In the 1875 Field Trial (that Greener 'won'), several competitors were nearly disqualified (and several watched more closely), after wads were found on the ground that had been hollowed out on one side.
-Presumably to get more powder and/or shot in specific shells for specific tests.
All ammunition was loaded by the panel of 'judges', or trusted underlings, in the presence of the competitors and judges, to their specifications, using their prescribed hulls, powder, shot, cards, and wads - but purchased by
The Field - and each shell was carefully marked per competitor, per gun, and per test (if more than one gun was entered). However, there were several hours a day, for each day of testing, that the ammunition was in possession of the competitors and their aides, with the possibility of being out of sight of the judges and 'referees'.
Did they cheat?
Obviously.
I consider this still on topic. But if you want justification:
A) I find it interesting and it follow's Jim's reply well.
B) Because some of their loads were unbelievably heavy.
One 12 ga entrant used 1-3/8 oz of shot over 120 gr of powder. I have never tried to see how that fits in a 2.5" (or 3") 12 ga paper hull, but it seems like it would be all shot and powder, heavy compression, and just a nitro card between.
Another wanted 1-3/4 oz of shot over 90 gr of powder. More reasonable, but still.
Several others wanted "soft" loads - a mere 1-1/4 oz of shot over 65-85 gr of their chosen powder, with a specific cork wad for cushion.
(I do not recall which brand, type, or granulation for any loads. This was in the days of dozens of variations being available from each manufacturer. And, separately, some loads could have been in 3" or longer shells. I do not recall if the trial had a shell length limit. I feel that it should have, but do not remember for certain. And, at the time of the trial, Kynoch was selling 8 bore to 12 bore paper and brass hulls up to 4" in length [up to at least 4.5" for 8 bore]. [14 bore and smaller, I have only see 3.5" or shorter in their period ads. The smaller the bore, the shorter the max length offered.])
Sidebar:
One entrant's 10 ga guns were all disqualified after one of his first rounds blew through the leg of pattern test stand and sent shrapnel into the markers (people that marked and removed the target after each shot, who were "safely" hiding behind the stand). His second gun was just as bad - some of the bad shots being shells that were extracted/ejected as just a head, presumably having separated and gone down range as "a solid mass, wrapped in the forward portion of the paper shell, akin to a slug." (What we call "cut shells" today, when done intentionally.)
If I remember correctly, one of Greener's own 10 ga guns was disqualified for having some dangerously errant pellets, as well as too many impacts on the target board. (Too many pellets for the size of shot loaded, but no proof of cheating.)