Back before The Great War, the heaviest loads offered in the "standard" 2 1/2 inch 20-gauge shell by our North American ammunition companies was 2 1/4 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 18 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing 7/8 ounce of shot. In the longer 2 3/4, 2 7/8 and 3-inch cases one could get 2 1/2 drams of bulk smokeless powder or 20 grains of dense smokeless powder such as Infallible or Ballistite pushing that same 7/8 ounce of shot. The real or perceived advantage of the longer shell was more/better wadding. Note my box of Peters IDEAL above doesn't even have the hotter load.
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