Pointed musketball??

castletonking

Full Member
Jun 20, 2011
245
16
castleton vt.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I found this lead ball while detecting my field yesterday..yes i know the picture is bad all i have is a scanner to do the image with..i have found multiple musket balls in the field,i live near Fort Warren, a revolutionary war fort in Vermont.,however I have never come across one with a pointed top..any ideas? i asked a civil war expert at the local college,he had never seen anything like it,I can't find anything online either. and yes it is lead,the professor did confirm it to be a ball and thats all he could say. and no i can't get a better image,all i have is a scanner.
 

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Aug 20, 2009
12,824
7,899
New Hampshire
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Garret Master hunter Cx Plus
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It could of been used for hunting,my brother use to hunt with a muzzle loader and he use something quite similar
 

Aug 20, 2009
12,824
7,899
New Hampshire
Detector(s) used
Garret Master hunter Cx Plus
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Other
I was also thinking that it could of been made from a lead rod cut into short lengths and then ground to a point by native americans.They might not have had access to a mold.It would need a point to have any kind of accuracy to it.I know if they had some muzzle loader balls that were to big to fit their guns they would hammer them into an oblong shape until they fit their weapon.
 

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castletonking

Full Member
Jun 20, 2011
245
16
castleton vt.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I was also thinking that it could of been made from a lead rod cut into short lengths and then ground to a point by native americans.They might not have had access to a mold.It would need a point to have any kind of accuracy to it.I know if they had some muzzle loader balls that were to big to fit their guns they would hammer them into an oblong shape until they fit their weapon.
it does have mold seams on the side though..it was found in my field which yields numerous musket balls,tobac buttons,pewter buttons,2 king george coppers and a vermont copper.
 

Aug 20, 2009
12,824
7,899
New Hampshire
Detector(s) used
Garret Master hunter Cx Plus
Primary Interest:
Other
Nice grabs.most likely made for hunting or they just used an appropriate size drill bit to make their own mold not having a way to make a round ball mold.I made a mold like that once out of walnut.It didnt last long but i was able to cast about 25 slugs out of it before it started burning out
 

stevemc

Bronze Member
Feb 12, 2005
2,121
279
Sarasota, FL
Detector(s) used
Whites Surfmaster PI Pro and Whites Surfmaster PI, Minelab Excal NY blue sword. 2 White's Dual field pi, Garrett sea hunter pi II (but don't use it for obvious reasons) 5' x 3 1/2' coil underwater Pi
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
Only problem is Picket bullets have a flat or concave rear end, you said this was a ball. I dont think it is a Picket bullet. Maybe show a picture of the rear end.
 

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castletonking

Full Member
Jun 20, 2011
245
16
castleton vt.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Only problem is Picket bullets have a flat or concave rear end, you said this was a ball. I dont think it is a Picket bullet. Maybe show a picture of the rear end.
the back end is flat,it stands on its own..by ball i meant the base is rounded,in other words it looks like a ball with a flat spot on the bottom.it was identified on another forum as well as by a collector of early weaponry here in VT.
 

stevemc

Bronze Member
Feb 12, 2005
2,121
279
Sarasota, FL
Detector(s) used
Whites Surfmaster PI Pro and Whites Surfmaster PI, Minelab Excal NY blue sword. 2 White's Dual field pi, Garrett sea hunter pi II (but don't use it for obvious reasons) 5' x 3 1/2' coil underwater Pi
Primary Interest:
Shipwrecks
Picket it is then.
 

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