Speed Hunting

[OWK]

Simple experiment. What is my maximum "value-target-per-minute" rate if I just put my head down and dig as quick as I can? Didn't spend a lot of time trying to I.D. finds. Didn't dig foil or tab signals. Just nickle, and high-conductor. Tried to dig the right plug size for the depth indicated. Tried to quickly pinpoint, recover, and put it in the pouch without gawking.

At a relatively new elementary school athletic field (school built in 1964)... I recovered 11 clad quarters, 13 clad dimes, 5 Jeff nickles, 20 memorial Lincoln cents, 5 wheat cents, 1 nice silver ring, a Virgin Mary pendant, and a dog tag (which I'll count as a value target because I like it)... all in a little under 3 hours. 57 value targets in let's call it 180 minutes.

One keeper every 3.15 minutes.

Not sure how this rate translates for others, but I found it interesting.

 

[dirtlooter]

looked pretty nice, so are you going back and slowing down? actually compared to my wife, that is how I hunt, fairly quickly, trying to dig as much as I can while I can

 

[OWK]

For this purposes of this experiment, I didn't double back (although I may go back later).

I put on my big coil (I have an SEF 10X12 butterfly). Ran my F70 pretty hot. (it was quite chatty). Spent a fair amount of time double and triple check signals. Only dug what was solid from multiple directions., and nickle or high conductor.

I would estimate that only 5% of what I dug in this experiment was trash.

All but one of the wheaties were very deep. (8+)... and came from a concentrated area.

I think they may have predated the school (1936, 1940, 1941, 1943).

Given the number of wheaties and pre-1965 memorials I was a little surprised I didn't dig a single silver coin.