Need advice for a new machine please

[smokeythecat]

I dig in heavily mineralized soil. There is a well hunted Civil War camp, pulled a few things out of it today.

For the fields I use a White's TDI which goes very deep in the worst soil. There is so much hematite in it, where there are little water rivulets from the rain, there are accumulations of black hematite and magnetite sands just laying there concentrated.

For most of the camps I use a Tesoro Vaquera with a BIG loop. It does really well. Has paid for itself more than a few times.

Here's the issue. There are so many small box nails (CW) in there and large nails and tops of ration cans, I dig a lot of stuff, just in case, but it's getting old.

If you were to lay a 1" iron nail an inch from a CW cuff button or small piece of lead, or second scenario - a Sharps or 1/2 ounce of camp lead an inch or so away from a ration can lid.

I dig it all and get it all, but I'm getting tired of the ration cans lids and bigger nails. Think a Garrett AT Pro would be any better? These targets are some 5-6 in number (mainly iron) in the same blasted hole.

Thanks.

 

[Terry Soloman]

What about putting the 11" x 8" coil on the Vaquero, and run your ground balance ever-so-slightly negative, with sensitivity set at 7.

 

[smokeythecat]

That's the coil I have on it now. That's primarily why I can keep up with the White's TDI and a few minelabs out there.

 

[bigfoot1]

not sure the atp is going to be a perfect solution with 5-6 targets in a single hole.I swing an atp in very highly mineralized soil.I hunt mining camps alot,black sand concentrations are also visible like for you.

While I have pulled some high squeeks out of layered trash,I believe things are also being masked.I switched to the 5x8 and rehunted several sites with some pretty good sucess.I had to know so I gridded a 10 x 10 foot area and hit it from two directions digging anything I would normally go for.nothing worth digging,just the regular trash signals.

I went back and sifted the top 12 inches and produced a good sized pile of trash,casings etc...but also a seated dime at bout 6 ".I'm not sure any machine would have seen it and not sure my set up would be any deeper or even as deep than either of yours.I do know that I'm happy with it and am comfortable it holds its own in these types of soils/sites.If you could get your paws on one and really give it a go you may be better off with the decision you make.

 

[GA_Boy]

You are between that proverbial rock and a hard place. Being a CW hunter for the most part, I feel your pain. That is why I spend the time to dig everything.
Sometimes that nail will be sitting atop or very close to that 3 ringer. I have tried my small sharpshooter coil on my 1265X but it's a slow go and not really worth it.
Marvin

 

[smokeythecat]

On the other hand I dug a never dug fire pit today and got 2 pcs of scrap lead and 6 nails out of it. Oh well. Thanks.

 

[Crappies-n-Coins]

STC- If I'm hunting areas where little to no care is needed on digging holes (other than refilling), such as fields, I use a tile spade. The taller handle means no bending over, and once I flop the plug out of the ground, I scan both the plug and the hole, then kick around in the plug (if there's a signal there) using my foot. When I get what I went after (rescan both hole and plug), I use my foot and the shovel to rake the dirt back in the hole and give it a good stomp.

This method makes it a whole lot less aggravating for me when it's trash.