I think a lot of the more conservative shooting members were slow to go to smokeless and steel barrels because they were very comfortable with black powder and Damascus barrels and saw little reason to change. I recall one antidote from Lord Ripon who had a three gun set, made with the new Whitworth Steel barrels which he had rebarreled to Damascus. His compliant was that steel got hotter he did not like the sound they made. Considering he was perhaps the best shot of his day I expect other followed his lead.
Perhaps if Lord Ripon had endorsed the new barrel materials or new powder the move to both would have been much quicker. Most powder development I suspect was more for military purposes and any bird shooting improvements were a byproduct. I do wish I had been alive in that period with a ten thousand pound a year income to enjoy the high shooting fun.
