Something like a cartridge, with a pre-measured amount of powder and a bullet, I guess wrapped in cloth, was used in the 15th century and pretty common by the 16th, you see them in period art a lot in kind of bandoliers, like this guy



My understanding (fusilier or somebody can correct me) is that the 'settling' issue was largely solved by the invention of corned powder, which once again was a 15th century thing.

G