Suggestions for Gold Detector

[ghostminer]

Our company has 300 acres of historic mining property in the Sierra Nevada Mts. There are heavy black sands/iron. We are in the process of permitting for operation but I would also like to do some detecting in the old tailings and exposed bedrock also. I have no experience with metal detecting and there are lots of them on the market. I'd like to be able to detect up to two feet in depth if possible. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

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[meMiner]

You are about to get lots of opinions and I can tell you the decision is not an easy one. The best online place to start that I know (other than digging through this forum for similar Q&A's) is:
Steve's Guide to Gold Nugget Detectors

Now, my own opinion based on the info that you provided is to consider a VLF like the Fisher Gold Bug Pro. Others appear to be happy with the FORS Plus. However, you said 2' depth, which is a long way down for any detector, so if this is critical, you may need a PI or if cost is no object then it is the Minelab GPZ7000.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[ghostminer]

I've seen the Fisher. The cost is low and it looks easy to use. What would you estimate a reasonable searching depth to be with the Gold Bug?

 

[motohed]

I've done a lot of research , I finally chose to buy an XP Deus . It was light and multi functional , yes pricy but you get what you pay for . It is by far the best detector for the money hand down .

 

[DDancer]

For depth with heavy irons the ML series will do you pretty good in my opinion. Anything from the GP3000 upto the GPZ7000 would work well depending on what your after in terms of sizeable nuggets verses depth. Shallow stuff and tailings you'd probably be best served with a VLF and there is a few to chose from or an SDC. Mostly its going to depend on you the operator and your budget.

 

[Fletch88]

Look at the Gold Bug Pro or F-19. Both are almost identical with the F-19 having a few extra features. They are simple to use and very lightweight.

 

[Hoser John]

The current detector market is flooded with gold machines from almost every manufacturer. Most of the are a real step up in ground balancing abilities-vlf/pulse alike are just fantastic to a mere 10 years ago. The man behind the machine IS the key. You can easily spend $9,000+ but would not be any better than a GB Pro at 1/10 of the dough if operator has no experience. Deep usually depends on size of coils. You trade depth for sensitivity to smaller objects BUT I've seen current results on my claims by a associate that ,yet again, proves technology is throwing aside old rules of thumb. Lotza luck as kalif is a pain to deal with during mining-John

 

[ghostminer]

Yea, we know all about Cal & the Forest Service. We've done two permits so far and have three pending. Takes at least six months. We've got huge amounts of hand stacked rock/tailings from the old timers and lots of exposed,uplifted bedrock. That's why I thought detecting for gold might be a good idea. The mines are in Plumas County.

 

[Armchair prospector]

Listen to John. Many will find gold but it is the man behind the machine as we get discouraged when much time has been spent and nothing found. You have to keep at it. Start with something inexpensive as as most will find gold. It will most likely be deep but some is not. For example the Whites MXT will find it, and you can get one on craigslist for $3 to 400, or you can go top of the line with the GPX7000, which runs around$10K. It takes many hours to learn and understanding of your machine. Then again you may get lucky.

 

[meMiner]

Handstack is nice to see on any claim. At a minimum, it means the area underneath has not been prospected with modern technology and if you are lucky was stacked on virgin ground that nobody has prospected. That said, it is work to move it aside....

I think I saw another thread where you are looking for an experienced detectorist to help you out. That is a pretty good idea.

 

[ghostminer]

Yes, my time is limited as I have lots of things to do on the mine when there.

 

[AU_Solitude]

VLF: Gold bug pro - its user friendly/very low learning curve and I'am assuming like other mining sites there is probably a crazy amount of junk iron everywhere - VLF is going to save you here.

Pulse Induction - Minelab SDC 2300 - I't might not go quite as deep as a GPX5000 or 7000, but it picks up the little pieces and specimen gold they miss.

 

[NeoTokyo]

For sure look into the Nokta FORS Gold Plus, the XP Deus, Fisher F-19 and GB's and OF COURSE the Minelab GPZ7000.

I really enjoy the ease of use from the Nokta Detectors and Fisher.
The GPZ7000 is also user friendly.

Not all detectors are the same, having a couple to choose from and totally work an area with more than 1 detector is your best bet.

 

[emptyhole]

I metal detect in the creeks most of the time so I prefer a waterproof detector so I use garrett atx and at gold, which are both waterproof .If I was looking for a vlf for land I would definitely check into the new Makro gold racer I have heard lots of good things about them.

 

[ghostminer]

OK. I'll check into that one.

 

[H-2 CHARLIE]

GBP
MmL sd2300
Atxx by garret

 

[pasttom]

No argument with previous posters, but forget most of what they said. Go with 5 or 5x10 inch coil on a light vlf gold machine like Racer Gold, F19 or GBP. No time to learn a machine with a more complex learning curve or just plain too darn heavy for a newbie this eliminates the units suitable for a real pro. Also forget thinking deep, it adds too much time to discovery of tiny gold and any trash for a PI or a big coil. Only after you are competent with the short game consider the long game. If you can get a skilled hunting partner you can expedite the process and adjust by their skill set.
Read the forums and watch the videos to get a strategy for how to hunt. Read/study the manual for whatever detector you buy. Detector Prospector and Steve's Mining Journal are golden sources of info.
HH!

 

[dereklang]

If you are on a budget Garrett ATX with deepseeker coil around 2.5k or if not gpz7000

Sent from my GEM-703L using Tapatalk

 

[MXT SNIPER]

Or if you want to start off with a serious detector you cannot beat the sale price of the new reissue gpx 4500, at 2699.99

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you are a raw rookie, go get a Gold Bug Pro with the elliptical coil and have at it. It won't cost you a ton of money, you can swing it all day, you can ignore a lot of trash if that's your wish, the meter will ID gold quite well if you're close enough to it, you can get it to ID concentrated areas of black sand, etc. etc. Plus, it's a proven nugget finder with the punch and brains to get the job done.

All the best,

Lanny