What is the best nugget machine for use in mountains of southwestern Montana?

[Spooz]

Although I have been an amatuer prospector for years, I have never used a metal detector and am considering the purchase of one for use in the mountains of southwestern Montana (specifically, in the triangulated area from Three Forks to Butte to Virginia City).

Does anyone have any suggestions regarding the best nugget machine for this area?

Additionally, if anyone has some experience with this type of ground, would you please provide me with the benefit of your experience.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[stefen]

Machines are not geographically oriented..

[EasyMoney]

I'm told and have read that the Tesoro Lobo Super Traq will work anywhere on the planet, and the Fisher GoldBug 2 will find the smallest nuggets.

The Lobo is real easy to operate in highly mineralized soil and the GoldBug is real tough to manage in high iron soil. I would think about the Lobo for your highly mineralized area and later on maybe get the Fisher for the tiny ones. The Fisher GoldBug 2 is the most used and most preferred of all nugget hunters overall, but not in real bad soil.

Think about this; At the local detector sales shop here in White's own back yard, Minelabs, Fishers, and White's are sold, but the staff there (especially the owner) uses a GoldBug 2 for most of her nugget hunting.

[treasure-prospector]

Never been detecing in the USA.......

But if you get a reasonable price for an new or used SD2200 NOT the V2 though, or an GP3000 and add a nice Coiltek 17" elipticel mono coil that's a good setup for average ground conditions and tiny nuggets as well the bigger ones. In australia i changed the coiltek 17" elipticel mono through an coiltek 14" DD though. No chance to get the mono run smoothly in that area i went prospecting.