My Cheap Metal Detector Has Paid For Itself Over and Over

AusTexDude

Sr. Member
Aug 12, 2013
308
468
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My Cheap Metal Detector Has Paid For Itself Over and Over (Images Added)

My first metal detector is a Bounty Hunter IV cost me about $160. In using it about 20 hours total I have found;

1 - 14K Gold Ring with a 2K Sapphire sold to jeweler for $190
4 - Sterling silver rings (still have)
1 Tungsten ring (gifted to someone)
Tag Hauer Swiss watch (sold for parts on Ebay $40)
1 - Sterling/Palladium/Platinum Class ring with an emerald. (still have it awaiting owner to contact me)
Close to 100 fishing sinkers (my other big hobby is fishing)
About $10 in clad coins (spent)

Keep in mind I have dug close to 500 70s pull tabs. I have found a virgin swimming hole not detected much if at all since the 1970s. I can go down right now and find 2 dozen 70s style pull tabs in an hour easy. The place is only a 3 minute drive from my house.

:laughing7:

GOLD RING.jpg
SILVER RING.JPG
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AusTexDude

AusTexDude

Sr. Member
Aug 12, 2013
308
468
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
you should step up to an Equinox or ATPro so you can go into water - specially if you want fishing stuff too

Looks like you found a sinker, or 6000. Looks like you have about 120 LBS of lead there.
 

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AusTexDude

AusTexDude

Sr. Member
Aug 12, 2013
308
468
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I'm at about 5 lbs of lead so far. I have found many sinkers. I'm digging a sinker up about every 5 minutes when I'm hunting.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
f9886dc4e277d3eac5af9a9ae2bae2d8.jpg Congrats

What did those sun glasses ring up?
 

CASPER-2

Gold Member
Jan 3, 2012
17,158
19,959
NEW ENGLAND
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
6
Detector(s) used
WHITE'S XLT, PI PRO, GARRETT 2500, 3- FISHER CZ21s, JW FISHER 8X
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Looks like you found a sinker, or 6000. Looks like you have about 120 LBS of lead there.
each of the jugs is from 20 to 30 lbs - the rectangular bin - I can not move - I think I have around 300lbs now
 

LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
982
2,392
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
Love this thread. BTW, COSTCO has the Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300 for $99.99!!! When something is at COSTCO you know it has gone mainstream...after this thread I just might buy one...

Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300.jpg
 

LawrencetheMDer

Hero Member
Feb 22, 2014
982
2,392
Ohio and Florida
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
2
Detector(s) used
Minelab Manticore, Minelab CTX3030 w 11" and 17" DD coils,
Minelab Excalibur II w 10" coil, Equinox 800 (4) w 11" and 15" coils,
Troy Shadow x2 w 7" coil, Pointers; Garrett Carrot, Pro Find 35,
Primary Interest:
Beach & Shallow Water Hunting
OK Follow-up on my above reply; I just bought a Discovery 3300 metal detector for about 100 bucks to keep in my truck "just in case." Although I usually hunt with a CTX 3030 w 17" coil that cost about 30x the Discovery 3300, I am absolutely blown away by the features this detector has including, program variable discrimination, notching, ability to program items to ignore, target ID, auto ground balancing, pinpoint, the list goes on. A Troy Shadow II metal detector I bought for about $500 in the early 1990s (and which I have found plenty gold) can't touch the Discovery 3300! And, I have NEVER recommended a MD machine under 100 dollars. But here you have it...for $99.99. Next time someone asks me for a rec for a cheap metal detector, the Discovery 3300 will be at the top of the list. BTW, the Discovery 3300 goes for about $350 at Cabelas, $225 at Walmart or can be bought used for about $134 at Amazon. Think about that one!
 

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AusTexDude

AusTexDude

Sr. Member
Aug 12, 2013
308
468
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT MAX
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
you should step up to an Equinox or ATPro so you can go into water - specially if you want fishing stuff too

Just did!

Just bought an AT MAX. Comes with the wireless headphones and the wireless pinpointer. Should be here Thursday, I'm excited.

Been busy these past 2 years and now that fishing season is coming to a close figured I would switch back to detecting.

Have found so many sinkers with the BH think I'm up to like 15 lbs mostly bank and egg sinkers. I'll never need sinkers again I'll tell you that. Also bought a Lee Precision Melting pot and some sinker molds to deal with the extra lead I get.
 

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