Finding in virgnia (A first for me and my hunting partners)

[gbpackrfan1990]

I have been too busy with school to go hunting for the past month or so, so when I finally got some free time this past saturday I was chomping at the bit to go out and do some digging. My father and I had two very small spots to go try out that had potential, At the first spot was a lot of house trash and I did manage to find one eagle button. so we left there after satisfying our curiosity and moved to the second spot. I proceeded to dig three pieces of junk and then got a strong signal which turned out to be a dropped 3-ringer, swung my detector over the hole and got a low rumble of a reading right next to an old well. I thought twice about digging it (thinking it was a piece of a pump attached to the well or something) but decided I might as well go for it. I dug and dug and got down about 15 inches and out popped a round ball.... and another round ball.... and then another. I thought this might be a cartridge box in here!!! so i started digging more carefully thinking maybe there would be a plate in the bottom of the hole... the round balls kept piling up and then I began to realize I had more than just a cartridge box here. I had a case of ammunition that had been dumped by the soldiers!!! I ended up with a total of 440 "buck and ball" rounds all in this one hole about 15-20 inches deep! It was an awesome find for me, I was very pleased!

 

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[medicman507]

Great find.

 

[Digs68]

How awesome is that?!!
Amazing find! Congrats!

 

[hamiddetecting]

Congratulation! Great finds.

 

[gmanlight]

There is some history with those finds

 

[gbpackrfan1990]

There is some history with those finds

Yes, It really makes you think about how they were lost. A whole case would have been 1000 rounds. so did the box get knocked over? or did the guy get tired of carrying it and just sad heck with it and dumped it? Who knows! but there was no remnants of the box in the hole, no nails or wood or anything but a couple of the balls did still have some string on them so that was cool.

 

[CSA2K]

Holy moly! I found four sets in one hole and thought I hit the jackpot.. congrats!

 

[FamilyFun2010]

Hate to ask a silly question.. BUT.. I am assuming the little pieces attached to the ball is the buck? As in buckshot? And that is where it gets its name buck and ball? Never seen one like that so I am curious just so I know what I am looking at in case I find something like that and dont think its some kind of misfit. lol

 

[oldsalty19]

 

[olenodigger]

looks like ash in the bottom of the hole could be a fire or trash pit did you check for bottles.

 

[Papa Bear]

That many Buck and Ball is a banner find to me!! Well done!!

 

[Papa Bear]

Hate to ask a silly question.. BUT.. I am assuming the little pieces attached to the ball is the buck? As in buckshot? And that is where it gets its name buck and ball? Never seen one like that so I am curious just so I know what I am looking at in case I find something like that and dont think its some kind of misfit. lol

This might answer your question:

 

[junkhunter]

nice find,dug a handfull of the little buggers out at div

 

[FamilyFun2010]

Thanks Papa Bear! Cool video. Would not want to be on the business end of something like that.

 

[Papa Bear]

Thanks Papa Bear! Cool video. Would not want to be on the business end of something like that.

You are welcome. We are all here to learn.

 

[pwcguy]

The ash in the bottom of the hole is what's left of the black powder. Buck and ball loads were in wrapped paper cartridge with powder.
Out standing find.

 

[Steve in PA]

That's a serious pile of lead! Very cool find.

I've dug plenty of the buckshot, and plenty of the .69 caliber balls, but I've never found a buck & ball load with all four fused together. Looks like you got quite a few still fused.

 

[gbpackrfan1990]

That's a serious pile of lead! Very cool find.

I've dug plenty of the buckshot, and plenty of the .69 caliber balls, but I've never found a buck & ball load with all four fused together. Looks like you got quite a few still fused.

Unfortunately none of them were still fused together, my father and I spent 3 hours sifting through the dirt we pulled out of the hole to find all the buck shot. (which we didnt do haha) I ended up gluing all the buck shot to the balls to replicate what they would have looked like originally for display purposes. we pulled a total of 440 round balls and only 954 buckshot. which is 366 short of the 1320 that should have been in the hole. I know we didnt miss that many so Im not sure if they were lost back when the case was burried during the war. but either way, still cool!

 

[Valley Ranger]

Amazing!

 

[jewelerguy]

wow that's crazy