HELLO BOUNTY HUNTER PIONEER 202 HELP

randall61

Bronze Member
Feb 10, 2004
1,093
7
Guntersville,Alabama
Detector(s) used
fisher 1236x2,viper trident
Welcome to the cool world of metal detecting and welcome to the forum! 8) As far as the 202, it is a good machine. I have found coins, Civil War Relics, jewelry with this machine. The best thing to do when you are hunting is grid off a section and hit the same ground from different directions. Mini balls, jewelry, etc will register as "Pull tabs." I don't know if it is a 202 but my older one did not have a pinpoint but using the "X" pattern on a target works pretty well. Dig all the faint targets, no matter what they register. It has been my experience the smaller the tone, the better the find. I have found over 100 Civil War bullets, buckles, spurs, some jewelry and coins. It's a pretty good low-end machine that will find things, you just have to keep diggin. Hope this helps and good luck.

KEEP DIGGIN'
Randall
 

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Postalrevnant

Silver Member
Jul 5, 2006
3,086
22
Mountains
Welcome to your new hobby and to this forum. I have only been detecting for slightly over 1 month myself. I have a pioneer 505. The best I can tell from a friend here the only difference is I have a few more detection modes. However, I am finding out that it really doesn't matter.

I am digging up many signals. And with lots of practice during this month I am getting better at diggin less trash. However, I just got my first jewelry recently and had I not dug what I thought was a weak pull tab changing signal I would not have found that earring.

The peps from this forum have been a solid foundation of great knowledge. Their knowledge is helping me out. I still have to revert to practice as being your number 1 help.

So far I have not found any silver, but I have certainly found a great deal of regular clad coins. I am pushing $70.00 worth at barely over one month. I have spent almost 2x that in gas and much time. But with each day I am becoming more and more proficient.

Good areas of practice for me were places that had been hunten perhaps many times.

Parks (BEWARE National parks are a no no and filled with many possible actions for your detecting that range from taking you equipment, vehicle to fines and jail, plus permenant ban). Also check your local state rules on state parks. Here in KY state parks will do the same as National parks. City parks / or county don't seem to be a problem asking permission would be a good idea though.

School grounds are also a great place. Ask permission, and please always make a great effort to not leave a hole. I also take along a tray (like the kind you got your food on at restaurants), its been a great help when I put coins or other items in it covered in harder dirt and don't realize I did that. It helps me to sort out where the item is. But most of all it allows me to keep the dirt in a place where I can pour it back into the hole without leaving a mess of dirt around the hole. After all a great hole with dirt all around it will still look like a mess at times. OH, sure I am still making some plugs or holes that aren't the best. Ground with lots of deeper trash make the all metal mode pinpointing method mentioned above hard some times. I am getting better and better though the more I do it.

Churches ( expecially if you can find where the choose to have their cookouts and revival areas ). Again ask permission and keep it neat please.

Finally research is the best. I have hit local libraries and as many older people I can find. They are a wealth of information, and many, even if they don't know you, rather enjoy the company. They can tell you much of places that are now just empty fields, or places swallowed by the mountians. Ask specific questions if you can, like if they remember if anyone ever bulldozed those areas they tell you about. As a few extra feet of dirt might make it hard.

Currently, I have found a great deal of old homesites in the mountains. I cannot dig them atm because they are so overgrown. Poison Ivy all over (it doesn't bother me much, but I bring it home and my wife / daughter get broke out alot). Winter time I hope all my research will begin to pay off silver wise.

Jewelry areas appear to be beach areas, or perhaps swimming holes / pools with sandy areas all around them. Still looking for that GEM find of a place on a lake / river / creek where many peps swam and laid out in the sun. Somewhere around here I am betting is a spot like that and hopefully one not detected before. I would advise according to the wealth of knowledge here that you dig all signals their. Even if they are real iffy and appear to be bouncing between different signals. As chains, gold...etc. appear to be one very tough think to find and hide detection very well.

Ahh and while I am on bouncing signal thing. As long as I get a solid tone of some sorts from both sides of my swing, I dig it. Based on practice I have been starting to weed out what I did, based on where I am.

Currently I am looking for bare lots in the cities nearest me. And grassy places in allys near stores and high traffic areas. I am also asking more and more permission to dig on private property as I find older homes on maps in libraries that are still there. I have found though in my short experience that if they spend a lot of money manicuring their lawn, most likely the answer coming is NO. I just began the asking strangers more recently, after I had practed a good deal on my hole making and pinpointing with all metal mode. I finally feel that for the most part I can make / cover a hole decently, so I think I can do these peps yards without too much damage ( Hopefully :) )

My friend is happy with his pioneer 202 and I am happy with my 505. I am sure you will be happy with yours too. I am currently very much frustrated that I haven't found any silver yet, 5 wheat pennies though. However, its not might detector and perhaps not the skill level. I just have to keep plugging away on asking peps for permission, or continuing research.

There are many things I didn't cover since this is such a long message already. A great number of posts here can be a wealth of information. They have technique, detector reviews, general questions...so many posts that have something that might jump out to you and help you more.

I will leave this alone for now. I wish you much luck on your detecting. You have heard the advice of a newbee, now research, PRACTICE, and read advice on past posts from the experts here.

Hope we can both begin posting many great finds over the up and coming days / months / years.

Postalrevnant
 

The Standard

Jr. Member
Nov 9, 2005
29
1
White Plains New York
Detector(s) used
Bounty Hunter Pioneer 202
i have the BH Pioneer 202, decent machine it seems like, but I have nothing to compare it to as that is all i have used, and i don't MD nearly as often as most people on this site.
it easily finds iron i can tell you that much, muy future father in law has ten acres in the Catskills, and i find old ox shoes and other relics at 8 to 10 inches deep pretty often. one thing i have noticed is the depth it says the item is at is almost always several inches off, if the BH Pioneer 202 says 4 inches it will be closer to 6 or 8, just my experience.
can't wait to get back out there this weekend and find some goodies.
 

pizzaman55792

Jr. Member
Jun 16, 2006
63
0
Northern Minnesota
Detector(s) used
bounty hunter pioneer 202, ace 250
ive had my 202 for about 3 months and i love it. my suggestion would be to watch the video read the manual go out use it for a while then watch and read again, this helped me alot. but the biggest thing is just to use it alot and you will learn what its telling you. also read this forum as often as you can ther is tons of info on here, t neters are great. i for one look forward to seeing the pics of the great finds you surely will find.
HH and good luck JJ
 

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BOBOANDPOOH

Guest
Thanks all as I just guess I have to learn and practice and question I live in a old coal mining town with company houses and such and like 1 mile away or closer is woods and parts of the old coal mine any ideas
 

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