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I found these in seperate fields...i were just wondering if either are a MUSKET BALL... they are both heavy in weight, but not perfectly round.

Q. If they are made of Lead and they are musket balls is their any precautions i should make handling/storing them as i have also read that older lead is of a higher content and could therefore be potentially dangerous

thanks in advance... flip ???

yeah Flipper White lead is very toxic mate,  be wearing gloves or wash your hands after handling, as thats been said if they hit a stone or something their shape with change under the impact,
heres some of mine  from the mid 1600's to the early 1900s,  the smaller ones are pistol shots,.

A basic rule of thumb for dating round shot, if they appear to be cast in two parts (as they were) with a seam around the middle these are pre 19th century , whereas the more uniform (without seam) are 19th century and later.
This is due to the invention of the shot tower. This was a tall tower where the molten lead was dropped from, it was discovered that this process using gravity formed perfect spheres.
More info here

http://testweb.chester.gov.uk/PDF/HeritageBriefing_LeadWorks.pdf (http://testweb.chester.gov.uk/PDF/HeritageBriefing_LeadWorks.pdf)

nice link bandit i have heared this story a few times and didnt believe it nice to have a link to prove the theory well done mate annother bit of history put to bed for me. ;D

I believe they used to make some musket balls with inentations in them called "chewed" musket balls, The idea being to inflict even more damage as they passed through the body.
 

annother nice link there flipper a interesting thread.

yep thats where the phrase, bite the bullet came from, they used to chew on musket balls whilst having sugery and also to help produce suliva when thirsty