Lead Balls

[Surfline]

Forum,

I would like your opinion on the lead balls in the attached picture. Buck shot? Something else? New? Old?

Thanks,

Surfline

 

[thinkin2]

Surfline, I used to relic hunt and they look like some of the balls I used to dig from Civil War sites so my guess is that they may be from that period or even earlier. Could have been used in a smooth bore hand weapon or even in some types of canon balls. The round (cannon) balls I've dug with Bormann Time Fuses also had lead balls like these packed in them. I think the folks over on the Relic forum could be of great help on this one. I would keep hitting the area these came from. There could be some more interesting finds there. Good luck. --Jerry

 

[Surfline]

Jerry,

Thank you very much. This is great information.

Surfline.

 

[Dig]

Grape shot maybe? They used to load cannons with grape sized pieces of lead back in the day of cannon warfare. It was meant to lower the number of men on board the opposing ship before boarding took place. They also used it to attack fortified military outposts. Have a fort nearby ? How old is the area your hunting?

 

[woodwizard]

definitely rehunt that site- slowly using good quality headphones and dig everything.that could turn out to be a productive site

 

[Surfline]

OK. Good suggestion!

 

[bdahunter]

looks to me like old buck and ball

 

[Philo_NY]

The first one looks like a 53 caliber musket ball... the second one looks like a 69 caliber British musket ball, and the one at the end looks like a grape shot. Look to see if there are teeth marks on the balls... It's difficult to really tell as I am assuming you dug these at a beach... Just my two cents... HH.

Philo_NY

 

[Surfline]

Philo_NY,

Thank you! How old do you think they could be?

Surfline

 

[Surfline]

Thanks BDA hunter. Have you found similar items in Bermuda?

Surfline