How does a cannonball read?

[BlackX]

Andy's thread on depth reminded me: How does a cannonball read on the Explorer? I have a few sites where I should have a shot at a Rev. War cannonball but usually don't dig large iron on purpose.

 

[Chris/MA]

Probably depends entirely upon how deep it is.
Assuming it's a reasonably massive cannonball (not grapeshot or something) and not terribly deep, I'm betting on an overload signal.
If it's deeper, anybody's guess, somewhere between a high pitch iron false (like swinging the coil over your shovel from half a foot) and regular iron tone.

 

[BlackX]

I'm wondering if one can tell the roundness of it somehow. Or if it's at all distinctive.

I've only dug one overload signal so far and it was a really old shovel.

 

[mattockman]

This is only a guess....Have you ever dug an axe head or horseshoe......they sound high pitched like clad but still has the iron grunt in it....it's like good signal mixed with iron....them being round and not flat like the axe head or H.shoe...may sound diff.....big iron will always fool me....I just dig-em and see what they are...go to the relic forum and ask there Rich...I am sure some of those good old boys have dug a few in the civil war states of the south.

 

[JW]

if there is some depth involved; if it is shallow it may null.