Thought I got it all...I was wrong! (warning, a long one)

Sadly, Bill passed away-my mentor on the Ace 250-or every user, I should say. My proficiency using this oft troublesome detector made it one of my favorites- but it was second fiddle before Bill came along. His articles reminded me a lot of my favorite author and hunter, Karl Von Mueller.:yes:
 
Very informative thread. Things I've read and seen a hundred times before finally clicked into place by being stated in a different way that made since to me. Thank you all for the great info
 
Very informative thread. Things I've read and seen a hundred times before finally clicked into place by being stated in a different way that made since to me. Thank you all for the great info

This theory makes 100% sense.

Overlapping the coil passes is very important.

I also got into the habit of trying not to lose my path. Often after cutting a plug and resting the plug, I'd go off track some. Now I try to take a step backwards to try and align myself better from here I came from and keep moving straight forward.
 
Well written article that would be my biggest problem is I move to fast most of the time

I wrote this almost 5 years ago and I can still remember how shocked I was when I slowed down and found an amazing amount of coins at that site I thought I could have sworn I had totally drained.

Sometimes fast works, some detectors lock on better with a faster sweep vs. super slow, but there is a sweet spot most brands have in swing speed that is usually slower than most newbies start out with like I did and continued to do until this experience.

When I give advice to newbs one thing I mention is learn good coil control and swing habits from the get-go.
It is much easier to learn to do it right out of the box then unlearn bad habits and try to change later on.


A few notes about this old thread...
It was mentioned Dustyloins made some comments early on and for you new people he was a very supportive and much loved longtime member, both dirt hunter and nugget finder supreme, who like Bill Revis sadly passed away.
It was issue 6 off that link in my first post where I read that eye opening article on the logistics of coin shooting and here it is...

http://www.thetreasuredepot.com/tdmag/issue6/coinshooting.htm

He was referring to concentric coil use and I still re-read it from time to time to keep my head straight and keep my perspective.
Issue 5 was an article about gridding and all of his posts deserve a look.

Second it has been 4 years since I hunted this parking lot site because I moved away at the end of 2011 but now I am back.
Like tot lots these grass, rock and chip filled parking lot dividers tend to reload over time as people hang out on and walk over them while pulling out their keys.
I pulled gold, silver and over $30 worth if clad out of this place that year and I am planning on going back soon.
Can't wait to see what those silly high school kids deposited into the dirt for me in my absence.
Bet it's a lot, plus I am way better at all this stuff now then I was back then.
I have had almost 5 years to practice what I preached.
 
I wrote this almost 5 years ago and I can still remember how shocked I was when I slowed down and found an amazing amount of coins at that site I thought I could have sworn had totally drained.

5 years old and still as valid today as then! This is one thread that should be a sticky, and mandatory reading for all new detectorists. It doesn't matter what detector they use.
 
Man we are getting old!:shock: Agree on the slow down. I hit stuff at a fast swing speed. Then go back over it slow as a turtle. Wish I'd have known what I was doing years ago. Got 6 gold my first year. Sadly it was likely a good year to hit the beach and I likely hurried past 20 gold:shock:
 
Thank you for this article. I know I go too fast trying to cover a lot of ground thinking that's how you find more. Looks like not the best strategy.
 
Thank you for this article. I know I go too fast trying to cover a lot of ground thinking that's how you find more. Looks like not the best strategy.

All I can tell you is what I do and my experiences.
When I have a site with a lot of real estate to cover I sometimes travel pretty fast but with a goal in mind...find the areas with a greater concentration of targets both good and bad, trash and coins.
When I find those areas I slow way down and concentrate on hunting small parts thoroughly...usually with a small sniper coil.
The numbers and percentages say I will find more that way than trying to cover vast amounts of real estate and that is what usually happens for me.
I am not saying there isn't treasure in other places, there well might be and I have found my share just wandering around wide open spaces in the past, but numbers rule my life in this hobby and I believe I found way more by slowing down and hitting small well used areas than I ever would have if I had just tried to cover more quickly.
Case in point...
Due to circumstances I am not able to roam very far to public parks all over my region like I used to.
Luckily there is an older park that is huge within walking distance and for the last few months I visit there pretty much daily.
This is a well hunted park where most hunters never visit anymore because it has been hunted for 60 years and the easy to find great targets were scooped up long ago.
Also this is one of the most challenging sites you might ever come across as far as difficulty.
Heavy mineralization, iron infused into most of the soil, even the low clay content black stuff that severely limits depth on all brands of detectors, plus most if the place was built on an an old landfill and there were old houses knocked down in several areas so the amount of iron and other garbage, big and small from shallow to deep, is absolutely insane.
I have walked all over this place looking for higher percentage areas and despite all the problems I have done well.
I found a Peace Dollar in a really out of the way place but that was just luck.
Still, when I reached this area I was still moving slow with a sniper coil which is why I found it.
I found big gold in another area that was filed with trash.

There is an area in this park that is an entrance and one of the most popular parts since the park was built in the mid 20's.
Every hunter around had to have hit this area since detectors were invented, most believe it is totally hunted out but I never thought this way.
I believe no place is ever really hunted out, there are usually targets around but either deep or well hidden...or both.
Here depth isn't the issue so much, masking is a much bigger problem.
In this entrance area, a place that supposedly had nothing left to find, so far here is my list of what I have found going slow and having the patience to not be in a hurry.

Several old wheaties
Indian Heads
An 188? Worn V nickel
Silver dimes
A sterling Masonic coin
Old WWl lead toy soldiers
Some modern clad
And just recently an 1875 seated dime...my first ever.

Let your detector do its job but make it easy for it to lock onto the good stuff by going slow and listening well.
The reward will be well worth it.
 
Thank you for taking the time to write back, especially on Christmas. Have a HAPPY HUNTING NEW YEAR!
 
Thank you for taking the time to write back, especially on Christmas. Have a HAPPY HUNTING NEW YEAR!

No problem.
That was easy, now I am so full of Christmas Turkey and ham, (plus all the fixins'), that I can barely type.

May the new year bring everyone the knowledge and patience to always learn new skills in order to find an ever growing quantity of higher quality treasure!
 
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