My first round ball?

[Old Dude]

HI all. They finally cut the corn the other day, and just yesterday I saw them discing the field. I was afraid they were going to leave the stalks high ( 12-18 inches ). Things came together perfectly because all morning it rained and finally quit around noon. The sun came out and the wind picked up, drying the top of the ground so it wasn't a muddy mess. This field is in the general area of being part of a farm settled by the first white man in Luzerne County. I read he had a farm where the Little Wapwallopen creek flows into the Susquehanna River. A state road crosses the creek and so has created 4 fields bordering the creek. This field is one of the 4. This was actually the first target dug. Rang up as a solid 71 vdi and was 4 inches down. The bullet weighs 236 grains, and as you can see, is too deformed to get a diameter measurement. It is app. the size of a Lincoln cent. Thanks for looking and any help.

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[Helix]

Thats a good find! Maybe if you get lucky you will stumble upon a old long forgotten home site and find some coins!

 

[Old Dude]

I have found that 236 grains equal a .54 cal round ball. The patina seems right to have some age. Any thoughts?

Helix, I would be ecstatic to find an old homesite or even the refuse field. I covered approximately 1/3 of the field this afternoon and at the end, I went around the perimeter with no discrimination and iron audio enabled on the AT Pro, hoping to find the refuse. I was very amazed at the limited iron hits I got for an old field. I dug only 2 farm implement pieces ( both appeared 20th century ). I dug everything foil and above. This was the only good target.

 

[smokeythecat]

Fired round ball, pre Civil War and possibly as old as the French and Indian war. Look up the history for the area.

 

[Beeps in my sleep]

That is awesome man! Congrats! I love finding those the most. My first one was splattered but I didn't know it was a ball until I scraped the edge with a knife and saw lead. The weight felt like it but I had to be sure. I bet you can find more! Here is mine splattered as well on the left.

 

[smokeythecat]

Remember, there may have been no military action there, but somebody could have been sighting in their Pennsylvania rifle or trying to whack a deer. From where it landed, see if you can figure out from where it was fired. Search there. Is there a slope or hillside?

 

[Old Dude]

Thanks for the input so far to all. This google earth screenshot shows details for you, smokey.

 

[fyrffytr1]

Have you found any broken glass or pottery? That may indicate a home site.

 

[Old Dude]

I did find a small fragment of blue and white that looked like it was probably a plate at one time. I have talked to people who know the area and looked on historic aerials.com and there have been old homes in the area that are no longer there. I don't know the dates they were built. The fields are owned today by the nuclear power plant across the river and are leased out to be farmed. The fields have been picked over for many years by arrowhead hunters because of the close proximity to the river.

 

[Helix]

I have found that 236 grains equal a .54 cal round ball. The patina seems right to have some age. Any thoughts?

Helix, I would be ecstatic to find an old homesite or even the refuse field. I covered approximately 1/3 of the field this afternoon and at the end, I went around the perimeter with no discrimination and iron audio enabled on the AT Pro, hoping to find the refuse. I was very amazed at the limited iron hits I got for an old field. I dug only 2 farm implement pieces ( both appeared 20th century ). I dug everything foil and above. This was the only good target.

When I am hunting a large field looking for hot spots like old home sites, I like to hunt in relic mode on my whites. I like to hear everything I'm picking up don't always dig it all but lets me know about the area I'm in if there ever was any activity. If I start picking up lots of iron, square nails and seeing bit of brick and old glass ect. Like others have said. Very good sign your on a old home site. Also helps if you know your pottery and glass history. A lot of times I can date a site just buy the glass shards im seeing. Sounds like a lot of land to hunt! There has to be a old home site some were! Maybe check out the higher ground.

 

[Old Dude]

This field and most of them in the area are highly prone to flooding. It makes sense that a house would be built on higher ground. There is no way I will get all the fields hunted this year before the freeze, so part of my winter will be devoted to better research of the area.