Need help with a bullet ID.

[Arkennon]

I found a lot of these bullets in an area in 2010 that I would love to know a bit more about. I found several that were partially smashed like they were fired and hit something and I found a few like this that were still nicely shaped. And slightly ballooned at the top which suggests it was fired but did not hit anything. They are quite large almost 1 and a quarter inch long and half an inch wide. If anyone can tell me anything about these I would greatly appreciate it.

 

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[Chug And Red]

I have a few like that, never asked about them !!! Chug

 

[Terrafisher]

Maybe a 50 cal muzzle loader?

 

[Arkennon]

I have searched like crazy online but have not found anything like it. I just know it is a beast of a bullet. Can not imagine what people would need to shoot with these things. Hopefully someone here will know the story on them.

 

[Terrafisher]

I've seen some similar shaped bullets posted, but not sure on which site. They identified them as muzzle or breach loader, and showed them being found with round ball. Seems like they found them on the southern end of Matagorda Island. Possibly a minie-ball? Not quite as bulbous of head as those you have though, upon second look. Maybe for a Sharps or Enfield.

I dunno... just throwing out a possible...

http://baymediapro.com/collection/bullet_search.asp

 

[MKnTenn]

I believe they are post Civil War, maybe 50cal WW1 bullet. HH

 

[timekiller]

Yea it's a rifle bullet.And a big one.Do you have a way to weigh it? off the top of my head 45/70 bullet.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[timekiller]

Just another possibilty would be the .50-90 Sharps.And if you live out west it would go well as it was popular for Bison & Big game.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.50-90_Sharps

 

[Arkennon]

I actually live in northwest Ohio. And I am trying to find my scale now.

 

[Arkennon]

It appears to be 31 grams.

 

[timekiller]

It appears to be 31 grams.

Yea that's close to a 480 grain bullet(478.4). And of the two I suggested it would fit .50-90 better as they made them from 335gr to 550.But they did make a version of the 45/70-405 that shot a 500 grain bullet.Thing's for sure it's a rifle bullet,it's big,and most likely has a little age to it.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[Arkennon]

Thank you for all the info. I also wanted to ask, since your responses, I have been looking more and am finding references to a 478 grain mini ball. And saw a few pics that look pretty similar. Is that what you pointed to is? I mean is it the same thing? Please forgive my ignorance concerning all this and I greatly appreciate the help.

 

[RickyD]

I found two of those same bullets, neither had any damage. That was up here in Washington State in an area where a sawmill town had once been from 1903 till 1928.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

This is just a guess, but the 1863 sharps rifles underwent a conversion in 1874. It was reworked to accept a .45 caliber 110 grain round:'

It was featured in the movie Quigley Down under. Some of the info from that rifle and movie is here:

http://www.eabco.com/Sharps03.htm

Not sure if they're the same, but it was a BIG rifle in it's day and still is.

 

[Monty]

There was any number of long range (for the time) rifle cartridges built on one basic cartridge case. Most of the really larger bullets were this case and most of them wound up in a Sharps rifle and used by buffalo hunters and big gme hunters here in the USA. If course I imagine some were shipped over seas. The first digit in the number of the cartridge is the diameter of the bullet. The second number is the amount of black powder that propelled the bullet weighed in grains. For example, the .45-70 used a .45 caliber bullet in front of 75 grains of black powder. Generally the heavier the bullet, the longer the case to be able to hold an amount of black powder to make the rifle deadly at normal hunting ranges. The case itself either was straight on the sides or had a slight taper depending on the bullet caliber. The picture supplied by Rooster Cogburn shows some of the various calibers and case lengths. You can still buy a modern copy of the original Sharps rifles and gear to load and/or reload your own cartridges. The original Sharps are collectors pieces and I doubt any collector would want to fire them. I have a .45-70 and I shoot a 405 grain bullet over a load of smokeless powder in it. Smokeless powder would not be safe to shoot in the original rifles. The original .45-70 was once adopted by the US Army and was at the infamous ( unles you are an Indian) Custer's Last Stand. The "buff" hunters usually went for the larger calibers and I suppose it would be a good stopper for a grizz in other parts of the country. I doubt your particular bullet will be identified any closer than it has unless you can come up with some old cartridge cases near where you dug this bullet. Nice find and very interesting to those of us who enjoy the shooting sports. Monty

 

[timekiller]

Thank you for all the info. I also wanted to ask, since your responses, I have been looking more and am finding references to a 478 grain mini ball. And saw a few pics that look pretty similar. Is that what you pointed to is? I mean is it the same thing? Please forgive my ignorance concerning all this and I greatly appreciate the help.

Mini Balls & Maxi balls,are for muzzle loading guns/rifles.As they are not self contained cartriges.Meaning you need to pour powder down the barrel then ram the bullet down behind it.Yes there are some Maxi Ball's that are similar in style of yours but I'm purdy sure yours was fired from a Cartrige like below.Minus the hollow point which is the hole in the end of the lead bullet.Yours appears to be a round nose solid bullet.
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[Monty]

I second the opinion that it is definately not a miniball. I really think you can green check it now as you have got as good an ID as you are apt to get. Very intersting and thanks for posting it. Monty

 

[Arkennon]

I will go ahead and mark this as solved and thank you all for your help with this. If anyone else happens to look here though I have one more question that is boggling me and a few other people I have emailed regarding these bullets ( a few sites online that sell molds for old bullets). If this is from a cartridge, what should the bottom look like? These are concave with an identifiable small round indent at the middle of the concave. Thank you all again.

 

[timekiller]

I will go ahead and mark this as solved and thank you all for your help with this. If anyone else happens to look here though I have one more question that is boggling me and a few other people I have emailed regarding these bullets ( a few sites online that sell molds for old bullets). If this is from a cartridge, what should the bottom look like? These are concave with an identifiable small round indent at the middle of the concave. Thank you all again.

I guess your talking about the end looks like these? Was for the pressure to build in and make a tight fit as it exit's down the barrel.

 

[Arkennon]

I will take a pic of the bottom later and post it, but no, it is slightly concave, with a small round indent right in the middle of the conclave, almost like someone took a rounded nail tip and struck it perfectly in the middle. I will post a pic on it later, I know its hard to understand what I am describing, I just hope my crappy camera can focus it lol. Thanks.