the load , save the bullet and leave the pellets where they lay .
If your gun was clean prior to loading , its clean now as you never ignited the powder .
Takes less then a second to do and wont effect your rifle hunt that�s the next morning .
For that mater the camp time or what ever your wanting to do instead of cleaning your gun .
Myself I never trust a old load . I don�t care what process I have done to protect the load . Thus every morning my rifle gets a new fresh load . Why , because I have no idea whats happened to that load throughout the day or what happened to it over night if I leave it in .
In theory its probably ok . But I don�t know and I don�t like not knowing . .
I also never leave my guns loaded and put away .There are oh so many reasons not to do that . With the acceptation of those I use for home defense and have in or want in close proximity . Even those I shoot and clean at least 2 times a year
Now past all that , as to your question .
I would fire the load and clean the gun so that its ready to hunt with .