I do it with smokeless, when I have a charge that will seriously compact otherwise. Works well. The only time I put charged cases in a loading block without a bullet is when I need to settle the powder a bit before seating a bullet. I've seen seriously reduced ES by using that method. I'm sure it would do the same with the negro stuff. If I was loading 45-70 or 444 lever guns with the black, that's exactly what I'd do.
