3rd Cannonball off of my beach:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[bdahunter]

I got out for two hours yesterday at my private beach with the Surf PI DF and at the end of the hunt I had a 1940 King George V British Penny, a Bermudian dollar, an American dime, a ballbearing, the ever present Cambridge Beaches Hotel key and a heavily encrusted blob that didn't look very promising but I hung onto it anyway.

[attachment 104893 P9140006-1.JPG]

I'm glad I hung onto the blob because I broke it open this evening and what did I find but my 3rd Cannonball Shot. It's from a small bore cannon or perhaps a swivel gun as the cast iron ball is only 1 1/2" in diameter. It's still big enough to turn a pirate into a smudge if you took a direct hit but that's what I like about it, small and more rare. I doubt that it has been fired but probably came from a shipwreck that I believe lies off of my beach in deeper waters.
I'm a very happy camper and wouldn't trade it for gold, platinum maybe but not gold.
This pic is to give you an idea of how heavily encrusted a find can get after a few hundred years in the water. (my other two cannonballs came off the same beach and they are approximately 300 years old)

[attachment 104894 P9140001-1.JPG]

Cheers Me Hearties,

 

[mattockman]

n/t

 

[king-ghidorah]

cool find, congrats!

 

[Sanddigger]

n/t

 

[R-n-R Magnolia SpringsAla]

Grapeshot!

 

[Craig-PI]

Cool finds BDA... how you doing with the new PI so far?

 

[bdahunter]

I found this info on a site that is interested in old ammunition, I guess it's 'Round Shot'.

This is what they term "round shot"- common for land base forts or the bigger small ships- common sizes from 1/4lb on up to huge- yours looks close enough to this, so thats my guess.

I do know the little ones were common on the rear deck cannon- the captains swivel gun. Sometimes its said the load was stored seperate and close by- so one could assume it could be different material- but I didnt dig any further to see what materials were favored- I`d always say pot lead, simply because it as the most widely used ammo- but steel wouldnt be out of the question.

Cheers,

BDA

 

[bdahunter]

Cool finds BDA... how you doing with the new PI so far?

I'm sorry to say that I've been so busy with work that I've only managed 3 hunts with the Surf PI Dual Field, Craig. I like the depth but I'm still getting used to the big difference between the DF and my Excal. My first hunt was a short test hunt to establish settings, my 2nd hunt I found a white gold band and my 3rd hunt turned up the cannonball.
I'd say I'm quite happy with the DF.

Cheers Mate,

BDA

 

[Craig-PI]

BDA... I have found that bottlecaps sound like iron with the DF, I still dig them there is always that what if in the back of my mind Bobbiepins seem to be a double signal or broken so I don't dig them it hasn't seemed to hurt my totals any.. I'm usually listening for the deeper targets anyway the slight break in the threshold and I've dug some pretty impressive holes with the DF... I haven't been out in while either between work and lousy tides..

 

[bdahunter]

BDA... I have found that bottlecaps sound like iron with the DF, I still dig them there is always that what if in the back of my mind Bobbiepins seem to be a double signal or broken so I don't dig them it hasn't seemed to hurt my totals any.. I'm usually listening for the deeper targets anyway the slight break in the threshold and I've dug some pretty impressive holes with the DF... I haven't been out in while either between work and lousy tides..

I'm running the DF maxxed out so it falses a little due to saltwater running under the coil as well as irregularities in the bottom. The targets are a little faint when very deep but I can definitely distinguish them after a couple of passes of the coil. I'm not digging any whispers just hits and the small cannonball was very deep, probably 18" but it was a big target. I'm finding the DF hits between 16" and 24" no problem when maxxed out, depth varies with size of target of course.
I'm going to head down to Horseshoe Bay tonight because my Princess is out at a business dinner.

Kewl,

BDA

 

[Craig-PI]

I don't run quite maxed out but I'm pretty close and most PI's are a little noisy anyway so I'm used to it I'm running at 3 o'clock.

 

[dl_mooney]

Please be very careful with those... dl_mooney

 

[bdahunter]

Not to worry, Mate. This is solid shot so no explosion possible, I'm no fan of finding things that go boom either.