Digging In Gravel And Rock.... How Do Ya'll Do It

[Deep1]

Got access to an old very early drive in, you know, with car hops and curb service.
The lot as I remember it, was dirt.
Well, under the dirt is rock of different sizes, in some areas it is small gravel 1/4 to 1/2, in another it is big rock from an inch to maybe 3 inches.
It been driven on and packed for over 70 years.
It is all bound by a very hard, fine black dirt. It's so fine it disappears, whenever I refill the hole all there is a pile rocks.
Never tried to dig in ground like this and it's kickin my butt.
There's coins everywhere. Every few steps is a target.
In 2 or 3 hours I might recover 8 or 10 targets and I'm only diggin 3 to 6 inches. After that I'm wore out.
I've tried Leshe shovel(don't work too good), hand tool(worked better) and a 5/16 probe with a flattened tip( worked ok).
My next thought is a small pick ax.
The problem is I cannot make big holes, otherwise I would have a mini excavator with me.
Is it easier to dig when it's wet? We've had no rain for a while and the ground is very hard.
I could take a water tank and wet the ground.
Any suggestions from the rocky ground diggers?

 

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[Older The Better]

It’s rough, have you tried twisting the shovel? Sometimes catching the edge of a rock and twisting works better than trying to pry upwards

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Good place to hunt, but you are going to work for every target!

A pick ax may be OK if you are careful...Wet ground would be nice if it rains for you. Good Luck on your adventure!

 

[Toecutter]

Try the scraper method like ol Two Toes uses...

it should be alot easier after a good rain...

my predator ranger shovel does a good job in stuff like that...

 

[chub]

screw driver and hammer. No Im not joking. Use those knee pads that painters/ roofers wear. Also a thin stone masons chisel or cold chisel work well. Did a carpark at my mother in laws shop. Was a truck stop for 30 years so some interesting finds. Sounds like the same kind of situation

Chub

 

[3cylbill]

been there done that and your right it's tough diggin , chub has the right idea and don't forget they ran speaker wires underground....have fun...

 

[xr7ator]

Nice tip, Chub. I have spent too long digging in packed gravel for targets. I already carry a sturdy screw driver. I'll put a hammer in the truck!

 

[Older The Better]

Depending on how worried about damaging your finds I would think an auger would do the trick... like small motor on a tripod style.

 

[Terry Soloman]

Hermit Pick by Calvin "Bunk" Bunker

 

[A2coins]

Sounds like good advice

 

[Deep1]

Bought a cute little pick ax, Tried it yesterday. Kinda like a monkey and a football.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MY8XX5K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Like the screwdriver, hammer idea.
It rained today, got about a 1/4 inch.
Wow, what a difference.
I can kinda get my digger in the ground a make a hole.
It cut my time from 5 minutes an inch to 1 minute.
Still pretty tough diggin.
Where there was a little water standing, diggin was easier.
Gonna take a 100 gallon water tank, flag my targets and soak em down.
Thanks for the input.

 

[creskol]

I have used my commercial cordless hammer drill on packed gravel from time to time just to loosen the gravel. It works swell. You can buy a non-commercial grade cordless hammer drill fairly inexpensively. Although I have never used a non-commercial one, I would think the concept would be the same.

 

[Kray Gelder]

Are you finding silver? If it isn't silver, I'd find somewhere else to dig. IMHO.

 

[Older The Better]

I like hammer drill better than auger, do you use an actual bit or a spike or a paddle?

 

[creskol]

I like hammer drill better than auger, do you use an actual bit or a spike or a paddle?

I just use a 1/2 inch masonry bit and sorta slowly wallow it around the hole.

 

[boogeyman]

Hermit Pick by Calvin "Bunk" Bunker

Terrys got the idea! Way back I used an Estwing rockhammer. Pinpoint and loosen the gravel around it. Worked excellent at a drive in covered in pea gravel.