DD, I agree more powder is not always good. But sometimes it is. I'll relate what I have found with my Sharps -

For target shooting with a clean barrel, wiping after every shot, I get best accuracy with an uncompressed load, regardless of which powder I use (I switch off between 2 brands, 2 or 3 granulations each, and 2-3 batch mixes of each granulation). These loads are used for Schuetzen and silhouette, and occasionallly (!) hunting.

However, there are matches where I cannot wipe after every shot. In these matches, accuracy with the very best of the above loads is unacceptably poor for any but the first shot.
The solution to this has been heavy compression. At least .375" and sometimes as much as 0.6" in a .45-2.6" case. This is followed by a waxpaper wad, .375" of lube, and a final card wad. These loads will hold 4" for 5 shots at 200 yds, for 6 consecutive groups w/o any wiping, blow tubing, etc. The uncompressed loads will shoot greater than 8" for the first 5 shots at only 100 yds. So, the difference brought on by heavy compression and lots of lube is substantial and critical to shooting a dirty barrel.

My hope is that I can duplicate this performance by compressing a pretty substantial load of powder to the base of the neck and then filling much of the neck with bullet lube before seating a bore diameter bullet.

I have heard a lot about recoil in these rifles. I am hoping that my rifle will be a little better in this department than most because it is a dedicated sporting rifle and stocked quite differently than a military rifle. It is still pretty darn light, so there will be no getting around some substantial hammering. My 10.5# Sharps with military buttplate is no softie in this department either however. It uses 95-105 grs of Swiss 1.5 with a 550 gr bullet.

I have, I think, found a source of Kynoch brass.

Brent