.45 Wadcutter Projectile Found Metal Detecting (lead)

45 Wadcutter Projectile

Found November 22nd, 2023 at a local grade school by BHiggles • Minelab Equinox 800 metal detector • Park 1 default • Sensitivity 8 • VDI 17-18 • 11 inch default coil • 1 inch deep

45 Wadcutter Projectile Found Metal Detecting (lead)

Recently I was metal detecting at a local grade school and found an interesting old lead projectile or bullet. Sensitivity just 8 as I was hunting the tot lot when a solid 17-18 VDI target was discovered. I dialed in the separation and went in with the XP MI-6 pin pointer.

To my surprise out pops a wonderful looking old lead bullet! Once home, a quick online post had the debate in full force! What is it? Is it civil war era? The answer was necessary. The results were staggering. So many different answers leaving me more confused then educated. Then I met a fella in one of the Australian groups and he wanted some more information first before giving his recommendation. Asked me to measure and weigh the lead bullet. 11.1mm and 16.16 grams.

Sure enough, he was able to teach me a few things about these kinds of bullets and suggested it was more modern than old and most likely a .45 calibre cast lead bullet, often referred to as a wadcutter. Happy with this experience, I quickly wondered why such a bullet would be where it was in a school playground. I jumped on Historical Aerials and sure enough, the 1902 topo map showed 2 homesteads in the area. This makes the wadcutter find make a little bit more sense. That tot lot would have been in their backyards.

The next day, I was able to immediately walk right to the lower homestead and started finding some really great items like older clad coins, then an old bike seat, and a little badge that read Bethel Temple Fellowship. Convinced this was the homestead spot, I kept probing the area for treasures. The next item out was an INCREDIBLE Tootsie Toy! The day was glorious and the finds were outstanding. I look forward to returning to this area to see what other hidden treasure lie below the surface of the earth for me to discover. Until the next adventure!!! Read more blogs.

The MOST FUN PART about all this was seeing all the different answers from fans online. Here are just a few. Wadcutter, modern wadcutter, .38 wad cutter, lead projectile, martini Henry round .577/450, muzzle load shot, black powder, cleaner bullet, Thompson Center Maxi Ball, Minnie, .357 cast lead wadcutter, 1800’s bullet point, fired from Martini Henry Rifle, late 19th century, old black powder bullet, 1870’s-1880’s, civil war bullet, muzzle loader lead bullet, post civil war bullet, maxi ball bullet, mini ball, 43-45 caliber, semi wadcutter either 357 or 44, not a minie, it is a cartridge load, 3 piece bullet, its modern, possibly a Gardener bullet, 3 ringer civil war era bullet, and definitely a three-ring bullet!