Bullet Help

[Vermonter]

I don't find that many old bullets and balls, but I got these 3 last night. I had pulled a bigger "brown bessie" size ball in this field earlier in the summer. It was whiter patina then these two, but I'm pretty sure these new ones are old too. The pistol ball has a very pronounced cast mark and sprue. Not as sure about the larger one. I don't see a cast line. It's pretty bumpy.

What about the bullet? Sure looks old. It's bent! Looks more like a tooth! What is it?

 

[CoilyGirl]

Hello Vermonteer, I am just gong out on a limb here solely by the shape of your bullet and going by your picture. What does the base look like? Is it hollowed out or flat? I can't tell from your picture. Here's what I found on the web by a bullet chart I have and I went from there. It's either been hit on one side or maybe carved I think. Look at B3 and B23.

http://www.civilwarshotandshellrelics.com/bullets.html

 

[Vermonter]

Here's a pic of the bottom of the bullet. Flat. Weird that it's curved like that.

Yep, I've only dug a few musket balls, all seemingly different sizes. I assume the small one is s pistol ball. The one a couple weeks ago from this field was a big brown Bessie size. I really have to get a pair of calipers.

 

[H-D 1]

Might be a gaming piece looks a little worked to me

 

[smokeythecat]

Looks like a Civil War picket bullet. Bottom matches to some in the books. They came in all sizes.

 

[mirage83]

I'll second STC, carved picket bullet. Nice find.

 

[CoilyGirl]

Glad you got an ID on this one and I agree with H-D1, it does look a little worked. Why are picket bullet shaped differently? Anyone know?

 

[Vermonter]

Cool, thanks all. This isn't a civil war site of course. So a "picket bullet" is just a civilian conical bullet, presumably around long before the war. I guess they became known as "picket" during and after the war?