I usually check it from 3 directions but if I can get even one of those angles to sound semi-solid, I'll at least pop the first few inches to see if theres a change. I tend to look at it like this.. Can you effectively "cherry pick" the area first? meaning, are there enough solid signals left to not bother with the iffy ones yet? If the answer is no then for me it's on to the inconsistent targets. Then again..my methods of detecting are still young and most likely flawed in many ways.
Just last week I dug a target that read from mid 60s up to 86 but I could only get that high end reading from only one angle and there was definitely an iron mixed in there, it was at 12 inches and sounded very faint..I was expecting deep iron for sure but alas I gave it a whirl. After removing about 6-8 inches of dirt I swept my ATP over the hole again and it just about blew my eardrums

But not that shrieking tone you get from aluminum it was as clean is they come. I plunged my shovel in another 4 inches or so and popped out the clod and wouldnt ya know siting right at the bottom of the hole was a franklin Half...I never would have thought in a million years. The initial tone and readings told me that it was deep iron for sure..
I've also dug large cents that registered in the 70's and sounded like pure trash
Chris