# 50 caliber ?



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

I sawed through this lead slug this weekend, took it's picture and forgot about it till just now when I had the camera hooked up to the computer. It was 20'+ up the tree trunk and 15" deep (been there a long time) Seems kinda big for a squirrel rifle :laughing:.


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## jeffreythree (Jan 9, 2008)

Maybe it was a black powder rifle? They have .50 caliber available. I think it would make a cool "feature" in a piece, especially since it is so big.


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Cool find. I got lucky with a bartop job I did this spring and found two bullets in different slabs. The restaurant that the bartops went into were very happy that they were there.


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## Handyman (Jan 2, 2008)

Daren Judging on the size of think the tree, how old do you the tree is?


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## Terry Beeson (May 29, 2008)

OK... Which restaurant, Big Dave? I need to see that one...

Now I know where all those shots I missed at deer are going to wind up someday....


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Handyman said:


> Daren Judging on the size of think the tree, how old do you the tree is?


I just learned something. I did not know how long an American sycamore could live. I did a quick Google search and it said 500 years , 200-300 would be average for a big one. I have not, did not plan on ring counting this tree figuring it to be 100 yrs old _tops_. (even though it was 50" across at the base) They get big here, but do it fast so I never thought anything about it being old. I have sawed 20"ish white oaks that where 140 years old ...and 20" red oaks less than 40 years old. It depends where a tree grows for one thing. And some species just grow faster than others. I did not know sycamore was so long lived. We still hunt with black powder rifles here (special deer season) so that would not be a rarity especially since some doofuses nail a target to a tree to sight them in. I milled a veneer walnut this spring with 2 nails and 3 slugs on one side, obvious what that was.
This could well be an "antique" slug from pioneer days? I know where the tree came from, by a local lake that was not manmade it has always been here. Making it good hunting for centuries. I know I have a nice collection of native American arrow/spear points from the same area, that was my old stomping grounds and I have hunted fished that neck of the woods for 30 years.


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## dbhost (Jan 28, 2008)

Uh, yeah, we do still hunt with .50 cal. Black powder though... I have a friend that I hunt with that uses a Thompson .50 cal that will just about tear your arm off...


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## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

Daren I recently read an article on Sycamore too, like within the past few days. I believe it was Wiki not sure. Anyway the article said something I did not know as well, it said Sycamore attains the largest diameter of any north american hardwood species!


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## widekerf (Aug 9, 2008)

Be careful there Daren. Wouldn't want you to needlessly incriminate yourself. Out here on the politically correct left coast I understand it to be illegal to collect " NATIVE AMERICAN" artifacts. Perhaps NATIVE AMERICANS in your part of the country are less sensitive.


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## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

widekerf said:


> Perhaps NATIVE AMERICANS in your part of the country are less sensitive.


No they are not. There is something about being ran out of your homeland by a "foreign invader" , slaughtered or pushed to the furthest corners of the map that has a way of making a people kinda in a sour mood I guess ?


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## dirtclod (May 7, 2008)

Current world champion here in Kentucky:








11'-2" DBH


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## Oscar (Jun 7, 2008)

Daren:

If you found that slud that far into that tree (15") it would have to be "Antique." Even though Black Powder/Pyrodex makes BIG noise and alot of theatrics, they are not really that powerful (as compared to modern standards). I've been a Gun nut my entire life and up till 1992, I hunted Muzzle Loader for Bear,Elk,Deer & Coyote. I had a big change of heart at that time and since only shoot paper. Anyways, the point I'm try'n to make is, it appears to be a 50 cal lead ball and if so, using Black Powder it would have only penetrated a very few inches 2"-4" (assuming a healthy fully barked tree) at close range. Not knowing how fast the tree might grow but assuming a moderate rate it would likely have took a minimum of 50-75 years and more likely 100+. My guesstimate is un-scintific but is based on more than a little experience (being a Dufusse by using trees as holders/backstops for target practice.) I've since had quite the change of heart about alot of things tree being one of them. I'm in particular agrement about the means/methods of our aquisition of this land we're temporarily residing on (America) and attitudes of it's rightful owners!


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Terry Beeson said:


> OK... Which restaurant, Big Dave? I need to see that one...
> 
> Now I know where all those shots I missed at deer are going to wind up someday....


 
Your gonna have to drive a ways. It's at a restaurant called Open Range in Willow Springs Mo.


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## Terry Beeson (May 29, 2008)

Hey... that's right on the way to the grandbaby's house in Mammoth Spring, AR!!! I go through there about once a month or so...


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## bigredc (Sep 1, 2007)

Being new to all this, it took me a while to figure out how tiny pieces of metal got into my wood I was planing. I finally figured out it was bird shot. Luckily lead didn't seem to hurt the blades on my planer.


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## slabmaster (Mar 30, 2008)

The slower the tree grew, the tighter the growth rings will be with smaller diameter than a tree that grew fast.You might want to take that into consideration when ageing the tree.Could give you a better idea of it's age.It could be a ball from civil war era.


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## john manestar (Aug 30, 2008)

Id bet its a musket ball as we use mostly sabot type slugs nowdays.


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## john manestar (Aug 30, 2008)

why?


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## john manestar (Aug 30, 2008)

Think thats bad my friend had a log with an old fur trap grown into it. The chainsaw didnt seem to like it much.


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