To tap or not to tap... that is the question. I think Will Shakespeare once wrote that.

I fill the powder measure and give it #1 finger tap on the side, to basically level the load. Then on the funnel measures I turn the funnel to cut the charge. On an open measure, your patch knife is pulled over the top to cut the charge.

Actually some rifles you do not have to be all that fussy. Even 5 extra grains of powder will not be the end of the world in accuracy. Other rifles through, demand a certain charge to achieve their best accuracy and you have to be a little more careful with them. It seems the traditional rifles with patch and ball are not the fussy ones for some reason.

I have a nice brass hunting measure with a sliding plastic funnel on the top. That is my favorite when I hunt. Although tomorrow I will be taking five premeasured charges and a loaded rifle is all....