Been Metal Detecting For 50 Years

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Howdy there! I am Bob, an spry old geezer who has been around for a long time. I started metal detecting when I was a young man back in the 1960's. So I am new to this website but am old in metal detecting. My first detector was a Garrett BFO detector. It was a great old detector and, like an idiot, I sold it years ago and now wish I had it back. I recently purchased one similar to it over ebay so it brings back fond memories.
Most of you probably are too young to remember Karl von Muller (Miller) but he was a big time treasure hunter from the old days. He was a friend of mine when he was in Nebraska City. I used to go to his treasure shack detector store those long years ago. Karl was the real deal. He is gone now, God rest his soul. His "Treasure Hunters Manual" series of books are the best you can read on metal detecting and treasure hunting. and I am not just saying that because he was my friend but it is the truth. They are out of print now and they are hard to find, but when you can find them they bring a premium because they are the best manuals you can buy on the subject.
Well, I have 4 Garrett Detectors now and one Bounty Hunter Detector. Like golf clubs, I use each detector for a different purpose.
I have found some stuff in my time but I have seen first hand what running one's big mouth can do as far as losing what you find to greedy crooked lawyers, and unsavory government people, so I never tell if I find something BIG. I just keep it to myself. Now I don't mind opening my big mouth and sharing the little things I find, like a coin here and there and non historical artifacts etc. But I am an old believer that "even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he had learned to keep his mouth shut" and that's the truth.
I am a retired police officer and have know my share of famous lawmen and outlaws and at times gathered lots of intel from them on lost and hidden stuff they had heard about etc. Being a lawman and treasure hunting just kinda fits together. You listen to people talk about all kinds of things day in and day out for years and build up quite a library in you mind of treasure tails and things like that. Of course most of it is pure baloney but some of it is true. Karl was the one who talked about a fish not getting into trouble if he had kept his mouth shut and I have found that to be true over and over again.
Karl and most of my old treasure hunting buddies have gone to the big hunting field in the sky now so it is kinda lonely. Maybe I can make some new friends here.
Old geezer Bob Christian
 

lairmo

Silver Member
Jan 1, 2009
2,952
4,890
SW MO
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro/ Fisher M-Scope 1280-X
I have noticed you're responses/posts on 3 different occasions since watching for the last few hours...and Missouri?..Welcome to the Forum Bob. Good to have you here.
Nearly neighbors..Good luck to you and Happy hunting!!!!:thumbsup:

EDIT: please post some pics of previous finds...MOST are super friendly on here!!!!
 

BLK HOLE

Silver Member
Aug 3, 2017
4,725
6,501
Northern Virginia
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT MAX/AT PRO/GPX-4500, Equinox 800, Garrett Pro Pointer,NEL Attack Coil, Lesche diggers, and the custom made in the USA Freeloader Pack Mule Pouch!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Welcome Bob from Northern Virginia! This is a great forum and I know your experience, knowledge and stories will be welcomed. I myself am new at detecting and have learned a lot here, looking forward to learning from you!
 

Phishfindr

Bronze Member
Apr 7, 2017
1,158
1,570
NEW ENGLAND
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro, Minelab Equinox 600, Garrett Pro Pointer AT Z-Lynk, Lesche digging tools, Pack Mule finds bag by Freeloader.
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Welcome aboard from CT!
 

OP
OP
B

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks Folks for the warm welcome. I appreciate it.
If the good Lord is willing, I plan to tell some stories on here about some of my adventures in metal detecting and some of the outlaws and policemen I knew like "The town bully, Ken Rex McElroy, who was shot down on the streets of Skidmore, Missouri "In Broad Daylight" after 40 years of crime."In Broad Daylight" is the name of the book and the Big Hollywood Movie made about Ken Rex. Almost every big talk show on TV talked about Ken Rex. Ophra went nuts over the story because no one in Skidmore would tell the FBI or anyone else who shot Ken Rex down. I knew Ken Rex very well and saw him on almost a daily basis in the 70's. He knew a lot of treasure tails and buried some of his loot. He and I had kinda a friend/enemy relation ship. We both knew we might have to kill each other some day. But that is another story. I was out to put him in jail and he was going to keep me from doing it, but it ended up like the old song said "the law they thought they'd get him but the devil got him first" and I was one of the lawmen who thought we would get him.
 

Last edited:

Showtime2385

Bronze Member
Nov 19, 2013
1,586
1,479
NY
🥇 Banner finds
1
Detector(s) used
Minelab E-Trac, Garrett AT-Pro, Garrett Pro-pointer-AT
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
:hello: Welcome from NY ya old geezer.. I mean Bob :dontknow: What he said it first? lol
 

OP
OP
B

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yep good old North West Missouri. I am a hop and skip away from the Jessie James stomping ground, the Earp stomping ground, the pretty boy Floyd hide outs, and a lot of other interesting places. Karl von Mueller liked this area a lot for that very reason. So do I.
 

Ammoman

Bronze Member
Oct 12, 2015
2,211
5,348
NC
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Nokta Impact, Tesoro Compadre..
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Welcome from NC. Looking forward to your posts!
 

OP
OP
B

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yep, one can't hide the truth. I am now a old totally white haired old geezer who has snow on the roof and fire in the fire place. I can still shoot with the best of em and chase my wife around the house and even catch her. Hee hee
 

Ammoman

Bronze Member
Oct 12, 2015
2,211
5,348
NC
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, Nokta Impact, Tesoro Compadre..
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yep, one can't hide the truth. I am now a old totally white haired old geezer who has snow on the roof and fire in the fire place. I can still shoot with the best of em and chase my wife around the house and even catch her. Hee hee

LOL for some reason i picture Jack Elam.
 

trdking

Gold Member
Feb 28, 2015
5,139
7,923
Fullerton CA
Detector(s) used
Minelab CTX 3030
AT Pro
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Welcome Bob Christian. Great Name, the same as an old friend of mine who has past years back. My son bears his name. Happy hunting.
 

devldog

Silver Member
Mar 9, 2012
3,645
6,340
Georgia
Detector(s) used
Whites MXT ALL PRO, Minelab Safari
Primary Interest:
Relic Hunting
Welcome to the Tnet Forum from Georgia. I well remember the story of the town bully. When I was growing up our Dad always told my brother and I that if one goes around looking for trouble long enough, they usually find it. McElroy looked around long enough, and Trouble found him. I just watched an Old airing of 60 minutes a short while ago on this very case. You sir are off to a great start, Great post and most interesting especially of being acquainted with this case first hand.
 

OP
OP
B

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Thanks. Here is my first big tip for you. Think of your detector as your baby, never leave it in a hot car in the sun in the summer. It will kill your metal detector. I know first hand. I forgot a perfectly good Garrett in the car one hot day by mistake. It never made a peep after that. Poor thing just kinda died of heat stoke right then and there. It brings a tear to my eye even now. Sniffle sniffle. A hard lesson learned.
 

OP
OP
B

Bob Christian

Greenie
Mar 27, 2018
10
42
Maitland, Missouri
Detector(s) used
3 different Garrets
1 Bounty Hunter
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Yep I was right in the middle of it all. I was fighting a drug gang from Arkansas (Clinton's) and they tried three time to kill me and crippled me on the third try. Believe it or not, McElroy was not the worst of them. There were thugs in this drug gang that made drug addicts out of little girls and took them to the brothels in Kansas City and made thieves and robbers out of their brothers. I was trying to break that up all alone with only one old part time deputy.
McElroy pulled up beside me one night and pointed a gun at my head and i picked up my 1918 colt auto off the seat and calmly pointed it at his head and he laughed a big laugh and said. "Bob I like you, you are the only one around here that has the guts to stand up to me. I like you." He never gave me any trouble after that. Of course he did give others trouble. But he was good in my town. Now those cowardly sneaking druggers were twice as bad as McElroy ever was. They even blamed some of their crimes on McElroy. I know for a fact that about a third of the things he was blamed for, he never did but he got the credit, or blame.
 

lairmo

Silver Member
Jan 1, 2009
2,952
4,890
SW MO
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro/ Fisher M-Scope 1280-X
I know quite a few people from Raytown...some who came to my area and I ran their Pool Halls..some who got shot and survived..etc...
 

Ogre1190

Bronze Member
Mar 31, 2015
2,063
2,408
Northern Illinois
Detector(s) used
MineLab E-Trac, MineLab Safari, MineLab Explorer XS,
White's 5000 D, White's 6DB, White's 5000 D GEB
Sunray X-1 for the ML's, Garrett PP for the White's and a Backhoe
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Welcome from North Central Illinois, Bob. 🙋 Retired after 38 years on the job. 👮 You'll find a few of us on here. I've been hunting since just after I pinned on my first badge.
 

vpnavy

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jun 15, 2008
35,161
18,660
York County, PA (USA)
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
tn_md.gif
Welcome Aboard Bob! Take a look at Sub-Forums: Missouri for information (i.e., clubs, etc.) directly related to your state.
 

Rookster

Gold Member
Nov 24, 2013
29,382
111,597
Detector(s) used
XP Deus, F75Ltd., AT PRO, Garrett pointer
Primary Interest:
Cache Hunting
Welcome back to the asylum. Where we are crazy about digging holes in the ground. 93d3623e5c78928a8d75c894e6685c80.jpg
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top