Question?

[rock]

Will a MD pick up small raw gold flakes in a creek and if so what type would it be?

 

[steve1357]

Will a MD pick up small raw gold flakes in a creek and if so what type would it be?

read all about it

Dave Johnson's Essays

another:
http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/manuals/ProspectingCtl-READER.pdf

 

[Terry Soloman]

I'll save you some time - No. Unless the gold nugget is .3grams or larger no VLF or PI detector will hit on it.

 

[woof!]

I hope Terry meant "grains", not grams!...... For the tiniest stuff, your choices are the Fisher GB2 and the original White's GMT, which under good conditions in the hands of an experienced user will occasionally hit tiny nugs/flakes down to about 0.1 grain, so small you almost can't see them little suckers.

Most beginners will do better with a Gold Bug Pro-- not quite as hot on the tiniest stuff, but a lot easier to learn how to use properly. Terry's a fan of the Lobo ST, cain't knock that one, I designed it, too.

For finding the tiny stuff, forget the PI's. They certainly have their place in gold prospecting, but that's not it.

In creek bottom prospecting, you can expect three headaches: water itself, magnetite, and gobs of bits of misc. iron and lead ammo and fishing tackle. Places where you're getting your feet wet are usually better prospected using placer methods.

 

[DDancer]

I've hit bits at .1 of a gram with a PI and VLF *SD2100, Goldbug*. They were all within an inch of the surface. I've tried experiments with flakes in the pan and neither machine ever saw them. Gotta go real slow, use a small coil, and have a bit of patience.

Sorry I don't measure in grains.... never had the patience for it nor do the gold buyers.

Its not a metal detector per se but I've seen the Gold Spear in use and it appears to be a good machine for checking placer deposits for the presence of fine gold.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have found gold with excal that was .4 and .3 of a gram....






American by birth, Patriot by choice.

I would rather die standing on my two feet defending our Constitution than live a lifetime on my knees......

 

[cudamark]

I hope Terry meant "grains", not grams!...... For the tiniest stuff, your choices are the Fisher GB2 and the original White's GMT, which under good conditions in the hands of an experienced user will occasionally hit tiny nugs/flakes down to about 0.1 grain, so small you almost can't see them little suckers.

Most beginners will do better with a Gold Bug Pro-- not quite as hot on the tiniest stuff, but a lot easier to learn how to use properly. Terry's a fan of the Lobo ST, cain't knock that one, I designed it, too.

For finding the tiny stuff, forget the PI's. They certainly have their place in gold prospecting, but that's not it.

In creek bottom prospecting, you can expect three headaches: water itself, magnetite, and gobs of bits of misc. iron and lead ammo and fishing tackle. Places where you're getting your feet wet are usually better prospected using placer methods.

One exception would be crack hunting. They're useful in finding gold there.

 

[Terry Soloman]

I hope Terry meant "grains", not grams!...... For the tiniest stuff, your choices are the Fisher GB2 and the original White's GMT, which under good conditions in the hands of an experienced user will occasionally hit tiny nugs/flakes down to about 0.1 grain, so small you almost can't see them little suckers.

Most beginners will do better with a Gold Bug Pro-- not quite as hot on the tiniest stuff, but a lot easier to learn how to use properly. Terry's a fan of the Lobo ST, cain't knock that one, I designed it, too.

For finding the tiny stuff, forget the PI's. They certainly have their place in gold prospecting, but that's not it.

In creek bottom prospecting, you can expect three headaches: water itself, magnetite, and gobs of bits of misc. iron and lead ammo and fishing tackle. Places where you're getting your feet wet are usually better prospected using placer methods.

No Dave, I meant .3grams is about as small a nugget as most folks are going to find in the field - especially in a stream, even with the Goldbug II or GMT. That has been my real world experience over the last 30-years or so. That is not to say that finding 3-5grain flakes is not possible – it is, just not likely for the average detectorist.

 

[rock]

Thanks I have been told there is gold in the creek I have permission to travel. It has been said most of it is fine gold though. I just dont see much if any black sand so I was hoping to use a MD to help locate it. Its a big creek and travels for many miles.

 

[steve1357]

Keep your eyes open for arrowheads, other artifacts....

Some detectors show iron content (Fe3O4) in soil (black sand), my GoldbugPro does.

http://www.fisherlab.com/hobby/fisher-goldbug-pro-metal-detector.htm

 

[DDancer]

There are several good threads here on prospecting. There are also innumerable books on the subject. By and large if its said to be primarily fine gold you'll probably be better off with a shovel, classifier and pan to check it out. VLF's can be used to prospect for blacksand deposits however I've always found it easier to read the lay of the creek and take a dig. If you find an area producing large pickers then consider a detector.... but expect to dig a lot of lead hehh