First hunt of 2013

I finally got out for the first time in 2013 to do some relic hunting.  The weather here in NC was incredible -- heavy morning fog gave way to brilliant sunshine and a high of 73 degrees.  Ned Stark may have been wrong about winter coming after all ...

Recoveries were from a much-hunted location but conditions and technique bore fruit.  Rain the night before softened the ground which not only made for easy digging, but also probably made faint signals easier to hear.  Some folks believe that moisture in the ground increases conductivity and makes for better detecting.  I've never looked into the effect of water on induction but there may be something to that theory.

I got into a hot spot of Type III Williams Bullets where I'd found several on previous occasions.  Two had lost their zinc washers but hadn't been fired.  Two others were intact.  All were found within 20 yards of the others.  I think the troops that were encamped here had designated the area an official Williams bullet recycle bin.

Depth was typically about 8".  Here's a photo showing a recovery with the Type III bullet in the very bottom of the plug.  I love seeing them in situ like this.

Also in this area I located an unusual carved bullet.  The soldier was no Michelangelo, but it's always exciting to find lead art.

There's a bit of a mystery about this bullet.  At first I thought it was a carved Williams Type III, but the base is lead, not zinc.  The length is also much shorter than a standard .58 three-ringer, approximately the same as for a Type III.  So for now, exactly what type of bullet this was is a mystery.

Solid base of the Mystery Bullet

The other nice find of the day was a dropped Confederate Enfield bullet.  Unlike the last one I found, this one has no stamp in its base.  All in all, a very fun day to be out and about on a camp ground from 1865.

Coming up ...

I have a number of articles in the works ranging from book and equipment reviews, to how-to features and historical debates.  Wishing you all a happy and productive 2013.