Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

[Tater-Tots]

Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

It's been hot, way hot lately. The boys and I have managed a little time to MD in the late evening, when just slivers of sunlight remain. My town was established in 1846 and I have obtained permission to detect in many of these older parts. We have rich black soil for about 4 inches and then inches of solid white limestone.

The boys and I continue to ping the silver and copper pings with little day light left and the thermometer still reading near 100. Is it more common to find kind trash or keepers at the 6" - 10" range? We have dug very little since we are not sure if it is worth it or not with the heat and limestone factors.

Anyone have any ideas on the average depths of finds in the DFW area?

 

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[HHg in Austin]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

Tator,....

If you are hitting limestone/caliche at 4",.....I assure you, nothing is going to be below that 4" line where the soil ends and the limestone begins. As for the detector depth, I would expect a more realistic NORMAL depth is going to be 6" - 8" on average AND, yes, I know there will be some targets much deeper it will hit on, but on the average day in average conditions w/average soil and average size targets the 6" - 8" would be a more normal expectation. Some of the smaller coins or small cuff buttons may not even be detectable at 8".

JMHO

HHg

 

[HHg in Austin]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

Hey Tator,

One last thing,.....there are some OLD areas in the DFW metro area. Remember that your older targets will more than likely have sunk the deepest (to me those are the targets I want) In most cases the shallow stuff will be newer stuff and mostly trash unless you are coin shooting for newer coins.

Later !
HHg

 

[pyledriver]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

Tater, I'm in Collin county also..and this limestone can be an advantage! If you have an area that has seen lots of use, and the topsoil (clay-LOL) is not very deep before you hit the limestone, you already know the DEEPEST you'll have to dig. I have an old farmsite I hit in the Parker/Lucas area that gets plowed every year, and I've found some stuff at 8 and more, but also at 4 and 6. I think that's because the plowing just keeps things churned up. That area seems to be a bottomless pit of clay, so stuff generally (in theory) could sink to the level of the hardpan, which is deeper than 8" for sure. I do know that this place had been detected quite a bit in the past, but that didn't keep Baggins and I from finding 6 or so old pennys in one of our outings! This is kind of the same as some of the beach hunting discussions I've read. The idea being that in certain areas, the 'good stuff' can sink beyond the reach of most detectors. However, where there is a definite 'floor', you know you can find it if it's there to begin with. Once you get into those limestone/caliche areas, you can begin to look for the surface clues that you want to key in on, and have the confidence that whatever detector you're swinging, it'll likely find whatever is there!

 

[Tater-Tots]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

Thank you both for filling me in. I noticed my detector is not 100% accurate on the depths. We pinged a signal at six inches a few days ago. Once we began to dig we recovered an old dr. pepper can at about 3"+/-. But, where we pinged the signal and dug was not exactly by the can, we dug the hole wider than needed and the can was about 3" off from the ping point. Take the 3" depth and the fact it was about 3" to the left and you have the six inches the MD was diplaying. Are they made to work like this?

Thanks!

 

[lastleg]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

Tater. you just need to learn your detector. When you get
signal that pings both ways switch to all-metal to see how the
signal responds, then try it from the opposite side. Now you
have narrowed it down to a likely spot. A hand-held pinpointer
would help after you dig.

lastleg

 

[TxTim]

Re: Is 6" - 10" deep average for DFW?

The depth indicator on the DFX is fairly accurate with the stock coil on coin sized targets. Beyond that, don't pay any attention to it.
As far as average depth - I don't know anything about DFW area but around Houston all of the old parks and schoolyards have been dozed and filled in over the years. Depth will range from 0" to 3 feet or more. Targets new and old will be scattered in the matrix.
On virgin sites, you should dig a little before you "declare" a depth. If the wheats are 4" -6" deep, concentrate on that layer and the silver should also be around there.