I believe for some, the technical performance of the ten bore is just one of the reasons for its popularity. For me, the appreciation of the ten bore harkens back to the period in which the vintage guns were built. Before the turn of the century, the ten bore was very popular and in the 1870’s might have been the most popular gauge. When I was a boy growing up, my grandfather regaled me with stories of his old market gunner friend and his prowess on grouse. The man shot a hammer cylinder ten bore for the market. And so the 10 bore always held a fascination for me, from an early age. When components and hulls became readily availability, I jumped in.
I often load black powder for my goose and duck shooting and roll crimp the shells, color the top wad orange, like some of the old ten bore shells, and stamp the size of the shot. Although the cases are plastic, those shells are the closest I can come to the shells that were used before the turn of the century. I savor the boom and the smoke of the black powder and, in a small way, am transported back to the days of old. For me, it is a sublime experience taking game the way it was done long ago and with a fine Parker. I can easily imagine that my ride home will be in a horse drawn buggy. Using a vintage ten bore is one of the great pleasures of my life.
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