What is your "Hole to Keeper Ratio"?

[SouthTexasHunter]

I was just wondering today as I was headed home from a relatively uneventful hunt, how many holes I dug today as compared to how many keepers I bagged. Because I was shooting for coins only, my ratio was probably much more favorable than when I'm on low discrimination. Still I guessed that I dug about 4 holes for each keeper. Does anyone set hole number goals for a hunt? I plan to start doing that as I think maybe it will force me to dig some signals that I wouldn't normally dig and I just might find that maybe I should be digging some of those signals I have been passing on. Thoughts?

 

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[Limitool]

Well... let's see. Where I hunt it's not looking good. I keep precise data and here it is....

2,503 holes dug.
2,490 whole or 1/2 horseshoes dug.
10 pieces of chain links dug.
3 don't knows

So I got a perfect record 0 - 2,503

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Here's a "best case" when I first got my 6.5" coil I wanted to see if I could dig only good targets from a town park.

40 coins
1 ring
0 trash.

This is FAR from typical but I wanted to see if I could do it. Probably left a lot of post -82 cents and possibly come jewelry behind.

Depending where I am I am far more likely to dig "iffy" signals. Always in the woods or more remote sites. In trashy areas I am far more likely to start blowing off signals in the ranges of the common junk at that site. I always pack out the junk I dig, so if it gets to be too much of a chore I begin cherry picking.

Here's a more typical day in one of the older town parks I hunt. It occasionally yields a Barber or Merc, so I tend to take more chances. I don't have the details on this image - but I believe I spot one Merc in the dimes so that justified all that trash to me. ;-) Plus next time I may have cleared a strip to hear that sweet, faint deep silver tone. Or the next guy did.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

If your talking about this year 0/0, haven't been out detecting yet.
Normally I dig more goodies than trash if you count zincs as good. And like others if I'm tired I will ignore what I think is trash.

 

[CincinnatiKid]

Last year and this year I have/will hunt a single historic site for relics. Rarely does a silver coin show up. But I ain't lookin' for 'em.
The relics I seek are deep, 10"+. I've gone 5, 8hr hunts with no keepers before. But just when I think I'm wasting my time, a prize is revealed.
Doubt I'll ever count holes dug.
GL
Peace ✌

 

[Limitool]

Ok... I inflated my results (I admit). But it's not far from true.

I MD'd my driveway last Saturday... and found $2.53. And I'll be damned if I'm going to tell any of my kids, wife or visitors. AND... I left 3-4 good signals because I'd have to move my wife's car.

Someday I'll find something worthwhile here with the MD.... (keyword being with the MD).

 

[G.I.B.]

I'm at 100% keepers until I get to the trash can.

Get's fairly sad after that, unless you count the highly collectable and prized pull tabs.

I'd guess I'm at about 15% keepers...

 

[coinman123]

Colonial woods metal detecting is like less than 10%. I may dig around 15 shotgun shells to find a colonial button, 10 buttons for a colonial coin,

 

[Ahab8]

Very site dependent. I only hunt colonial sites and sometimes I find a site that has very little trash and quite a few keepers. When I found my tree coin I literally only dug about 12 signals the entire hunt. 3 coins, 1 17th century button, 2 round balls and a few bullets. Other sites such as a colonial foundation hole I may dig 40 targets and only have 3 or 4 keepers. You just never know

 

[Metal Illness]

I have no clue on holes vs keepers. I know for sure it's a lot more holes than keepers! What I have done in the past is try and keep tabs on a wheaty to silver ratio.