Searched near old Fort. First Musket Ball?

[Hogtown Hunter]

Went detecting for an hour just down from an old fort. It was used during the Second Seminole Indian War and Civil War. As soon as I put the detector on the ground I get a solid deep target. I dig up what looks like a musket ball? This would be my first. Guess there is no way to tell if this was shot in 1830s or 1930s??
If I get something good its usually at the end of the hunt not the first target. So I was excited to keep going but that was as good as it was going to get. After that I get another solid deep hit and dig up what I thought were stud gaurds and threw them in my bag. There was more further down but I was I was in a hurry and covered hole and moved on. When I got home I decided to take a second look. After cleaning them off I realized they were reeds off old harmonica. Now I got to go back and see if I can find the rest of it. Hopefully the top and bottom cover are in good shape and I can get an idea of how old. Maybe it will have makers name to research it. I was mostly looking for deeper targets but when I'd get a shallow 28-30 quarter/silver range I had to check. Got four modern quarters. Also uncovered a cat collar. Stopped digging before I reached the cat. While digging other hits I came across three older bottles. A small snake bite size, an old wine jug and Coca Cola bottle from Dublin, Georgia.

 

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[releventchair]

The roundball appears to be a drop , vs having been fired.
Picture shows light patina . Must be generous soil...
No visable sprue from pics.
Measuring it could hint of caliber.
Per dime comparison it might be a 54 or 50 caliber rifle.(?) Multiple sizes available for each when molds are considered. With near half inch for a 50 , for a ballpark average.

 

[Hogtown Hunter]

One angle looks perfectly round but other angle it's a little flattened. The two Knicks in it were from where I hit gouged it digging it up.

 

[Hogtown Hunter]

It's at least half inch maybe just over.

 

[releventchair]

Likely a rifle ball then.
There were/are smaller smoothbores , but 20 gauge runs around 610 diameter and on up. 680 is a ballpark for a Brown Bess, though larger and small can /have been used.
Not sure what musket you reference.... With early muskets being smooth-bored they often kept greater diameters to be able to use shot as well as ball. . And to make things funner , a rifled musket began in the mid nineteenth century.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Hogtown Hunter]

Likely a rifle ball then.
There were/are smaller smoothbores , but 20 gauge runs around 610 diameter and on up. 680 is a ballpark for a Brown Bess, though larger and small can /have been used.
Not sure what musket you reference.... With early muskets being smooth-bored they often kept greater diameters to be able to use shot as well as ball. . And to make things funner , a rifled musket began in the mid nineteenth century.

Thanks for the info. I know nothing about musket/rifle balls. I see a lead ball and assume its musket. After researching I see what you are talking about. I'm still a newbie and learning as I go. Thanks again!!

 

[releventchair]

Thanks for the info. I know nothing about musket/rifle balls. I see a lead ball and assume its musket. After researching I see what you are talking about. I'm still a newbie and learning as I go. Thanks again!!

My bad.
Congrats on your recoveries!

An old fort site would be exciting. Keep at it...

 

[smokeythecat]

Nice! It is an early musket ball. Probably more in the area.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Looks like an old musket ball, congrats!