How do I find how many bullets are in this jar?

[francis k]

The problem you face is that the ammo does not pack uniformly. If we were talking about old fashioned musket balls for example, they would tend to settle in a most dense packing. The long irregular profile of these materials keeps them from forming any regular packing pattern. You can try counting the number of pieces on a side. Keep track of the number of pieces that lay against the jar and those that point in and out of the jar. From this you may be able to develop a sense of the density of the packing.
In the end, you will simply give it your best guess.