help me if you can

[OutBack Duo]

I found these 2 lead balls out in the middle of Missouri in a heavily wooded area that doesn't see many people. I assume they are Musket balls but don't know from what era. They were found in very virgin territory (no other metal signals on my detector) and found a couple hundred feet from each other. They are different sizes and look like they were made by hand. They are also white in color. Any help would be appreciated.

Dathvick

 

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[junkdigger]

Dathwick,I bet they are very old musket or rifle balls.Lead turns white with lead oxide after a long time in the ground.Only the very oldest bullets in my area turn white like that.They weren't always perfectly round.The old "Kentucky rifles" were made by hand and the molds to cast the balls were too.The molds were made of brass,iron,soapstone and maybe of other materials.I would look closely at those balls with a magnifying glass to see if fabric impressions show on them and if they do I would guess they were fired from a rifle.Rifles were more accurate than muskets and probably preferred by hunters.I wish those bullets and balls could tell a story!

 

[SpaceCowboy]

The one on the left looks to be about a .45cal and the right looks like a .36cal. The larger could be rifle and the smaller a pistol.
Either way they are old. Nice find.

 

[skinnyoda]

Old musket balls. 8)

 

[dnewbury2]

Could be buckshot from deer hunters.

 

[keniii]

They look like rifle balls to me.

 

[hollowpointred]

way too big for buckshot. musket balls for sure. probably 200 years old.