Jim, I'm in Pennsylvania, and I hunt exclusively on land with the 1280-X.
Like you, I purchased it when I was living in a beach invironment, and then moved inland. I've just never seemed to get the funds together to purchase a new land machine. (Hopefully a good CZ before THIS summer kicks in). Anyways, I've managed to have some GREAT result using the 1280 on land.
The advice TreasurdiggrNY gave you is right on the money. I run the sensitivity as high as I can go without chatter. (Alot of times I can put it all the way up). I keep my volume all the way up, so I can hear EVERYTHING. And I usualy run my Discrimination around 2-3 for normal land hunting. Then play with the knob a little to help determine what a target might be.
To me, the faint whisper signals are the ones to really pay attention to. Especially if you can max out the Disc., and still get a signal. The sound of deep silver. Even if it doesn't make it to full discrimination, it's worth digging. I've found mercury dimes that disced-out at 5, like a nickel, probably because they were on edge or something. If I'm getting a very deep signal, but it discs out at 3-4, I'll dig it. I was told that your eyes are the best discrimination you have!
I pull silver dimes at 7-8 inches or more pretty regularly, with the 8 inch coil.
If you have any doubts as to what a 1280 can do on land, (once you really get used the machine), take a look at my totals from last year, or any other posts I've ever made here.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,123693.0.html
Every find was made with a 1280-X on Land.
Good Luck, and Happy Hunting in Texas.
TBK.