Musket Balls

[Metal Magnet]

Well, headed back to a productive home site that I've pounded for coins. Decided to start digging mid tones. Got a lot of shells, golden colored broken band that I need to test, and these musket balls. One is totally mutilated. The other is in awesome condition.

Any ideas as to age?

 

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[novafinder]

probably to a pistol they look like they are a real small cal.

 

[l.cutler]

round balls for sure but not musket. Most likely small caliber rifle, could be pistol but pistols were just not as common as rifles. Look to have some age to them but no way to tell for sure, round balls have been in use from the earliest european settlement to present day.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

My guess on those would be buckshot actually, but I suppose they could be pistol shot. can you get an accurate measurement of the most intact one?

 

[CRUSADER]

probably to a pistol they look like they are a real small cal.

 

[l.cutler]

They do appear to be the right size for buckshot, but it looks like you can see the weave from the patch on one which would mean it was fired as a patched ball. Could be wrong though. You really can't say they are small so probably from a pistol, pistols and rifles shot the same range of calibers. Rifles were much more plentiful than pistols, so odds would favor the rifle. There is really no way to say anything for certain though except that they are either buckshot or small caliber round balls.