Just for interest
The American Field, January,
1879 Jamaica Plank Rd., L.I., New York
Brooklyn Gun Club vs. Philadelphia Gun Club
Only two Parker guns on the grounds. Mr. T.E. Broadway of the Brooklyners used a Parker 10 ga. with close choke weighing 9 1/2 lbs shooting 4 1/2 drachms of DuPonts Diamond Grade and 1 1/4 oz. of Tatham's soft shot.
For the Philly club, Mr. H.A. Burroughs shot a Parker 12 bore with medium choke weighing but 7lb 14oz. He shot 4 drachms of Hazards Electric Powder and 1 1/4 oz. of chilled #7 in the left barrel and #8 in the right.
Outing: Sport, Adventure, Travel, Fiction January,
1889Al Bandle, of Cincinnati, on Christmas Day, 1888 defeated the famous shot, Captain A. H. Bogardus, by killing 100 live birds straight to the Captain's equally remarkable record of 95.
Bogardus shot a 12-gauge L.C. Smith gun, hammerless, 7 lbs. 12 oz. weight and shot 4 drams American Wood powder in his first barrel, 1 1/4 oz. No. 8 shot in first and 1 1/4 oz. No. 7 in second, backed up with 3 1/4 drams Laflin and Rand Orange Lightning powder.
Bandle shot the same make of gun, 10 gauge, and used, first barrel, 4 drams Wood powder, second, 4 drams Laflin and Rand F.F.F. extra powder, No. 7 shot.
1890 American Shooting Association Rules
https://archive.org/stream/fieldcovertrapsh01boga#page/458/mode/2up No limit on powder
In single bird (target) shooting the rise shall be:
Eighteen yards for ten-bore guns; limit 1 1/4 oz.
Sixteen yards for twelve-bore guns; limit 1 1/8 oz.
Fourteen yards for fourteen and sixteen bore guns; limit 1 oz.
Thirteen yards for twenty-bore guns; limit 7/8 oz.
In double-target shooting the rise shall be:
Sixteen yards for ten-bore guns.
Fourteen yards for twelve-bore guns.
Twelve yards for fourteen and sixteen bore guns.
Eleven yards for twenty-bore guns.
Rules for Live Bird Shooting - same load limitations
The rise shall be:
Thirty yards for ten-bore guns.
Twenty-eight yards for twelve-bore guns.
Twenty-six yards for fourteen and sixteen bore guns.
Twenty-five yards for twenty-bore guns.
In 1892 ASA limited both 10g and 12g to 1 1/4 oz.
At the 1894 GAH at Live Birds, now under the auspices of the Interstate Association, guns were limited to 12 gauge and 8 pounds.
I suspect Smokeless Powder, which was in wide use by 1894-1895, ended any advantage the 10g may have had.
