Putting a date on a site

[cheese]

I don't know if you all find shotgun shells as much as I do, but I am finding several. I found a website that helps ID the shell and gives some dates to go by. I think this would be a good way to get some idea of the age of the site you are working. I have kept shells from 2 sites that I'm working, and the dates of the shells are consistent with the known history of the homesites. Here is the link, hope it's helpful. : http://members.shaw.ca/cartridge-corner/shotgun.htm

 

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[vwayne1]

Yep, I use the same method. I find a few shotgun and centerfire shells. Good sight for ID.

 

[nitro]

I find some at a local park I hunt, that will be a great tool to use. Thank you for posting.

 

[Lowbatts]

Hey Cheese, those sites with shotgun brass around here pretty much run the range of dates from the inception of the shotgun shell on and the finds tell the tale. The bullet or more likely the nail will be the best indicator of a site's age around here when it is rural and otherwise undefined. That is a cool link!

 

[cheese]

I didn't think they would be a good indication of the age of the site since hunters are in the woods no matter whether there was a house there or not, but so far the average has been dead on. One site I hunt on has given lots of indications of being inhabited in the 20s and 30s. I checked the shotgun shells I found there and they date from the late 1800s to the 1920s, so that fits. Another house site dates from 1850 to present. The shell I found there dates from late 1800's to 1911. And a bullet case from there dates from prior to 1922. So those also fit. I wouldn't base the age of a site on just one shell alone, but if several are found in the area and most of them fit in one time frame then it might help give a good idea of the age of the site.

I wish I could find a similar site for bullet casings. I find a lot of those too. It appears as if people back in those days did a lot of shooting right in their front yards.

 

[piratepete]

i dont find any bullets or shells around here-but if i did i would use the site.