Hey guys, I just stumbled upon this thread for the first time and thought I'd share my thoughts on the matter.
My first metal detector was a Bounty Hunter model (probably the cheapest one at the time), bought for me in 1994. I used it a lot at the time, but never found much with it. I attribute this to a) being a young kid at the time, and b) not being familiar with proper hunting techniques. Later on, I sold that detector and became interested in upgrading, so I got an Ace 250 when they first came out. I thought it was the best thing in the world for a long time! I was older and more keen on hunting techniques. I found tons and tons of clad, and jewelry too, and that made me happy.
When I began hunting with folks using Minelabs and other higher-ends machines, I became frustrated with the Ace to some degree because they were pulling out silvers galore in the same area as I was pulling clad. I picked up a Whites M6 and I love that machine to death, but even that machine simply CANNOT compete with SE's and E-Traks in very old, trashy, "hunted-out" parks. I have hunted side-by-side with dudes who were using Minelabs and they were steady pulling silvers when I could barely muster out a wheat. Yes, experience is very important. But, it's true that some machines do have limitations that keep them from performing the same as a higher-end machine such as a Minelab. I don't care how much experience John Doe has with his Ace 250, or Bounty Hunter, or whatever- in some cases, only certain detectors can get to certain finds. I hear a lot of people claim they find dimes at 11, 12, 13 inches with an Ace 250. I do not believe those claims at all. Most experienced Minelab users wouldn't find those either.
I also think the majority of people who firmly stand by their "lower end" detectors have never used anything like a Minelab E-Trak or SE or White's Vision. Some of those people think they're finding everything there is to find and that NOTHING could possibly be lying underneath, among the trash and iron. I think a lot of those people would be surprised to discover what's lying there that they couldn't get a good signal on.
Does this makes Bounty Hunters bad machines? NO!! Not at all. A guy with a Bounty Hunter can build a small empire with the jewelry and money he or she may find. I found a lot of gold and silver rings with my Ace 250. But then none of them were 8 or 9 inches deep in super-trashy parks. What do I mean by super trashy? Come over to the West side of Chicago and I'll show you
In the end, it all depends on what your target treasure is. I still use my Ace 250 in the tot lots because it works beautifully there. I use my M6 in the woods where it excels, and in the parks (all heavily-pounded) where it does OK. John Doe might swear by his Bounty Hunter because he has all the right in the world to, because he's finding what he wants to find. And you know what? God bless you. This is all about having fun, right? The thrill of discovery, the love of the outdoors. Personally, I adore my "lower end" M6, but I know its limitations and would never expect it to perform the way a Minelab does in a heavily trashy park. Because, frankly, it won't. There is no coincidence that nearly all the old, deep finds on T-net and YouTube are found with Minelabs and such. You won't see a video of a 9-inch deep seated half dime being found in a trashy park with a BH Discovery.
I don't see any need for negativity on this topic, remember guys, this is supposed to be fun! Happy hunting to you all.
Joe
