Better than cans and improving my pinpointing

[dustyspurs]

Here's what I found today in my pasture. The iron object was 4 -6 inches down between a couple of big tree roots. I'm guess that it's some kind of stake since the small end was straight down. It's 8 by 3 and weighs about 2 lbs. Any ideas. I got my blood pressure up because my first thought was "rusted lid on a jar of coins". The 3 bullets were within 10 feet of each other - I'm guessing they are modern since they're small. I put the dime in for size comparison. Any thoughts?

 

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[Papa Bear]

Soak the iron object in white vinegar for a week then see how much rust falls off. You may get a better idea of what it is. I collect modern bullets too and turn them in as scrap. They add up in weight really quick. Keep swinging the coil. Well done!!

 

[dustyspurs]

Soak the iron object in white vinegar for a week then see how much rust falls off. You may get a better idea of what it is. I collect modern bullets too and turn them in as scrap. They add up in weight really quick. Keep swinging the coil. Well done!!

Thanks. I'll try that. I'm going to try to clean the bullets to see if they're brass or lead. They were a couple of inches down.

 

[Bluclaw]

The large iron object could be an old implement or disc axle.

 

[dustyspurs]

Thanks for the idea.

 

[Papa Bear]

Thanks. I'll try that. I'm going to try to clean the bullets to see if they're brass or lead. They were a couple of inches down.

No brass bullets here. Most likely lead with a copper jacket. Here's a readers digest of bullet history: Writer's Guide to Guns: History of Ammunition

PB

 

[dustyspurs]

No brass bullets here. Most likely lead with a copper jacket. Here's a readers digest of bullet history: Writer's Guide to Guns: History of Ammunition

PB

Thanks again Papa Bear. I'm guessing the white center (corrosion?) is lead? I'm trying the white vinegar on the rusted iron now.

 

[Nanner]

Awesome finds man keep it up. Remember its a hobby not a race to get the most keeps, so you are doin awesome!!

 

[granthansen]

Good tip, Papa Bear. I'm going to try it. I have a lot of rusty finds that I want to clean off. Two are definitely spikes, but upon digging them out you'd have no clue. The dirt around it was cement like. Now I'm down to the rust level.

 

[granthansen]

dustyspurs, I notice you mentioned improving your pinpoint technique. I have an ACE 350 as well and often have a terrible time pinpointing. I've watched every video out there on all the techniques, and no matter what I do, the object is often just to the side of my plug, and I have to stick the shove in to widen the hole. Very frustrating. I think it has to do with the DD coil shape. I have amazing accuracy with my CZ-21... what have you been doing to improve? Very interested to hearing about it.

 

[dustyspurs]

dustyspurs, I notice you mentioned improving your pinpoint technique. I have an ACE 350 as well and often have a terrible time pinpointing. I've watched every video out there on all the techniques, and no matter what I do, the object is often just to the side of my plug, and I have to stick the shove in to widen the hole. Very frustrating. I think it has to do with the DD coil shape. I have amazing accuracy with my CZ-21... what have you been doing to improve? Very interested to hearing about it.

Grant, you described exactly what I experience with the ACE 350. I've been trying to pinpoint better by approaching the target from different sides and that seems to help me find a center point. I have not perfected it yet, but am getting better. I still end up with some pretty good size holes. It seems the bigger the object, the harder it is to pinpoint. I just bought a pinpointer, but haven't used it yet. Have you had trouble with the accuracy of the depth indicator? Usually my objects a shallower than indicated. Chuck

 

[dustyspurs]

Awesome finds man keep it up. Remember its a hobby not a race to get the most keeps, so you are doin awesome!!

You're 100% on that. It's the hunt that is the most fun. Anything other than trash is pretty exciting for me.

 

[granthansen]

Glad to hear I'm not alone. First, you will LOVE the pinpointer! It's a must-have for me. I won't go out without it, especially since, like you, my pinpointing is off with the Ace 350. Again, with my CZ-21, I'm always dead center, so I don't think it's so much user error, but more so learning our machine's little quirks.

As for depth, it's generally pretty accurate. But sometimes it's off a bit, but for the most part it's pretty on target. Anything that rings up 2", before I dig, I take my pinpointer and rub it around the area. More than half the time I'll get a signal before I dig, so I can very accurately cut a small plug.

I'm very appreciative of anyone who lets me dig on their property, so yeah, I'd like to keep the holes as small as possible!

My next plan of attack is to bury my own objects and play around with the pinpointing. I'm going to bury a variety of objects at different depths, and at different angles. I know if I coin is askew in the ground, the pinpoint will be diverted a bit... I'll keep you posted.

 

[dustyspurs]

Enjoyed visiting your website and followed the link to ATC -ordered a DVD. Tried my Pinpointer out yesterday and it's definitely an asset. I was searching an area with quite a few modern bullets. The Pinpointer helped me zero in on those much faster. As for pinpointing with my 350, sometimes I think I'm getting "soooo good" and then there are those "how'd I miss that" moments. As they say, "slow and steady stays the course" or something like that.

 

[granthansen]

Thanks for visiting my site! As you can see, the stories are as much about the adventure as they are about the finds (adventures are guaranteed, finds not so much!). You will grow to LOVE your pinpointer! So many times something is in my hand and I still can't see it or feel it, and the pinpointer comes to the rescue. Which one do you have? If you have a Garrett Pro Pointer, I can give you some tips on how to optimize your use.

 

[treeheathen]

My mxt is usually dead accurate on depth but targets have been more shallow lately.Im thinking because the soil down here in nc has been bone dry of late getting lots of rain now...thank God.

 

[dustyspurs]

Thanks for visiting my site! As you can see, the stories are as much about the adventure as they are about the finds (adventures are guaranteed, finds not so much!). You will grow to LOVE your pinpointer! So many times something is in my hand and I still can't see it or feel it, and the pinpointer comes to the rescue. Which one do you have? If you have a Garrett Pro Pointer, I can give you some tips on how to optimize your use.

As always, all help is appreciated. Yes, I have the Garrett Pro Pointer.

 

[granthansen]

Cool, Garrett Pro Pointer rocks. Basically, when you're pin pointing and getting a signal that's hard to nail down, you can, while holding it in place, shut off then turn right back on. It'll decrease the pin point radius giving you a more accurate find (aka re-tune). It's best illustrated in this youtube video:

Also, if you press the tip of the pointer into the ground it'll go off. This is NOT a signal. It just happens.

And, obviously, try not to drop it! My friend's isn't as loud as mine after a few slips of the hand.

 

[dustyspurs]

Thanks for the video Grant. Now I understand why I would have a signal and then lose it. The Propointer is definitely an asset.