Killed a couple toms throughout my teens with my dad's Ithaca 10 ga. He then bought a Remington SP-10 day 1 it came out and still owns it and hunts with it to this day. In the old days before hevi-shot, tss, and shot resin, the 10 shot significantly better patterns due to the bore size not deforming the lead as severely. With all the new shell tech out there, the 10 as been rendered moot. However, with my ol man's gun weighing in at I believe 10.5 lbs, it shoots significantly softer than any 12 I've ever fired. I've shot Nitro Company 2.5 oz loads through both my SBE2 and his 10 side by side and the difference is staggering. Then again, is the recoil reduction worth the tremendous weight gain, when you won't even feel the shot at the bird? I don't think so.
There's something about that shotgun that brings back so many memories as a kid. So much nostalgia.
And I always get to brag I killed my first bird at 12 with a 10 gauge lol