American Scotch snuffs have great long lasting flavor if you like the smokey/toasted type snuff. Two problems are often mentioned: it’s near impossible not to breathe the stuff too far in, i.e. right to the throat, and secondly, as a result of its being so invasive, it very often leads to a harsh post nasal drip. I found a way recently which avoids both problems. Take half the portion you normally take with a snuff spoon and dump it into your palm. Take a Q-tip and dampen the cotton swab with a little saliva (I guess tap water could be used if your own saliva bothers you). The idea is to dampen it, not soak it. Roll the swab around in the snuff, taking up as much as you can. Now roll the swab around the front part of your nostril, where you want the stuff. Repeat with the other half of your normal portion for the other nostril. Breathe in lightly after first applying in case there is loose snuff in your nose. I’ve found that with this method you not only avoid snuff hitting your throat, you also avoid the nasty post nasal drip. Of coarse, some snuff is lost on the Q-tip, but you can always do it again if need be. It’s not as convenient as the simple pinch or a spoonfull on the back of your hand, but I think the benefits outweigh.
I just pinch and sniff. Seems any other way never does it for me. Glad you got your technique down though. Scotch snuff is a daily sniff for me. Start almost everyday with it. I wonder though if the extra moisture you add to the snuff with the q-tip helps the snuff in the nose or, over time, in the container? One way or the other if you’ve found your method it will only improve and you can enjoy the Scotch even more. Welcome to the forum! :)>-
I’ve heard of people in the old days doing things like that.
I had trouble with scotches too as a newb; it just takes time and practice. Eventually they will not give you trouble.
Before using Q-tips I tried the traditional methods over a period of many months. Off the back of the hand was better than the pinch in terms of snuff hitting the throat, but I don’t believe it can be completely eliminated no matter how many years you do it–the stuff is just to fine not to be breathed in too far. You might get better at it to the point where you can live with that level of discomfort–and people do have different thresholds of discomfort. Same for the harsh post nasal drip. But I think most people just give up and stick to English toasts, a pity because American Scotch is like English toast multiplied by ten.
The Q-tip idea is clever, but I would miss the ritual of pinching and sniffing. I use the drop-jaw method someone suggested here, works brilliantly. If anyone doesn’t know it, pinch as normal, raise to the nose, and keeping your mouth closed, drop your jaw down. This draws just enough air into the nose to lodge the snuff in there without pulling it to the back of your throat.
Thanks pufnsnuff for letting me know about the drop-jaw method. I’d never heard about it. It does work quite well and is certainly simpler than using Q-tips. The Q-tip method does have an advantage that you can take a larger portion, say a snuffspoon full, and get it exactly where you want it, no deeper in than the length of the swab, keeping it far from the throat. With the drop-jaw method I find the snuff can get pretty close to the throat, though it’s certainly far better than the usual methods.
How I do it - for all the snuffs I take. I spoon it out, empty my lungs, put it under the nostril, then begin to inhale very lightly, increasing the force of inhalation until I have the snuff just where I want it and repeat for the other nostril. Sometimes I go too far and I cough or sneeze a bit, but I enjoy every damn bit of it. With Honey Bee, and to a lesser extent, Tube Rose, I enjoy the drip. Whenever I smoke my pipe I have a bit of Honey Bee before hand and it really adds to the enjoyment, especially if there is a bit of drip along the way. 
Part of getting used to scotches and whites and the drier toasts is just your nose getting used to the burn, I think. Just like when you first smoke a cigarette it seems very harsh and makes you cough but over time it doesn’t bother you.
Lots of good advice here. I’ll be trying the jaw-drop method shortly.
You could always hydrate scotches in the usual fashion. Make up a weeks worth and as it drys out daily you will gradually acclimate for your intake of finer dry snuff.
I like to add a few drops of vegetable oil to my scotches untill they get to the moisture level of a poschl or six photo snuff.
A lot of great suggestions here! Practice practice practice! All techniques will work fine over time. I have been scooping all snuffs with my thumb into the boxcar technique. Works for all grinds!