[John Rogers]

As an owner of 3 muzzle loaders that have a bullet starter I keep the starter on the rifle barrel except when I go to shoot and then it comes off. 99% of the time the gun is laying around and/or being handled and it is very easy to ding the crown of the barrel or the edge of the rifling which affects accuracy greatly. There is a teather line that warns me to remove it BEFORE I try to hit my targets since it is embarrasing to go down range 25 yards or so trying to find it, which I did once! As a matter of interest, the NMLRA rule book tells shooters they MUST have a teather to be able to shoot. I fasten mine on the block of wood clamped to the shooting bench and it has saved me several times, usually if I am explaining what I am doing to a non black powder shooter.

I would recommend buying a hard sided case to keep the gun, starter and other items needed to shoot all together. I would lock the mold in a special drawer or safe place since bullet/round ball molds are expensive and one matched to the rifle is rare.
John