Happiness is....

Papa Bear

Bronze Member
Dec 30, 2011
1,153
485
Western Territories
πŸ₯‡ Banner finds
1
πŸ† Honorable Mentions:
3
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Teknetics G2, Garrett ProPointer
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
my first .69 caliber minie ball.....

I think this should be called "Adventures in Tick-ville"

So at 1:30 in the morning on Saturday CWDigger, NCJim, and myself were off out of state to a CW camp site. I had looked at a map the day before and had an idea of the shortest route which had us taking a side road long before we would ever be close to Fredericksburg, VA. CWDigger had his Mom's GPS and swore by it. My internal odometer was starting to feel off when I saw a road sign stating 22 miles to Fredericksburg and then I saw that the GPS said 40 miles to the next turn to the right. WHAT!!! I had CWDigger pull off the road and explained the issue. Even though he disagreed with me, he relented and after we had doubled back 8 miles, we were on the right road. Apparently the route we were supposed to take had a toll and the GPS was set to avoid tolls.......Anyway, soon after taking the correct route, CWDigger admitted that I was correct......(Of course I was.....I read maps!!).

Anyway we got there about 7am and hiked into the area. After a quick area brief it was off to detecting. I trudged around scanning slowly and carefully. I fond one button back about 7 inches down and not much else at first. I also found some old glass and a broken file while out and about. NCJim started digging a raised mound under a tree and started finding some things. Near them was another raised mound covered in brambles. I stuck my coil in there and got a faint but steady signal. After cutting away the foliage I started digging and 10 inches down I pulled out my first .69 cal minie ball!!!

Anyway the day toiled on and we eventually went to a hill that the troops had apparently used as the backdrop while shooting their muskets. Talk about not being able to swing a dead cat....... I had a great time as half of my round ball came from a 1 meter square area.

At the end of the day we headed back to NC. Tired, dirty, sweaty, and absolutely ticked out.

Yes, the ticks. We knew that they would be present and as such some preparations were made. I had my snake boots on and light tan pants (tucked inside) and a light tan t-shirt tucked into my belted pants. I also made sure that I was doused liberally in bug juice. It was amazing. Yo would get a signal, flick a tick off your pants, dig the hole, flick a tick off your glove, finds the target, flick a tick off your arm. It was continuous. Poor NCJim got the worst of it. When we got back to the truck and did the tick-check on each other, he had then under his shirt, under his t-shirt, on his socks. We drove to a McD's to get a bit to eat and were picking them off him in the restaurant. Back out at the truck we found two more on his pants. He found two on the back of the drivers seat. We liberally sprayed the seats of the truck (not my truck) and got back.

I showered and checked again but I was hosting no tick parties. On Sunday we contacted NCJim and he stated that his wife had found two more on his back last night.

I even rechecked once back on base. I am tick free.

Obviously the .69 cal minie ball was the hi-light for me.
 

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Firsts are always pleasant. So, tell the story. How'd you find it? Was an obvious signal, did you almost pass it by? How many times did you walk over the spot in the past?

Do a little crowing!

Good find!

Congrats!

HH
 

Firsts are always pleasant. So, tell the story. How'd you find it? Was an obvious signal, did you almost pass it by? How many times did you walk over the spot in the past?

Do a little crowing!

Good find!

Congrats!

HH

Thanks! Done!
 

Congrats on the first...the more you dig the fewer they come by, but it does still happen and the feeling I think gets even better. Watch those ticks...a lot of folks have gotten sick already this year, I was tagged by one last fall that sent me to the DR.s and had me out for a week.

Dan
 

Yea, be careful out there. I just got over Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever that I picked up while detecting here in NC. I hate those things!!

Huge congrats on the huge bullet, lol. Sounds like ya'll had a good time! Let's see a pic of your other finds!
 

Ticks are bad all over........nice bullet
 

Wish they made Frontline for humans!
That .69 minie is sure sweet. I've been tempted many times to buy a rifled Model 1842 musket repro and turn it into an elk rifle. What a chunk o lead!
 

:thumbsup: Congratulation!
 

Thanks all. I had one tick latch on for less than a minute before I got it off, so I am not worried. Here are my other finds. The cart axle hub washer came from a field in Pitt County on Friday evening. CWDigger electrolysised it over Friday night.
 

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Nice pic. Cool to see the size comparisons in those bullets. Hate to take one of those in the leg.

Thanks! I would hate to take it anywhere. I think that a flesh wound back then was both rare and extremely lucky.....
 

Cal. 69 is a nice chunk of lead.... Most of the bullets we dig here are .69 too, but i would like to dig one of your CW Minies....

I have plenty of .69 Cal round ball, but even they look small compared to this bullet.
 

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