50/50 crisco and beeswax is hard to beat. I use it also with smokeless at subsonic speeds. Hot southern summer sun can melt it however.

Never loaded anything but 12 guage shells, 45 colt and 44/40 but have shot thousands of those. I use FFF goex. Burns cleaner and measures more consistent than FF. Never had any signs of pressure issues. FF probably safer in that respect. I also use FFF in .54 Lyman which is against conventional wisdom but I digress. Paper wads good idea. Sometimes I do but not always. Don't use drop tube but I can see that as a good thing. I scoop enough to pour over case to fill til runs over then give a little thump. Done it enough it almost always gives about an eight inch compression.