First run with the Bazooka Gold Trap!

[tridge800]

Love, love, love it!! Super easy set up, clean out and exceeded my expectations on fines retention!! Gold in pan is from 1/2 of a five gallon bucket..lookin like a good spot!!!

 

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[Sample Pan Dan]

Looks like fun

 

[Fabrication Specialists]

You'll do good with the Bazooka, it is a great product. Like you said the clean up is the best thing, no carpeting, moss, riffles, etc just quick and easy.
Good luck and stay safe out there.

Have a great weekend, Chris

 

[63bkpkr]

Tridge, again great pictures and gold the first time out with it. Your continued inputs are appreciated. How did the Keene next to you do as compared to your gold take, any ideas??. Have you been working your spot for awhile with other methods?

Just as soon as I recover well enough I've a place in mind way out in the mountains I want to get too with a Super Mini, need to purchase it first!................63bkpkr

 

[tridge800]

Yea been working this spot for about a week or so and have been using the A52 and a small Angus MacKirk prior to getting the BGT..honestly I really don't like the A52, my Angus most definitely catches much smaller fines than the keene. And from what I saw today I believe the BGT will also hold the fines better as well! Just my unbiased honest opinion and going from my experience using all three sluices.We are working a hole and down about 3 feet, have run into cemented hard pack and having troubles getting enough material to run now.Just having to break it up a little at a time! No sign of bedrock yet, but the gold is most definitely getting bigger the deeper we go.

 

[63bkpkr]

Tridge, especially for a shut in, that is one dickens of an exciting post! Wish I could be there to watch and help a little just to share in the adventure. Keep at it guy!!...............63bkpkr

 

[tridge800]

Thanks 63bkpkr..would love to have u if your ever around these parts!!

 

[Oldyoungtimer]

Glad you guys are getting the gold! It's even better that you get to put it through your brand new sluice! Hope y'all get that hard pack broke up. Looks like a great time out there. I'll be hoping i can someday find a spot like that!

 

[Lanny in AB]

Nicely done--that's a great looking sluice, and I love the gold you found with it as well.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[tridge800]

Thanks Youngoldtimer and Lanny..liking this piece of equip very much so far.Will be out Wednesday putting it through the ringer!!! Hopefully can get enough material to run several 5 gal buckets through it!!

 

[tridge800]

Oops sorry,Oldyoungtimer!!!LOL

 

[NorCalPilot]

I'm interested in how much more efficient the BGT is than the A52. I'm trying to improve my efficiency moving material when I'm down on the river. Before I jump in and purchase a BGT, I just wanted to hear from others. Thanks for your review in this thread, tridge!

For cleanup, the BGT is a far and away winner. I really like the idea of not classifying with the BGT, but the videos I've seen the grizzlies are cleaned off after every shovel-full. The size of the material I'd be running would include rocks up to softball size. If I'm stopping to remove larger rocks from the GBT every shovel, is it still going to be much faster than the A52 classified?

Thanks in advance!

 

[bswanney]

What is typically not discussed when using the bazooka is you get the advantage of washing off the softball size rocks in the bgt as it rolls down to the grizzly. How many of those size rocks do you put down the keene? My guess is none, I would be afraid of what the rock would knock out of the riffs. The bgt is simply the best for most applications period. Make sure you size the bgt for your intended use. I run 2 to 4 five gallon buckets through and end up the one 14" gold pan of cons. Using a super mini bgt. The only disadvantage is you will not end up with alot of cons. If this is a disadvantage. Happy hunting.

 

[NorCalPilot]

I don't like carrying dirt home from the river if I can pan it out. I classify down to 1/4 or 1/2 usually... the larger rocks get washed in the bucket anyway before the sluice... I'm not worried about cons, only gold! I think I will have to try the BGT.

 

[KevinInColorado]

The softball sized rocks will self clear if you run the BGT at the slope they show in the company's demo video on their website. Most prospectors run it waaay too flat since they are used to other sorts of sluices. Then they have to clear the grizzly manually.

 

[CT8620]

My super mini definitely works best with fast moving water and something greater than the standard 1" per 4' drop. After re-running and/or panning material that's been run once, I've never found any gold that's been kicked out. Occasionally I'll have flat rocks getting jammed in between the grizzly wires. Quick tap with a rock usually takes care of that in a second. You couldn't GIVE me a sluice that has matting/carpet and 5 minute cleanouts now. I pour material right out of the bucket into it and/or shovel right into it from the river. No problem. But you DO need fast moving water, otherwise you'll be having to give the bigger rocks a little push to get them over the grizzly wires. I'm told that Todd, who manufactures the BGT, will possibly make custom sizes. If the super mini is a little small, you might be able to get one in between the mini and the prospector. That's what I'd look into next.

 

[419GottaMinute]

I have to clear the grizzly after every shovel full, but a lot of my spots don't have the water flow he shows in his video. I do love the fact that all you have to do is sweep the grizzly with your hand to clear clear it even in low water flow conditions. I am truly amazed at the gold it recovers.



Short vid of me running my prospector at mineral bar last week. Here's the gold recovered that day

 

[KevinInColorado]

Wow, great gold, someday when I get out to CA to prospect I think I will just ask to follow you around!

Next time you set up, try getting more drop by putting the downstream end in a bit of a hole. Also I think you are pausing to clear the grizzly more often than really needed...experiment with running more before clearing manually even if it feels like you are booming the box (which you aren't since there are no riffles to overload!).

Love to hear how this advice works for you

 

[tridge800]

Got out yesterday for the second run with my new BGT and this is the take from 2 five gallon buckets..!! Took everyone's advise and ran it with quite a bit more angle, cleared out the larger rocks much better. Was kinda scared with more angle, but checked my tailings and only found one 100+ mesh flake but can't rule out that one piece could have just been in the river gravels already..I was able to run one five gal bucket, shovel and fill another 5 gal bucket and run it before my friend could run 1/2 of his 5 gal bucket through his A52!!! This thing frikin ROCKS!!!!

 

[KevinInColorado]

Great job tridge800! Lesson learned right? Run it steep!