Coin shooting vs Au detecting.

[Goldtarget]

OK so the idea for this is a little odd ball insofar as I just paid for a pizza in detected coins.....and got me thinking about just how much I've pulled out from the ground from coin shooting (often but it adds up) and after owning a detector for gold I started on some quick sums.

I sat down and started doing some calculations which was very interesting.
Coin shooting approximate equipment outlay = $1000 (detector headphones lesche pinpointer) Roi in coins X 3.5. Roi x 6 total (jewelery finds included at sold price).
18 months.
Detecting approximate equipment outlay $2500 (detector headphones pick coils spare battery) Roi in gold @ spot = - $2200 ( but I did sell the detector in the end)
around 6 months.

Now considering you can pick up an aldi for around $100, and spend over $3000+ coin shooting, and a pi will start somewhere around $1000 sh to $1400 new and up I reckon there is a clear winner.

Sure you might detect enough gold in one sweep to put you over the top immediately, but I'd have to say hour for hour most people arriving at the hobby should be able to start making long term gains a lot faster going the coin shooting route.

Add to that equation above I've extracted over 1000 pre decs that worthless or not are still a lot more interesting than lead.

Anyone out there able to share a ball park coin shooting figure? I know some of you guys were out there long before PA was around!

 

[SCROUNGER]

From a purely monetary point you're probably spot on GT. But i'd rather wander aimlessly around in the bush any day than a public park in the city. :lol: :lol:

 

[Wally69]

Some ramblings following the first test run of my ALDI, comment are still relevant

"Now.... For a $100 detector I must say it did exceptionally well, it yielded a net return of $4.25 in 10 minutes, that is equivalent to a 4.25% return. Better than money in the bank for the whole year, especially considering if I had kept going the potential return, based on my proven performance, would have been 612% for the day or a bit shy of $950k for the year."

I have personally found far more wealth in gold coins than in gold nuggets. Darn it. 8.( but gold nuggets are my priority target.

 

[SCROUNGER]

Would you use your discovered gold to buy a pizza GT? It would seem almost sacrilegious wouldn't it? :lol:

 

[Metamorphic]

Nothing beats the thrill of a gold hunt......the research at home, co-ords plugged in, a weeks camping out in the forest around a great camp fire going over the days hunt, exaggerating stories and telling jokes while sinking a few coldies in the company of some great mates.

Waking the next morning, out the tent door and smelling that clean Ironbark bush air! Aaaaahhh.

Saying gday to a few wallabies or having a curious echidna stroll through camp while your taking great pics of our wonderful, beautiful bush surrounds.

Reading the ground and local geology...being fascinated by local rock samples, foliation in bedrock running across bush tracks or dry river beds.

The anticipation towards the days hunt and feeling your heart pound, blood pressure rise on a great smooth tone signal out in the middle of nowhere thinking.....this could be that 100 ouncer.

Living the dream......worth more than money can buy i reckon!

One of my pics of a frosty winters morning within a magnificent goldfields Ironbark state forest....the anticipation, the freedom.

Now thats living

 

[SCROUNGER]

Yep, there are somethings neither money or gold can buy.

 

[rocketaroo]

reckon one could find alot more gold on the beach (than anywhere else), then add the coins, and other jewellery. Its a hobby for most, so hunt what, and where you like to. I love park hunts My 705 has paid for itself, in 3-4 months, and we dont get anywhere near the amount, of coins dropped in more populated areas, like Sydney.

 

[Goldtarget]

You make excellent points gents. Whatever your form of fun I say go for it.

I reckon if you were sitting at home with a few hundred in the wallet under the dreaded stare of the kitchen tiger grabbing a shooter and bringing home pocketful of change might tip the scales in your favour to escalate up to a decent pi. Or you could have one like Mrs GT that seems to such the fun out of every toy....But I'm off topic.
That pizza was pretty darn good but not worth the half gram nugget....But two change bags full of "free" money and look on the delivery blokes face...priceless. He stopped me counting it halfway through haha. I'm sadistic like that, but I chucked an extra $5 in on top of the $3 they get. Guess who's pizza turns up first in town? You betcha.

 

[SCROUNGER]

Good call GT.
Yeah, not that i've detected for coins but i reckon most 'gold coins' wouldn't hold any real significance other than their face value, whereas the gold, even the smallest specks have something special about them i reckon. But having said that i think it would be a pretty cool feeling pulling old silver coins or treasures that have a lot of history, even if not that much monetary value.
Each to his own, no good can be had by staying indoors imo, so just getting out in search of treasure, coins, gold or whatever is priceless in my book..

 

[Wally69]

reckon one could find alot more gold on the beach (than anywhere else), then add the coins, and other jewellery. Its a hobby for most, so hunt what, and where you like to. I love park hunts My 705 has paid for itself, in 3-4 months, and we dont get anywhere near the amount, of coins dropped in more populated areas, like Sydney.

Ahhhh..........another hidden cost.........post code envy

Don't get hung up Rocket, the grass may not actually be greener. Science can explain just about anything

 

[rocketaroo]

thats nonsense lol

 

[Brian]

The parks in Sydney I've been to don't have many coins in them.

I'm happier about the loss in waist line than my find of coins.

 

[ozziii]

I'm on my way, I found 5 cents in a park the other day, plus a heap of crap, think I'll stick to the bush, its more peaceful finding crap in the bush.

 

[Jimbob]

I'm on my way, I found 5 cents in a park the other day, plus a heap of crap, think I'll stick to the bush, its more peaceful finding crap in the bush.

Yeah, bush crap is better than city crap any day.

 

[Gold Diver]

I coin shoot when I cant get out on my Gold patch in Summer, helps scratch the itch.
I like finding old coins, modern coins don't interest me.

Interestingly, I actually think I am a better gold detectorist after learning to coin shoot properly.
When you hunt for coins, I think you are much more aware of your coil position in relation to the ground, as this helps with target ID and discrimination.

Out in the desert with the Minelab GPX, I tend to get a little distracted.

 

[300]

Hi guys i coin shoot last week my best ever $183.90 cash my average is around $100 a week if i was doing gold i dont think it would match that i use a Cibola with a cleansweep coil , also not included the rings .

 

[silver]

The parks in Sydney I've been to don't have many coins in them.

I'm happier about the loss in waist line than my find of coins.

The more people around = more eyes on the ground = less good targets left behind = big city.

 

[rocketaroo]

people dont unintentionally look at the ground. Coins drop into a tuft of grass, and are instantly lost. More people, equals more traffic, equals more coins in the dirt.

 

[rocketaroo]

Hi guys i coin shoot last week my best ever $183.90 cash my average is around $100 a week if i was doing gold i dont think it would match that i use a Cibola with a cleansweep coil , also not included the rings .

where do you live?

 

[Heatho]

I've been averaging about $150 a week in coins, $1 and $2 coins I see as the meat and potatoes, the silver pre dec coins and jewelery as the cream. The dollar mule I scored the other day would have eclipsed any of my finds had it not been struck by a mower. Would have been the same as a 4oz nugget if in good condition, though much rarer than a 4oz nugget.

Gold detecting for me is expensive in fuel and accomodation so always makes a loss for me so far, 1 good nugget could change that but i'm not worried if it doesn't happen, I just love getting out of the city and see gold as a bonus.

All that being said I reckon I could feed myself and pay for my beer each week by detecting parks.