They are square sticks because Hodgdon's hold the patient on the round pellets. A while back Clean Shot a.k.a. APP came out with pellets of their powder. They were immediately sued out of the market for patient infringement. They came back as the American Pioneer Powder Company and their "pellets" are sticks now. The reason they want the sticks crushed I am guessing is to eliminate air space in the breech under the projectile. You want the projectile seated firm on a powder base with little or no air space in that. With the sticks that can not happen of course. So crush the sticks. Push the projectile down hard enough and you will feel the sticks break, but using the ramrod is a more sure (but time consuming) way of doing it.