QTompkins2005

Do you guys pack your loose powder before you load your bullet?

Okie48

You pack it with the ramrod and projctile when you load it

Triple Se7en

No... I do not tamp my powder measurer. I do use firm pressure when seating sabot/bullets with 777's crusty fouling. With my 58 sidelock & looser fitting roundballs/conicals, I use medium pressure to seat. After "slowly" pouring powder down the bore with muzzle upwards, I swirl the rifle back & forth 180 degrees a few time instead of tapping one side of the barrel with my palm -- so all powder reaches more evenly into either the sidelock powder channel or into the whole concave area of my inline breechplug.

cayugad

If what you mean is as I set my projectile do I really pack it down on the charge...NO! I have seen people after pushing the roundball, sabot, what ever, put the ramrod on the top of the projectile and actually pound with their wood short starters on the whole thing. I asked them why and they said they were packing the charge.

My thinking is, if the powder grains are not squeezed together, it would give the ignition fire a better chance to move through the charge giving you a better faster igniton.

Rebel Hog

Good point Cayugad !! For that just use pellets. My thought is like yours, loose for better ignition
with bullet seated on it.

Tahquamenon

Nope. Unless using wads, then the powder is packed slightly when loaded.

Just seat your loads with firm pressure. No need to pound things.

UncleNorby

Black powder does not benefit from packing, or putting too much pressure on the load.

I have read that Pyrodex powder (not pellets) does need to be moderately compressed to produce uniform pressures shot to shot. I can feel the bullet seat on the powder and then begin to compress the powder when I load. I try to use the same amount of pressure each time, and I get good accuracy. That's all I know.