Digging every target

[Leroy]

Haven't been detecting very long and I think I need to ask your opinions on the subject of "digging every target".lately I've been digging heaps and heaps of pellets with next to no gold. (2300) I scrape every one but if the coil doesn't scream when I move it through the scraped out dirt, I assume it's a pellet and I don't bother to check any further. I will say that I have placed a tiny piece of gold in amongst the dirt from time to time, just to hear the difference in the sound of the pellet and the gold I found that they don't compare. I most likely do this to tell myself that I'm not making any mistakes.
I try to be very particular and careful and I tell myself, "if it's in the loose dirt on the top and doesn't scream, it's a pellet" if I've gone down a bit into firm ground/clay, I might have a look even it doesn't scream that "gold signal noise", but so far only pellets or an air rifle slug.
Members, am I basically on the right track with my detecting or should I try things a little differently?
Thankyou, Leroy.

 

[user 7268]

Have found a few small pieces in amongst six or seven pellets many times and also where others have also been before. My reckoning is they probably thought it was just another piece of rubbish after pinging and digging three or four prior I'm a novice like yourself but advice from many that have been doing it a long time all say dig it. This is probably even more important in the early learning stage ? The one you don't dig could well be one your walking away from Good example is recently getting late in the day and a bit tired of digging buckshot I walked away from one, played on my mind a bit that night so went back the next day and it was yella not big yella but yella all the same
The only up side is you will never know the one's you missed :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[kemjak57]

Best to check them all with a 2300. I picked up seven pieces one day and because they were all different shapes and sizes I think they all had a slightly different signal. A .9 gram was a very strong signal whereas a piece that was only .3 piece was more difficult to retrieve from the scrape. It doesn't take that much longer to check. You may be missing flat or irregular shaped bits. Cheers Rick

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

One word....as per 'the other thread'....sun-bakers. Last one i found in the 'dust' was a 0.34gm.

I had actually done a boot scrape and it moved so i walked away.....about 3 steps then went back to double check, and was happily surprised it was gold.

Surface targets aren't always 'pellets' as these can also be found 'buried'...so both gold and pellets can be in the LEAST likely expected places, either alone and/or together.

This is why experienced operators will say "Dig Everything"...extrapolate that to mean....check EVERYTHING that makes a change in your threshold

(Ok, Ok...so ~ 100 words.. :lol: )

GGA

 

[Guest]

Let me share this piece of wisdom with you.

If you are finding tiny shotgun pellets, there has been no other competent SDC operator in that area.

Personally when I find lead, I know no other detector has been in that area and get real keen but there may or may not be gold there too.

Accept that gold to lead can be 100:1 ratio some days.

Cheers

RS

 

[SCROUNGER]

From my experience (with the sdc)you shouldn't walk away from any signal. Yes, when you get a stronger signal and you only have to scrape soft soil to move it then it's likely shot, but NOT ALWAYS. I'm still often tricked by having to dig deeper signals (around 5-8 inches) and get all excited as i'm going deeper and deeper, but more times than not its bigger shot that's just worked down deeper over the decades or whatever. i'm still also surprised how some admittadly small specs of gold are in that first shallow scrape.
Not all gold screams and not all shot screams. I often try and call it for gold or shots etc before i dig and i still reckon i'm only running 50/50 at getting it correct.
Dig everything imo and if you find you're digging more shot than you're comfortable with then move on to another area would be my advice.
Good luck.

 

[Bigjilm]

Dig everything,i got a screamer one day and nearly walked away,2" under was a 16 grammer,learnt a lesson that day?

 

[RM Outback]

I've found with the 2300 the tone of the threshold varies depending on the pellets size, depth and decomposition state to name a few and like you I'm no expert. IE a small decomposing pellet will give a faint sound I've found plenty like this down to 20mm. With the same faint sound I've found gold at similar depth and up to 50/60mm. Pays to check and will test your enthusiasm some days. Stay positive your hearing the changes in the threshold and finding targets, this is a good thing even though the targets aren't. Apart from the experts telling you to dig everything they also say do your research. Keep going Leroy as they say practice makes perfect, wish I had the opportunities/time one day I will. Good luck

 

[user 7222]

Dig and identify every target. Period

 

[Billy]

Search "Fuggets" 8)

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7988

Make sure you read ;page 2 and 3 as well

I've posted this before, but it is a good indication of what can be dragged out of Hill End flogged ground.

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1916/1416967604_image.jpg

https://www.prospectingaustralia.com/forum/img/member-images/1916/1416967699_image.jpg

 

[PabloP]

Not sure if it has been said in this thread, but if you are in a known gold area and finding junk, there is a much higher chance that the spot hasn't been properly gone over by a serious gold prospector with a good detector, else they would have extracted the junk, so there is likely to be gold still in the area.

Dig all targets and take the junk away with you as well as the gold stuff.

Rob

 

[GypsyGoldAu]

if you are in a known gold area and finding junk, there is a much higher chance that the spot hasn't been properly gone over by a serious gold prospector with a good detector, else they would have extracted the junk, so there is likely to be gold still in the area.

Sorry PabloP, but i will have to disagree with you on this matter from my experience. As much as we'd like to think this would be the case, i know of many old timers who to this day still discriminate, and walk on by a blanked signal response.

Additionally, i also know of operators that dig targets, see it's fuggets, and throw them back in.
These 'ol blokes are also like the diggers of today who are just too ****** lazy to even back-fill their holes..although i will concede there is still possibly gold in these areas.

It's easy to get into the 'right' way of thinking, but that doesn't follow that 'everyone' else does...

GGA

 

[Ridge Runner]

Dig em all because where others walked away I was rewarded and I will never forget that day, Pellets are to Prospecting as Pulltabs and Bottle Caps are Coin detecttoists, reject them and you will loose.

john

 

[Leroy]

Thanks everybody, all interesting posts,very interesting "scrounger"sounds like me. As I said I dig every target but don't check them all. With the screamers, they normally get one scrape with the Boot and if they move they are normally not looked at,I will admit I do think about ascertaining what the target actually was, but very seldom do I bother. This is the reason for my original post, asking for advice on "Digging every target". Digging and identifying have very different meanings, and from reading all your posts it looks like I will, and should, be doing a lot more of the latter. The Screamers on the top are going to get more of attention as well.
Thanks everybody, Leroy.

 

[Leroy]

One more query. Pellets down around 4-6 inches are often white coated and yes "Scrounger", larger. I understand that these have been in the ground longer and have worked their way down over time. I too get excited with these ones but so far to no avail,never mind I'll keep looking and digging.
Leroy.

 

[bend]

I've picked up a 3 grammer just sitting on the ground beside a tree, no detector just saw it sitting there (actually had just put the detector in the car after a fruitless hour on the other side of the track ). Even if they move with a boot scrape, or sound like a pellet or any other reason you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't at least confirm that it's trash before you move on. You're better off picking it up too, at least that way you won't find it again having another look six months down the track.

 

[Digginholes]

I dig every target, even if I take home 150 bits of lead or nails. At least this way I take something home lol
With only a single 0.6g nuggi so far all the junk makes good practice and the lead will eventually be melted into fishing sinkers or new pellets for re-loading ammo. And I hate to think I left a target that could have been nuggi #2 behind

 

[Davejane]

Let me share this piece of wisdom with you.

If you are finding tiny shotgun pellets, there has been no other competent SDC operator in that area.

Personally when I find lead, I know no other detector has been in that area and get real keen but there may or may not be gold there too.

Accept that gold to lead can be 100:1 ratio some days.

Cheers

RS

Why does that mean no one one has been there. They might be just throwing what they find back on the ground again

 

[PabloP]

Let me share this piece of wisdom with you.

If you are finding tiny shotgun pellets, there has been no other competent SDC operator in that area.

Personally when I find lead, I know no other detector has been in that area and get real keen but there may or may not be gold there too.

Accept that gold to lead can be 100:1 ratio some days.

Cheers

RS

Why does that mean no one one has been there. They might be just throwing what they find back on the ground again

I think that the words " no other competent SDC operator in that area" is the clue. I am assuming that he, like I, take away any junk that we find, even as a service to the environment and other detectorists, and while those that throw there junk back may not be incompetent, I would like to think that a good detectorist would do the same.

Rob.

 

[BigWave]

Was in the GT last weekend around Maryborough with others from PA and my trusty 4500 hunting gold, and came across a wide area of screaming target(s) that sounded like rusty fencing wire. I kicked off the surface leaves/sticks/dirt knowing that I'd moved a load of rubbish, but saw that the target(s) was still buried in clay. Curiosity (and only that) got the better of me and daughter, so we dug. I thought I briefly saw a coin, but knowing no coins could be there, I passed it off as a bottle top or other. It wasn't till my daughter pulled a shilling that I knew I had also seen a coin. It was then that we became excited (this was new to us gold hunters), so with careful enthusiasm and targets coming from everywhere (including much dug clay), we pulled 8 pre-decimals from one hole (~ 50cm long, 30 cm wide and 30 cm deep with Mardymoose watching some of the dig. That taught my daughter and myself about not digging rubbish signals! Results:
Florrin (1956)
Shilling (1950)
Sixpence (1946, 1946 and 19620
Threepence (19620
Penny (1959) - looks like I nicked it
Halfpenny 1941)
The silvers appear to have fared way better than the coppers in the clay (which was dry even after solid rains for two weeks). Will need to read up on how to best clean them, then will post again. Meanwhile, poor pics below: