ashleysflyr
Hero Member
I have been using a Bounty Hunter 505 for the last 4 months and I am fed up. Best finds include 1899 Indian Head penny my first day (4 inches down in my yard)....and then nothing for a long long time. I found a couple of silver rings in a park (in the rocks about 2 inches down) a few weeks later. I have found a 1950's gas station sign in a ghost town (huge and 6 inches down). I have found numerous whatzits about 4 to 6 inches down (all large) and about 20 wheaties (the deepest being about 5 inches down). Sounds great right Wrong. Most of these were about 3 to 5 (maybe 6) inches down. NOTHING DEEPER. It wouldn't bother me so much if I had been hunting in places built in the 1920's and maybe hunted a few times, but these are places that were built in the 1880's and never hunted before (still in the original family's possession). I have found about 25 dollars in clad, all within the 1-4 inch range save for a few lucky shots at the 5 inch range. All of those found at the 5-6 inch range read like trash, with a jumping random signal that made me curious enough to dig. I even buried a dime at about 5 inches down and scanned it with fresh batteries and it read anywhere from a pull tab at 4 inches to a dollar at 10 (and I dug all iron and pull tabs and clad in the vicinity). That's JUST 5 inches! I have heard of people digging dimes at eight inches!!! The deepest dime I have ever dug was about 3 inches unless it had a bunch of pennies in the same hole or I buried it. I am pulling shallow wheat from the nineteen teens, but I can't find a piece of silver to save my life! I did a farm house (and the guy had money) from the 1880's. Gridded off the front yard and dug HUNDREDS of targets (iron to clean it out and coins...well, to find coins) and no silver.
I thought I was just holding my mouth wrong until last weekend. I dug my first silver coin (3 1/2 months into the hunt) and it was a 1939 quarter. It was 8 inches down, and read anywhere from pull tab to penny/dime, to even foil. If people can dig a dime at eight inches, and it reads as a dime, I should be able to do the same. I did find a watch fob last weekend...that was cool. It was only 3 inches down though.
I can assure you that its not lack of experience with this detector. I was in a position to spend about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week (at least) metal detecting and I have become proficient enough to tell rather or not the pull tab was a complete or just the ring (sometimes), and I OFTEN used my fingers to dig out coins instead of a coin probe, or digging a plug. I have used every mode on this detector and they all have problems (I will spare you the explanation due to varying models that will read this). I have had as many false signals than real signals, no matter where I put the sensitivity or discrimination. Some metal detectors are susceptible to halo iron signals, some are nearly defeated by them (like mine).
I have heard people say that the best time to find deep silver is to go after a nice rain....well, I did today and I had a case of the running penny. Curious what that is? I'll explain! I get a solid zinc penny signal (same as an Indian Head) 4 inches down. I dig a larger than normal hole, about 6 inches deep and scan the removed plug...nothing. So I scan the hole...nothing. I then scan the side and it says it's in the side. So, I dig another deep plug, scan and...nothing. I then rescan the hole....nothing, I then scan around the hole, and...there it is, a penny or by now, a pull tab/nickle signal yet again on the same side...about 5 inches further. Make a long story short, I dig a foot wide 6 to 9 inch deep hole, and the signal disappears (and I always make sure to scan the dirt, plugs, side, and dirt stuck to the shovel, gloves, hands...). I guess the penny got away. You want to talk about frustration! I can't get the darn thing to either stay in the all metal mode or trac to an exceptable level. These are temporary problems that occur at random times. I guess you get what you pay for ($300).
I have decided to upgrade to a new White's M6 or a used DFX (used makes me nervous). I don't like the looks of the UMax, XTerra, or any others really. I am going to get something that displays a VDI number as well. I just like the idea of having one more tool in my shop. Please tell me what you think. I "treasure" the experience and knowledge of you treasure netters! Let me know what you think about this situation, and if you are experiencing the same problems, and if you have an opinion on the White's, tell me what you like/dislike about them (just the M6, E-Series, MXT XLT DFX etc. I want VDI, so no Prizms) Thank you so much in advance!!!
~Tom
I thought I was just holding my mouth wrong until last weekend. I dug my first silver coin (3 1/2 months into the hunt) and it was a 1939 quarter. It was 8 inches down, and read anywhere from pull tab to penny/dime, to even foil. If people can dig a dime at eight inches, and it reads as a dime, I should be able to do the same. I did find a watch fob last weekend...that was cool. It was only 3 inches down though.
I can assure you that its not lack of experience with this detector. I was in a position to spend about 5 hours a day, 5 days a week (at least) metal detecting and I have become proficient enough to tell rather or not the pull tab was a complete or just the ring (sometimes), and I OFTEN used my fingers to dig out coins instead of a coin probe, or digging a plug. I have used every mode on this detector and they all have problems (I will spare you the explanation due to varying models that will read this). I have had as many false signals than real signals, no matter where I put the sensitivity or discrimination. Some metal detectors are susceptible to halo iron signals, some are nearly defeated by them (like mine).
I have heard people say that the best time to find deep silver is to go after a nice rain....well, I did today and I had a case of the running penny. Curious what that is? I'll explain! I get a solid zinc penny signal (same as an Indian Head) 4 inches down. I dig a larger than normal hole, about 6 inches deep and scan the removed plug...nothing. So I scan the hole...nothing. I then scan the side and it says it's in the side. So, I dig another deep plug, scan and...nothing. I then rescan the hole....nothing, I then scan around the hole, and...there it is, a penny or by now, a pull tab/nickle signal yet again on the same side...about 5 inches further. Make a long story short, I dig a foot wide 6 to 9 inch deep hole, and the signal disappears (and I always make sure to scan the dirt, plugs, side, and dirt stuck to the shovel, gloves, hands...). I guess the penny got away. You want to talk about frustration! I can't get the darn thing to either stay in the all metal mode or trac to an exceptable level. These are temporary problems that occur at random times. I guess you get what you pay for ($300).
I have decided to upgrade to a new White's M6 or a used DFX (used makes me nervous). I don't like the looks of the UMax, XTerra, or any others really. I am going to get something that displays a VDI number as well. I just like the idea of having one more tool in my shop. Please tell me what you think. I "treasure" the experience and knowledge of you treasure netters! Let me know what you think about this situation, and if you are experiencing the same problems, and if you have an opinion on the White's, tell me what you like/dislike about them (just the M6, E-Series, MXT XLT DFX etc. I want VDI, so no Prizms) Thank you so much in advance!!!
~Tom