Ok so this question will show my inexperience when it comes to muzzleloading, but I wilol never pretend to know it all.

I have my NEF Huntsman SS which I love and look forward to experimenting with.

Heres my question. When we talk about the powder charge we use whether it be 80, 100 or 150 grains, is that compacted/compressed behind the bullet or is it measured in my TC powder measure after tapping it a couple times?

I've noticed when I pour in powder to the 100 grain mark it is different than after tapping the measure a couple times so I could potentially have two different powder charges here. Three if you consider when you compress a saboted bullet on top of it in the gun it is again compressed even more.

It is what you get in your powder measurer. I tap mine as well while I am pouring the powder in. I also tap the barrel near the breach after I pour the powder down and before I seat the bullet.

Remember you just seat the bullet, DO NOT tamp it into place smacking the ramrod down on the bullet a few times. This is not the correct way to load it. Simply push the rod firmly until it bottoms out. Then mark the rod even with the end of the barrel. This is your witness mark and lets you know when the bullet is properly seated. Obviously this will change if you change the powder charge or switch to a different style bullet.

Paul

Generally a powder measure is considered full of powderwhen it has been 'poured' full of powder, not tapped/settled, thenpoured some more.

But it's really not important which way you do it...what is important is that whatever you do, you do it the same way every time so you have as much consistency as possible from one charge to the next.

FWIW, I don't bother spendingtime tapping a powder measure...I pour it until it begins to overflow slightly, then I gentlytip off theexcess,doing it the same way every time

I agree with them. To tap or not to tap.. that is the question. As long as you do it the same way each and every time, you should be about equal. I personally do not tap. I fill the measure and then cut the charge with a pull across funnel on the measure.

Also when you set your projectile get in the habit of trying to do it in one smooth motion or as near as that. Also the witness mark will help in how you compress your charges. It will help you do it all the same...

compacted/compressed behind the bullet or is it "measured in my TC powder measure after tapping it a couple times? "

Measured in your powder measure after tapping it a couple of times. Then you seat the bullet on top of the powder charge after you've poured the powderdown the barrel and apply about 50-60 pounds of pressure on the bullet with the ramrod - try to use exactly the same pressure on the bullet each time for uniformity of powder burn....... Pyrodex needs more pressure on the ramrod than plain BP does.