Tapered compressed powder charge for muzzleloader and black powder firearms

A method of manufacturing a premeasured compressed charge for use with an intended black powder firearm having barrel with a desired caliber, the compressed charge having a leading end portion with a smaller dimension than both a trailing end portion and the desired caliber of the intended firearm, and the trailing end portion having a larger diagonal dimension than the desired caliber of the firearm such that the leading end portion of the compressed charge is received within the barrel of the firearm while the trailing end portion having an interference fit must be forced into the barrel of the firearm, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a mold having at least one cavity therein, and each cavity having a pair of opposed side walls which taper toward one another from a trailing end wall of the cavity toward the leading end wall of the cavity and a bottom molding surface of the cavity which extends normal to each of the opposed side walls and the two end walls;
• filling the cavity of the mold with gunpowder having a sufficient moisture content;
• pressing gunpowder contained within the cavity with a top molding surface, which extends parallel to the bottom molding surface, such that the gunpowder within the cavity is sandwiched between the parallel top and bottom molding surfaces and form the compressed charge and, as a result of such pressing, the formed compressed charge only tapers along two surfaces and one of a density and a compaction of the gunpowder, adjacent the leading end portion of the compressed charge, is about 0% to about 5% less than one of the density and the compaction of the gunpowder adjacent the trailing end portion to facilitate a more complete combustion of the compressed charge upon discharge of the firearm;
• and
• releasing the compressed charge from the cavity of the mold.