Civil War Bullets?

[cyberborikua]

I found these two bullets in a Chicago woods. I know that Chicago was not witness to any Civil War battles, but the wat certainly had soldiers from all Ilinois. Now, can anyone comment on this finding? Are these Civil War era bullets ? The length of the bullets is about 1.0" and the diameter 3/16". Are these Minie Ball bullets?

 

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[d2]

I think they will be later than the Civil War and are probably 45-70. Indian war era bullets...d2

 

[kuger]

I think they will be later than the Civil War and are probably 45-70. Indian war era bullets...d2

Yep

 

[RickyD]

We had a cluster of that caliber bullet show up on TN awhile back. I have two myself, both found in an town site began in 1903 and raised in 1927. And thats about the era most said those slugs came from.

 

[VOL1266-X]

Hey, Indian War era 45/70s are fun too. HH.

 

[High Plains Digger]

My vote for .45/70 makes it unanimous. I have some that I purchased, a longer one with a smaller base hole and a shorter one with a larger base hole. The guy supposedly found the target range for Ft. Laramie. Supposedly, these are what Custer would have used to shoot at the Sioux.

 

[cyberborikua]

We had a cluster of that caliber bullet show up on TN awhile back. I have two myself, both found in an town site began in 1903 and raised in 1927. And thats about the era most said those slugs came from.

Yes, no doubt about it. I read that Indian Wars post the Civil War (Sioux Wars) bullets are called .45-70 Government or Springfield .45-70

As found in the Wikipedia: The .45-70 rifle cartridge, also known as .45-70 Government, was developed at the U.S. Army's Springfield Armory for use in the Springfield Model 1873. It is known to collectors (but never to the Army) as the "Trapdoor Springfield." The new cartridge was a replacement for the stop-gap .50-70 Government cartridge which had been adopted in 1866, one year after the end of the American Civil War.

I think mine were probably fired by a civilian/collector a long time ago. I think I found rare war artifacts and happy for that. I prefer to find them than to purchase them in e-bay (my very personal taste though)

 

[kuger]

They were also a popular caliber during the Buffalo Hunting period which led to the decimation of the Native Plains people.
That being said the caliber is still very popular today.I myself have one,down from the five I did have!!Still shoots like the day it came from the Factory in 1874

 

[cyberborikua]

They were also a popular caliber during the Buffalo Hunting period which led to the decimation of the Native Plains people.

Thank you! You may have just hit the bull's eye! There were buffalos all over Illinois. So, another possibility is that those bullets were fired by bison hunters, who knows? The day I found the two bullets, my wife was detecting on another side of the woods and also found one. Unfortunately, not knowing it was an old bullet, she deemed it as junk and put it in her trash bag, which she later disposed of in a trash can. That was a few days ago. The trash cans at those woods are emptied daily.

See the map showing the range of the Bisons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Extermination_of_bison_to_1889.png

 

[High Plains Digger]

By your map, I don't think the buffalo hunting mecca was within a couple hundred miles of Chicago!

Perhaps these came from a deer hunter or a target shooter. Hell of a plinking bullet! I have one in the casing (although it has been broken) that my dad found while slucing for gold in No. Cal. I don't think it would have taken too many plinks before one would need a new shoulder. Buffalo hunters must have been rock tough.

 

[kuger]

By your map, I don't think the buffalo hunting mecca was within a couple hundred miles of Chicago!

Perhaps these came from a deer hunter or a target shooter. Hell of a plinking bullet! I have one in the casing (although it has been broken) that my dad found while slucing for gold in No. Cal. I don't think it would have taken too many plinks before one would need a new shoulder. Buffalo hunters must have been rock tough.

My 110 lb wife shoots mine all the time.They are a heavy gun therefore the recoil is minimal

 

[cyberborikua]

By your map, I don't think the buffalo hunting mecca was within a couple hundred miles of Chicago!

Well, the map represents an approximation. The plaines were the Potawatomi Indians lived were West of what is today Chicago. But, of course it could have been deer hunters. There are many, many deers in that area because the woods are divided by a river. West of the woods lived the Indians. That's why I think there were Bisons there as well.

 

[High Plains Digger]

I think you are looking at "original range" in the light pink, which included Ill. and I am looking at the dark pink of "1870 Range". That is the hundreds of miles comment. And the bullets weren't made until 1873, I think.

110 lbs. doesn't mean your wife isn't tough, also. But lets try this: Sit her down on a frozen pond, have her bust a cap and let's see if "opposite and equal reaction" really works! Do you use black or smokeless? I have read that the differences between the physics of the powder explosions may make a difference.

It is interesting where one finds bullets. I have worked a number of yards in a "small town" that is suburban to Denver, and have found expended .45s, .22s, and even a 30.06 in front yards. Makes ya wonder.....

Any one know when the .45-70 started to be a rimfire? I found one of those once, out in Ft. Big Springs.
Interesting story--when the Indians were restless, they sent a troop or two of soldiers out from Ft. Kearney, I think, to man this camp and "show the flag". Although there were no buildings left, this place would have been a dead ringer for the post in "Dances With Wolves". Ft. Big Springs protected the Butterfield Stage line road, several cattle trails and a couple of emigrant trails, so it was somewhat important.
But, unfortunately, I suspect the center fire casing was from a deer or antelope hunter. Are we back to deer hunting again??

 

[allen]

Neat even if they arent CW bullets !

 

[kuger]

I think you are looking at "original range" in the light pink, which included Ill. and I am looking at the dark pink of "1870 Range". That is the hundreds of miles comment. And the bullets weren't made until 1873, I think.

110 lbs. doesn't mean your wife isn't tough, also. But lets try this: Sit her down on a frozen pond, have her bust a cap and let's see if "opposite and equal reaction" really works! Do you use black or smokeless? I have read that the differences between the physics of the powder explosions may make a difference.

It is interesting where one finds bullets. I have worked a number of yards in a "small town" that is suburban to Denver, and have found expended .45s, .22s, and even a 30.06 in front yards. Makes ya wonder.....

Any one know when the .45-70 started to be a rimfire? I found one of those once, out in Ft. Big Springs.
Interesting story--when the Indians were restless, they sent a troop or two of soldiers out from Ft. Kearney, I think, to man this camp and "show the flag". Although there were no buildings left, this place would have been a dead ringer for the post in "Dances With Wolves". Ft. Big Springs protected the Butterfield Stage line road, several cattle trails and a couple of emigrant trails, so it was somewhat important.
But, unfortunately, I suspect the center fire casing was from a deer or antelope hunter. Are we back to deer hunting again??

I shoot both out of mine,it shoots better with Black Powder,but you have to thouroughly clean the gun after every shooting....not just the average cleaning!Real hoot to shoot.A milk jug at a thousand yards doesnt have a prayer!

 

[High Plains Digger]

Yes, they are a cool looking bullet, that's why I bought them. Sort of reminds me of a Spencer on steroids. Wouldn't want to be on the receiving end.

 

[cyberborikua]

I think you are looking at "original range" in the light pink, which included Ill. and I am looking at the dark pink of "1870 Range". That is the hundreds of miles comment. And the bullets weren't made until 1873, I think.

It is interesting where one finds bullets. I have worked a number of yards in a "small town" that is suburban to Denver, and have found expended .45s, .22s, and even a 30.06 in front yards. Makes ya wonder.....

Yes, maybe not spent on bison huntinmg, but at least those are bullets from that era. It was fun to find them and will go for more because we never know how they were spent. Plus they are always great conversation pieces. I have found two more bullets, .22 and .36 in parks. They show no impact so one may assume they were lost ones or possibly fired into the air (not good)

 

[High Plains Digger]

At least you found your .45-70s . I had to buy mine. I have been hunting a buffalo wallow for many years now, and detecting for the last 4 or 5. I have only found 2 .50 cal balls (one almost indescernable, but weight matches up close) and a .30 that was from pre-jacketed days, like early 1900's, as well as 2 hollow point, copper washed .22s that I shot there in 1971. I really had hoped for more bullets, but the arrowheads and broken lance points and piles of scrapers told the whole story. Still looking for my first iron arrowhead or knife blade.

 

[cyberborikua]

At least you found your .45-70s . I had to buy mine. I have been hunting a buffalo wallow for many years now, and detecting for the last 4 or 5. I have only found 2 .50 cal balls (one almost indescernable, but weight matches up close) and a .30 that was from pre-jacketed days, like early 1900's, as well as 2 hollow point, copper washed .22s that I shot there in 1971. I really had hoped for more bullets, but the arrowheads and broken lance points and piles of scrapers told the whole story. Still looking for my first iron arrowhead or knife blade.

Thanks. I have been very pleased with those two bullets from the very same day I found them. Those little monsters are history and represent the revolution of firearms.