My first hour EVER Metal Detecting

[CheathamHill]

After researching, lurking, and learning on here for going on 2 years I finally "bit the bullet" and picked up my ACE 350 yesterday. I read and re-read the manual 10 times yesterday and this morning and tested a few items outside of my own...then went down to the riverbank and began my first ever 'hunt'. I live in the area where Sherman crossed the Chattahoochee River in the summer of 1864..HOWEVER any CW items that may still exist around here are masked by 4 or 5 decades of beer cans and bottle caps from being the "party central" area of Atlanta from the 1960's-80's. Right away I was confused by all the settings and discriminations and sensitivities ...like I forgot everything in the manual..so i went to 'none' (preselect mode) and tried to dig everything. The built in pinpointer is clutch b/c it really helped when I started using the trowel. Anyways I found a bunch of can slaw, a 1974 quarter, 3 bottle caps and my BIG find (haha) a shotgun shell primer from the 1940s or 1950s...so junk..but I will say this ..I have absolutely GOT THE BUG! Gotta learn the machine and the differences in all the dings and dongs and thuds and chimes...I was a bit overwhelmed today but in the hour I was hunting was a blast...even as all my neighbors looked at me like I was an idiot. Sorry for wasting yalls time..but I'm loving this...

Here's a pic of my garbage..but at least I know the machine works ...again..its from my first hour ever of MD-ing

Also can anyway point me to a thread about proper plug digging and filling? I want to be a responsible as I can (also threw away all the cans and caps I found today as well...)

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Agony and Death on a Gold Rush Steamer: The Disastrous Sinking of the Side-Wheeler Yankee Blade - Grab it through Amazon!

[SGVALLEYMAN]

Great first ever finds !
If not yet, SOON you will be addicted, have fun and dig it all !
Congrats on your finds.

Scott~Sgvalleyman

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Upgraded Night Vision Monocular Digital Infrared Monocular Telescope for 100% Darkness with 8X Zoom - Grab it through Amazon!

[illinidigger]

Also, go to Lowes and get one of these:

It cuts great clean plugs and will go right through roots.


Also, if you don't have a pinpointer, there are a wide selection available from KellyCo metal detectors or you can get a real cheap one from Harbor Freight tools that will get you by for about $16 bucks. this will save you a TON of time once you get your plug dug.

I really liked the tool pictured but have broke two of them, its a pain taking them back. I keep trying to break my Lesche but no such luck.

 

[beerbarrel]

Congrats on the finds! I like finding the old shotgun shell brass. Some can be pretty old.

beerbarrel

 

[CheathamHill]

Yeah..that was my very first find,,,just detected a random spot by a tiny section of very olf barbed wire propery line (from pre 1960 when this complex was built) and the machine hummed right away..after diggin my first ugly hole, the shotgun primer popped out with some of the tube still attatched..but that part quickly crumbled...based on the 'ranger' and 'No.12' markings on the primer it could date from 1920's to 1950's..not bad for 2 minutes into my new hobby cheers

 

[allen]

Once you are bitten, you can never leave our hobby !!

 

[ivan salis]

the winchester ranger 12 shell if it has "made in usa" is 1937 or later (up to 1972)-- if not its a 1925 to 1937 * era shot shell head

 

[CheathamHill]

the winchester ranger 12 shell if it has "made in usa" is 1937 or later (up to 1972)-- if not its a 1925 to 1937 * era shot shell head

It's in the picture I posted above in the first post...I don't see "made in USA" .....looks like I may have an oldie! No wonder why the remaining part of the tube crumbled when I pulled it out! Thanks for the info..that's pretty exciting for a first ever find 2 minutes into the hunt..picked a good 'random' spot to search..will go back this afternoon if the rains hold off ..thanks again for the info!

 

[ivan salis]

its a "waxed " paper hull type shell -- not plastic like is commonly used these days --thus the crumbling -- your type last made in 1937 -- so its at least 74 years old and could be 86 years old (1925) those older shells were paper hull shells -- before the paper hulls refillible solid brass shells were used -- you replaced the primer's and reloaded them -- having disposible one use paper shells were considered a big improvement by most folks * ---one had to be careful not to get them wet however --even though they were wax coated to help prevent misfires due to the gunpower in the shell getting wet , getting them wet could ruin them.

plus the shot shell can help date useage in a site * -- being you know the shells date -- you know someone was hunting / shooting a gun there in the 1925 to 1937 era

 

[CheathamHill]

Yea thats what it seemed like for sure...I guess that confirms the older age of it..very cool..thanks again Ivan!

 

[Indiana Digger]

I'll throw my two cents worth in as well.

Fiskars Big Grip Garden Knife - $7 at your local Lowes or Meijer store.
Haven't broken mine and I've done a fair amount of prying with it.

Welcome to MD-ing!

 

[CheathamHill]

The 350 came with a decent size digger/trowel "thing"...went out for 2 more hours today and found a dime, 2 pennies, 2 beer caps, and a foil coffee filter....and I dug 3 or 4 that were singing but found nothing in those..its tough pinpointing so far..I wonder if a handheld pinpointer would help..but it really is tough figure out where exactly to dig....thanks again to everyone here

 

[Ronfrommichigan]

Great start.

 

[ivan salis]

look carefully at yer soil --if you see rusty looking dirt but not finding anything -- you might be hitting a rusted away item that due to the iron content of the rust left behind "rings up" but once to disturb it -- it breaks up the signal -- poof dissappearing signal -- watch for the rust stain color and or high iron content soil (it will look rust colored -- red clay is well known to be high in iron content.

 

[CheathamHill]

Yup..here in GA we are quite "blessed" with that red clay...and tons of other mineralized rocks in the soil...mehhhh