Results with your Bazooka Mini? (Not super mini)

[KevinInColorado]

Hey Brian! I've been loving this Mini. I'm going to remove the grate for sure. Although I'm pretty sure I wasn't in the best of flowing waters.

I am looking forward to heading back out there with you! I've been practicing a lot. And it'll be a pleasure to meet up with Kevin one day, as well.

Let me know whenever you are ready!

Looking forward to meeting you too!

If you need something to read to inspire your CO dreams, start with my blog
www.findinggoldincolorado.com

 

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[BrettCo124]

Looking forward to meeting you too!

If you need something to read to inspire your CO dreams, start with my blog
www.findinggoldincolorado.com

I've already begun looking through this blog! Really informative. I always love blogs like this one because it's all written by the true prospector/treasure hunter. People can learn a lot from your site. You basically give away untouched spots lol.

 

[Goldwasher]

As mentioned don't impede the flow through the grizzly. It hurts more than it could ever help.

 

[BrettCo124]

As mentioned don't impede the flow through the grizzly. It hurts more than it could ever help.

I removed the grate immediately after hearing concerns about it. Excited to see what it can do now that it's back to its original form!

 

[WesternMassGold]

Hey Brett, as you know I'm personally familiar with that specific Bazooka and that grate was added by a previous owner, but I considered removing it.
Given the feedback from those on this forum (Arizau and my buddy KevinInColorado) I'd say you should remove it. Worst case you could put it back on, but removing it will bring it back to "true Bazooka" form.
And as a side note: all the practice you're getting there in PA will make you very very prepared for when you visit Kevin out in CO or when you go with me up to New England.

- Brian

Oh no!! Brian is coming back up my way. There goes the picker i still havent found yet. Just kidding Brian . David and I have been up that way and started using his new 30 " Bazooka . 2 trips 160 pieces of gold so far.

 

[brianc053]

Don't worry WesternMassGold, I have my sights set on New Hampshire this Spring. My club has a trip planned to Twin River campground in June, and I need to do a "preview" trip sometime in April and May.
However, I might make a pit stop in Mass on the way up or on the way back...
- Brian

 

[Darth Placer]

Hey guys... LOL that sluice looks familiar.

I added the 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the grizzly due to the high amounts of small long flat pebbles found in the stream I was using it in regularly. The problem was they were getting past the grizzly and clogging the catch tray .. all the larger material moving around was disturbing the bed too much. Before the addition of the mesh I found no gold with it. Once the mesh was added the small PA specks started showing up.

It would have been better if it was mounted under the bars but looked to be too much of a pain to try. As long as the grizzly was mostly open I left the little bits stuck in the grizzly alone. In some ways I felt they acted as a riffle and created some differences in the current for the finer gold to drop out in. If it got to be too much I just ran my hand over it to clear most of them out. When I had a good strong current running through it was less of an issue and mostly self clearing.

You do need a good amount of current for the box to work as designed.. building a rock dam if necessary. And you do need a bit more of a drop then you do with a traditional sluice.

 

[brianc053]

Hey Darth! Good to see you on TNet. I hope you're not offended that the Mini was passed along to another member of the community. BRETT will put it to good use, while I stick with my classic Buckabilly.
- Brian

 

[tvanwho]

My Mini catches gold so fine at Gateville,Indiana that my 60 year old eyes cannot hardly see it. I was gonna throw it back in the creek until these 2 old guys from Kentucky said they would take it. Heck, they were using a GoldHog mini excavator powered banker and I was catching more gold than they were and NO gas engine to fuss with. Just had to make some wing dams as the stream flow was kinda slow. That mini is the EASIEST Bazooka to setup of all of them and so backpackable. I put a mini dam under the back end of mine to jack it up about 2 inch and keep water from running underneath so much. I also made a metal ledge over top of it to put a big rock on top so the current can't wash it away on me. It does like fast water flows, won't work well in slow moving creeks.

 

[BrettCo124]

Hey guys... LOL that sluice looks familiar.

I added the 1/4 inch hardware cloth to the grizzly due to the high amounts of small long flat pebbles found in the stream I was using it in regularly. The problem was they were getting past the grizzly and clogging the catch tray .. all the larger material moving around was disturbing the bed too much. Before the addition of the mesh I found no gold with it. Once the mesh was added the small PA specks started showing up.

It would have been better if it was mounted under the bars but looked to be too much of a pain to try. As long as the grizzly was mostly open I left the little bits stuck in the grizzly alone. In some ways I felt they acted as a riffle and created some differences in the current for the finer gold to drop out in. If it got to be too much I just ran my hand over it to clear most of them out. When I had a good strong current running through it was less of an issue and mostly self clearing.

You do need a good amount of current for the box to work as designed.. building a rock dam if necessary. And you do need a bit more of a drop then you do with a traditional sluice.

Thanks for the response! Sounds like people have luck both ways: with and without the grate. I did end up removing it, so I'll see how it operates without it for a little. It sounds like, to me, that without adequate flow, it won't operate efficiently. So perhaps those stones were getting stuck in the trap because the flow wouldn't remove them.

Anyhow, I love this thing. I was seconds from purchasing the 30" prospector (and I'm sure I will in the future) but I think this mini is perfect and will operate just as good, with less hassle to use.

Every Time I go out, which hasn't been much, I never really get a full shovels worth of material due to big rocks always being in the way. So it's not a problem to drop my shovel full on the skid and let it do its thing. By the time I get my next shovel, the material is usually gone. I just don't see a need to upgrade it.

BrettCo

 

[BrettCo124]

My Mini catches gold so fine at Gateville,Indiana that my 60 year old eyes cannot hardly see it. I was gonna throw it back in the creek until these 2 old guys from Kentucky said they would take it. Heck, they were using a GoldHog mini excavator powered banker and I was catching more gold than they were and NO gas engine to fuss with. Just had to make some wing dams as the stream flow was kinda slow. That mini is the EASIEST Bazooka to setup of all of them and so backpackable. I put a mini dam under the back end of mine to jack it up about 2 inch and keep water from running underneath so much. I also made a metal ledge over top of it to put a big rock on top so the current can't wash it away on me. It does like fast water flows, won't work well in slow moving creeks.

This is great info. Do you put a screen over your grizzly? Like the one in my photo? Do you notice stones clogging the trap, or do they make it in the trap and then push their way out due to the current?

 

[Darth Placer]

There was plenty of flow when I used it.. the problem was the thin rocks were long... some 3/4 to an inch.. there is only so much that it can push out. Think it would less of an issue on the larger units. If I was in a stream that didn't have material like that then would remove the hardware cloth. Some were getting jammed under the spray bar then the box would get completely plugged up with not much of a fluid bed action. It had a purpose.

Looking at that picture it looks like you need a little bit steeper of an angle.

No Brian not mad you passed it on... thought you would do well with it on some of those business road trips you go on. It's getting some use though which is good to see.

Brett keep practicing your panning... the fine gold we find in PA can slip right out of your pan at first until you get a solid grasp on how to get it out. Saving your cons the first year is always a good thing to do. You would be surprised when you run them a year later how much you missed. Any method involving tapping the pan is a good start.

 

[BrettCo124]

There was plenty of flow when I used it.. the problem was the thin rocks were long... some 3/4 to an inch.. there is only so much that it can push out. Think it would less of an issue on the larger units. If I was in a stream that didn't have material like that then would remove the hardware cloth. Some were getting jammed under the spray bar then the box would get completely plugged up with not much of a fluid bed action. It had a purpose.

Looking at that picture it looks like you need a little bit steeper of an angle.

No Brian not mad you passed it on... thought you would do well with it on some of those business road trips you go on. It's getting some use though which is good to see.

Brett keep practicing your panning... the fine gold we find in PA can slip right out of your pan at first until you get a solid grasp on how to get it out. Saving your cons the first year is always a good thing to do. You would be surprised when you run them a year later how much you missed. Any method involving tapping the pan is a good start.

That makes sense. I'll have to pay attention to the material in the creeks I will be going to. Also, I'll bring the screen just in case, and hopefully it'll be easy to throw back on.

I'll also be paying very close attention to my panning. I've always been afraid of losing the gold. I do spend a long time panning the final material (when I'm close to the black sand), and usually stir it up again and check once more. Thanks for the advice.

 

[nuggetshooter323]

I tried the mesh mod several years ago and also found that screen was clogging up bad with no way to sweep the grizzly off at all. Being able to quickly sweep the grizzly off is an important feature, so after one trip I took it off. If you have a bunch of 3/4" flat rocks that clog the trap, then really the only thing to do is classify with a 2 mesh or a 4 mesh screen.

 

[BrettCo124]

I tried the mesh mod several years ago and also found that screen was clogging up bad with no way to sweep the grizzly off at all. Being able to quickly sweep the grizzly off is an important feature, so after one trip I took it off. If you have a bunch of 3/4" flat rocks that clog the trap, then really the only thing to do is classify with a 2 mesh or a 4 mesh screen.

Another great option. I've been considering getting a smaller classifier. But it takes away the best feature of the bazooka. However; I could always have one in case of a creek with those size stones in it. Thanks for that tip!

 

[Tuolumne]

I have a super mini and a prospector, I always bring both. If i have other crew they feed the prospector and I take the mini prospecting up or down my claim looking for the next spot. also Mini for low flows but ive never not had enough water to run my prospector even in this 500 year california drought.

 

[BrettCo124]

I have a super mini and a prospector, I always bring both. If i have other crew they feed the prospector and I take the mini prospecting up or down my claim looking for the next spot. also Mini for low flows but ive never not had enough water to run my prospector even in this 500 year california drought.

I was thinking of getting both, but now I'm contemplating the 36" sniper instead of the prospector. Also, would you personally ever run your super mini as your main sluice full time? Do you feel confident enough of its production? Dealing with needing more flow for the bigger guys seems to be its major disadvantage. But if the mini and supermini were both perfectly fine for full time use (and not just for sampling), then I'm good for now. I like to hear everybody's response, so I'd also love to hear your opinion.

 

[KevinInColorado]

The mini/Supermini is too slow for me. It's great when there's not enough water for something bigger but I always go to my Sniper or Prospector when there's enough flow

 

[BrettCo124]

The mini/Supermini is too slow for me. It's great when there's not enough water for something bigger but I always go to my Sniper or Prospector when there's enough flow

Thanks Kevin. Do you find the sniper to need less flow than the prospector? 30"? Also, is the flow needed for the mini or supermini any different in your opinion? Maybe I should go with the 36" sniper? I have flow, but I don't know about "great" flow.

 

[Tuolumne]

The mini/Supermini is too slow for me. It's great when there's not enough water for something bigger but I always go to my Sniper or Prospector when there's enough flow

Kevin said it best......for me the mini is too slow under normal conditions, the prospector I can shovel into and make a dam where I want to dig, no bucket needed