Bullet help?

[Old Dude]

Hi all. Found this little fellow in a cornfield today and liked it because it reminds me of my .58 minieball. It is 78 grains, .544 inches long and .296 inches round or 7.51 mm. The base is slightly concave. Has a nice white patina, so I am not sure of it's age. Help is much appreciated. Happy New Year!

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Your .296"-diameter lead bullet appears to clearly show 3 body-grooves above a crimp-line (which means it had a metal gunpowder-casing). I searched all through the M&M and T&T books on civil war bullets, but found no bullet of that size range with 3 body-grooves. So I suspect yours is from a bit after the civil war, late-1860s into the 1880s.

 

[Old Dude]

Thank you sir! I am quite happy with that date range. It gives me a good idea of the site's age. I have found a couple like this one.