What wreck archaeology can infer from gunfire and fire

Could wreck archaeology show that a schooner sank from a close-range mix of grape and bar shot?

Not directly: those rounds attack people and rigging, while the sinking itself would usually require a major hull breach or a fire that escaped control.

A game schooner's immediate sinking under grape and bar shot is an unreliable model for interpreting a real wreck. Those projectiles primarily attack people and rigging above the waterline, while heavy round shot can damage the wooden hull. Flooding through a major breach or an uncontrolled fire provides a more plausible cause of loss. Anti-personnel fire could contribute indirectly by killing the crew needed to fight a fire after an accident. Dousing galley fires before action reduces one ignition risk, while burning slow match creates another, especially aboard a less disciplined merchant vessel.