Anyone run a Minelab Sovereign AND X-Terra Elite on the beach?

[Sand Sifter]

I’ve been running my Sovereign Elite with 12x10 SEF Butterfly coil on beaches for the last 10+ years. I also have the 15X12 SEF, but after using it on several beach hunts, I went back to using my 12x10 SEF and it’s been on my shaft for the last 8 or 9 years. I bought my Sovereign used but have never used the stock 10” coil, lol.

I recently came back to detecting after a few years hiatus and wanted a more modern SMF detector with wireless headphones, built in flashlight for the coil, all-in-one, waterproof, basically a grab and go detector. My Sovereign is a bit bulky, a bit heavy, isn’t waterproof, and takes a bit more time to get set up. But damn, I friggin’ love that detector, it just kills on the beach.

So, I just bought an X-Terral Elite Expedition Pack, assembled it last week, so I haven’t had it out yet. I primarily hunt the sand, but I also love coinshooting old houses, old land, etc. The X-Terra Elite is SMF and has a 12” elliptical coil. My Sovereign Elite is SMF and has a Detech 12x10 SEF Butterfly coil. So, both coils, although different, are 12” coils.

Just curious if any of you also have a Sovereign and X-Terra Elite and can comment on how they compare on the beach, on both the dry & wet? Any depth differences that you’ve noticed? Any difference running on the wet?

I know the X-Terra Elite has much faster and better separation. But personally, as far as depth, I really don’t care if the X-Terra Elite detects “deeper” than my Sovereign, but I’m still curious as to how they compare.

My Sovereign has caused many sore arms from digging deep holes on the beach, so if the X-Terra can equal the depth of my Sovereign, I’d be happy. If it exceeds the depth of the Sovereign, then I’ll need to buy more tubes of Icy Hot for my digging arm, lol.

 

[Nauti]

Slightly different but I use a Sovereign gt at the beach and an xterra pro.Ibought the xterra because it was light and fully waterproof so I could go detecting in the wetter weather,also to do a bit of wading in the surf.Im very impressed with the xterra,it's great on the wet sand,deep and hits on very small items.I haven't done a direct comparison on depth but I doubt there is much difference.
As for the GT,it's a machine I wil never get rid of.......I've found loads with it and it's just as capable as anything else.........I guess with the xterra I just get lightness and a fully waterproof machine which is a big bonus.

 

[Sand Sifter]

Slightly different but I use a Sovereign gt at the beach and an xterra pro.Ibought the xterra because it was light and fully waterproof so I could go detecting in the wetter weather,also to do a bit of wading in the surf.Im very impressed with the xterra,it's great on the wet sand,deep and hits on very small items.I haven't done a direct comparison on depth but I doubt there is much difference.
As for the GT,it's a machine I wil never get rid of.......I've found loads with it and it's just as capable as anything else.........I guess with the xterra I just get lightness and a fully waterproof machine which is a big bonus.

Those are my thoughts as well. My Sovereign Elite is just a beast on the beach, I don't ever plan on selling it. But I got the X-Terra Elite to get a more modern detector, waterproof, lighter weight, wireless headphones, screen with target ID & depth, and basically, a totally self-contained detector where I could just grab it and go and not be tethered to the detector. And due to the screen, I think the X-Terra Elite may be a better choice for land hunting. I like coinshooting old house, old land, etc., so I think the additional information the screen provides may be very beneficial when hunting on land. The beach is much more forgiving, so I don't really need a lot of information to decide to dig or not, only takes a few seconds to stick my scoop in and grab a bucket of sand to figure out what the target is. I think adding the X-Terra Elite will give me much more flexibility depending on where I'm hunting.

 

[Nauti]

I think the new xterras are great machines........i think we are both well sorted with our machine choices.