3 ringer spit in half

[Smilodon]

Is it normal for these to split in half like this? First one I fould like this one.

[tomjiggy]

Looks like it may have hit a sturdy tree branch or rock and almost split

[High Plains Digger]

That is one hard hit. Maybe it hit a psyco guy with a "split personality". Ta DUMP.

[TheCannonballGuy]

Smilodon wrote:
> Is it normal for these to split in half like this? First one I fould like this one.

No, it's not "normal." The splitting you see on your fired civil war bullet occurs only when the soft lead bullet strikes a rock or solid metal object at VERY close range. It is what we diggers call a "high-energy impact" fired bullet. In my more than 3 decades of civil war relic digging, out of more than 10,000 fired bullets I've found, only a couple of dozen that looked like yours.

[yaxthri]

Well it can happen and it has been experimentaly tested!

Check out Mythbusters' "Davy Crockett's Magic (split) bullet" episode.

Just some links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBus...s_Magic_Bullet
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/myth...-practice.html

[spudnutt]

Yeah most likely a close range shot that hit some rocks like others said. I've been digging an old fort that has a cliff riddled with bullet holes in the rock. A lot of the bullets I've been pulling up are 'split' or just extremely high impact bullets. They do look pretty cool though, huh?

[Smilodon]

Thanks for all the information.

[jefg231]

Nice find, junior