Metal detectors for gold and silver

[DhruvD]

Hey guys. I decided to take up metal detecting as my new hobby. Can you please tell me what are the best metal detectors for gold and silver in pure soil for depth up to 5 feet? Thank you.

 

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[bc5391]

Dig down 4 feet, then buy a minelab and keep digging

 

[Jason in Enid]

What BC is trying to say is that NOTHING can do what you want. Metal detectors only see inches deep. The deepest detector you can buy would be the Minelab GPZ7000. They can hit large gold nuggets deeper than anything else, but be warned; they are crazy expensive, they are very heavy, and they are complex to use and have a steep learning curve. Its not anything you want to buy for a hobby.

 

[gunsil]

Well, there are two box systems that might see a Volkswagen at five feet but it will not see a single gold coin at any depth. If you are searching for VERY large objects a two box outfit may do the job but if you are looking for something like a mayonnaise jar of coins there is likely no machine that will find that size target to five feet. Maybe 18" with a top grade detector in the hands of an experienced operator. Like Jason says most detectors are designed to find smaller objects at more shallow depths.

 

[Goldwasher]

What BC is trying to say is that NOTHING can do what you want. Metal detectors only see inches deep. The deepest detector you can buy would be the Minelab GPZ7000. They can hit large gold nuggets deeper than anything else, but be warned; they are crazy expensive, they are very heavy, and they are complex to use and have a steep learning curve. Its not anything you want to buy for a hobby.

Been using one. A couple times now. It really isn't that heavy. Not hard to use if you have experience. Settings are pretty much push button. To be honest most of the bells and whistles would never be used by me.

tried it with the 19" coil that did throw the balance off do to the weight. Put it over can slaw in cobble and your on a ten minute chase for the damned thing.
Lots of pinpointer time. Extra ground noise.

I put the 14' inch back on it.

As far as depth. Well it will find a broken square nail at a foot or more. It finds small pickers deep.

I've seen several lumps in the last two weeks come out with the owner running it 18" to 26" deep. they all had well over an ounce.

Out of the hole My sdc had to be twice as close to hear them.

I will be getting the swap kit and 11" coiltech for the sdc pretty soon. I would probably end up with a GPX 5000 before Could get a gpz

But. if minelab follows their trend their next machine will require a down payment and personal loan for anyone to buy it

Maybe the gpz will drop a couple herds of goats in price then.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Hi there, perhaps you're not really asking the right questions. The questions should be, "how deep will a great gold/silver detector go", and those are the answers you're getting. As for your original postulation, there does not currently exist a bonafide detector that will do what you ask. Oh, there are people that will try to sell you "gold machines" that will supposedly find precious metals super deep and super far away, but that's just asking that you spend a lot of money on something that is not a true metal detector as those items are more of a pseudo-science with no hard science to back them up (long-range locators, etc.).

All the best,

Lanny

 

[DhruvD]

Hey guys

Thank you for your input. My question shows the lack of my knowledge in this area. Perhaps I should rephrase the question.

I know the area where there are possible caches of gold and silver hidden. I know this because they have been found few times in the past. We are talking about caches the size of a shoe box. May be not 5 feet deep but certainly deeper than 2 feet.

So there is nothing I can buy right now that can do this? I don’t want to spend thousands but I have been recommended Fisher gold bug pro. What do you guys think about that one?

Thank you

 

[Jason in Enid]

Nope, cant do it. A two-box is your best option for a cache, but even it is seriously lacking for what you want.

 

[Carl-NC]

I know the area where there are possible caches of gold and silver hidden. I know this because they have been found few times in the past. We are talking about caches the size of a shoe box. May be not 5 feet deep but certainly deeper than 2 feet.

Years ago when I lived in NC, I buried a test cache of 220 silver quarters (3 pounds) exactly 24" deep. Nothing I had would detect it. Not a TM808, or TDI, or Explorer, or V3, or a variety of other VLFs and PIs I had. Using an identical air test cache, the T2 came closest at 22". I suspect a Nexus might have worked but I didn't have one at the time.

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In my test I used a plastic container (Betty Crocker frosting tub) because I wanted a worst-case scenario. If your caches are in a metal container then you have an edge. If that container is steel or iron, you have an even better edge, because now you can use a magnetometer.

 

[joska]

DhruvD,listen don,t be discouraged because I was you 25 so years ago and learned so so much since but in Florida I use many kinds of detection devices but your best bet would be An Aqua Pulse with a 15 inch coil and will easily hit targets that your talking about as I hit targets such as gold bars and small chests that,s around 2 to 3 ft. deep.But I also have a bit advantage to scan areas of interest to making sure there is gold or silver target in my search zone,but that is my secret of detection.

 

[Goldwasher]

I get Sardine cans shovel heads, pick heads, large tin pieces at 18" to 24' easily.

Possibly deeper. just haven't got one under the coil yet. I do not see how I could miss a frosting container full of coins.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

DhruvD,listen don,t be discouraged because I was you 25 so years ago and learned so so much since but in Florida I use many kinds of detection devices but your best bet would be An Aqua Pulse with a 15 inch coil and will easily hit targets that your talking about as I hit targets such as gold bars and small chests that,s around 2 to 3 ft. deep.But I also have a bit advantage to scan areas of interest to making sure there is gold or silver target in my search zone,but that is my secret of detection.

Aqua Pulse is a pulse detector, you will be digging lots of metal crap. Larger the target the deeper it sees target but we are talking targets with large mass, not small targets.

 

[Carl-NC]

I get Sardine cans shovel heads, pick heads, large tin pieces at 18" to 24' easily.

Possibly deeper. just haven't got one under the coil yet. I do not see how I could miss a frosting container full of coins.

Big solid targets are easier to detect than a collection of small targets. That's why gold chains made of small links are hard to detect. If I melted those silver coins into a solid 3-pound bar then 24" would be a breeze.

 

[joska]

Carl-NC that was my point using my Aqua pulse with 15 in.coil targeting gold bars in a shallow river lol.But I finally found a easier way to dig them out.

 

[LuisBesso]

I have metal detectors with digital display numbers(Discovery 3300).
What is the number of gold nuggets? (when you swipe it above)
Thank you

 

[Lanny in AB]

I have metal detectors with digital display numbers(Discovery 3300).
What is the number of gold nuggets? (when you swipe it above)
Thank you

Replied to your thread Luis.

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Lanny in AB]

If you know the area where your gold caches are, perhaps you'd do better with GPR (ground penetrating radar)? That might help you see anomalies or disturbances down deeper.

All the best,

Lanny