Metal Detector

[Don McDowell]

Yup there's a lot of country around here that could be ripe for metal detecting.

[kokomokid]

If you are going to hunt around old homsites you need one that will block out trash and has a fast recovery time. For the money I like my Garrett ATpro and you will also need a good pin pointer.

[Don McDowell]

Not many home sights, but plenty of places where placer gold might have gathered, and cavalry and Indian encampments and possible battle/skirmish sites. A couple of missing Deadwood Stage robbery's were buried and not known to have been recovered... just tons of stuff that could be interesting.

[Gussy]

The garret AT Pro is highly regarded and I have a Whites MXT pro. You can get either in the $6-800 range. If looking for gold, the Garret AT Gold is probably also a good choice. As was stated, you NEED a pin pointer... don't go out without one!! It will save ton of time locating what you're digging. The Garret "carrot", the orange pin pointer is probably the best out there as it's also water proof.

Don't bother buying anything less than those machine and it must have ground balancing (manual as well as auto) or you will dig a lot of trash... Actually, you WILL dig a ton of trash in any case if you want to find something.

Time... DON'T expect to pick up a machine and just start finding stuff. It will take quite a few hours of use to learn the machine and what it's telling you. After a hundred or so hours, you will know what a meter reading ++ sound is telling you. Pull tab, bottle cap or coin/ring/gold/silver or more trash.

from a hunting camp....

[Don McDowell]

Thanks Gussy will check those out. Lot's to learn about these things.

[kokomokid]

As an example if I block out pull tabs then I also block 98% of rings and nickles.

[Kurt]

Don buying a metal detector is a personal thing like getting a rifle or a caliber for a specific purpose. If you just want something that will beep or buzz when you swing over metal then the $29.95 Walmart detector will do this. If your interested in finding Gold then get a detector that was designed especially for gold. Treasure hunting on beaches or ball parks under bleachers are anther thing.
In your area you will cross a lot of hot rocks and barbwire horse shoe nails you will get very tired spending a lot of time finding those sounds. You should dig up every single till you understand your detectors language. I can tell if I pass over a piece of wire or a hot rock but not a bullet, shell case or pop can from gold
There are several good detectors out there for Gold. The Garrett AtX I been reading is proving out good. Fisher and white are also a descent detectors.
I use a Minelab and it has done well for me, but it is heavy and when you swing it all day you will start looking for that tether cord that they packed with it But I have #5 or #6 lead shot 6" down using it. The detectors I mentioned for gold are not cheap.
Go on this web site and page down to the detecting and do some reading by the people that use them. http://www.goldprospectors.org/Community/Forum/aff/6
http://www.detectorprospector.com/forum/...-gpx-5000/

Kurt

[Gussy]

I wish this area had good prospecting sites!! My hunting is mainly old cabin/house sites.

As Kurt said, weight does add up over the day. A heavy machine takes it's toll.

How much you want to spend on a machine and how much you will use it is up to you. There seems to be a price break at $1000. It's slightly under $1000 or over $2000++ if you go all out. Doesn't seem to be to much in between those numbers. The newer machines in the slightly under $1000 are pretty good. Those over $2000 are great if you're really serious about finding gold.

If you look at all the coins in my photo, it's obvious that my machine will pay for itself in 15-20 years!!

[Kurt]

I paid for my Minelab in about an hour of swinging but that was up in Alaska going over old dredging tailings. Dredges are great for the fine gold but anything over 1/2" in diameter will go out with the tailings in the nugget trap gets missed.

[Gussy]

Kurt...wish I'd had this thing when I was a kid in CA 30 miles from miles and miles of tailings!!