Bullets and Silver

[Kevinbgood]

Howdy All,

I inherited a Spectrum XLT from my dad who is a long time White's user. I am still trying to understand how to use it and have read over the manual many times, but you can't beat experience.

Right now I am parked in NW Georgia near heavy Civil War activity and would like to set up the XLT to detect bullets, perhaps under the Custom setting. Any thoughts?

Also, I would like to detect for Silver. What have you found to be a solid signal for silver coin or smelted material containing silver? Any particular settings you found to be helpful?

Sorry for all the new guy questions, but you were there once too. Have a good one.

 

[cookie58]

Hello Kevin. I had a Spectrum a while back. Real good metal detector. If I were new to this machine and to metal detecting, I would have a test garden. I would bury items silver items, minnie balls, and also junk items----square nails, pull tabs etc. and make me a diagram of where each were. Most of all get used to the sounds. I had an ole fellow that told me many years ago that your best descriminator were your ears. Good luck to you and may you have many years with this wonderful hobby.

 

[Kevinbgood]

That sounds like a great idea! I did watch a YouTube video of a fella that did just that. I also perceive that a person has to "tune" the detector to their preference of sound and volume. I notice some units have a distinct "squeak" or "wail" when they hit a target, just trying to figure out how to tune that in. I read the section on tuning it, but still trying to wrap my thinking around it.

I will be in the yard today and set up my "test garden". Thanks!

 

[Ronstar]

Another trick is to take a 1x4 length of board and set your targets on top exposed. This way you can see where it is under the coil, can raise the coil up and down to hear any changes in pitch or or sound, mix the media up with trash, etc. Once your comfortable with the sounds/numbers (if digital) then you can move underground and try to remember which targets are which. Anyway, it helped my learning curve. But always remember some good targets will sound off like junk, pitfall of the game.

 

[Kevinbgood]

COOL IDEA! I will try both methods. Every little technic will help polish my skills. I am still reading through the manual for about the fifth time to get the options clear in my mind for pro settings. Thanks for the help.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Use your hunting time as training time and you will quickly determine that training never stops, you are always learning something new. I suggest digging everything at first and you will quickly learn that most trash sounds :trashy: and good targets sound mostly good. As you gain more experience you will learn some good targets sound trashy and some trashy targets sound good and how to tell the difference with different techniques such as target ID #, swing speed, swing direction and depth of target.

Hunt to have fun and the more fun you have the better you get. Don't forget that gold coins and gold diamond rings are often found in the low conductor "trash" section. Cookie68 old adage is all too true and I have bee having fun at this for 40 years.

 

[Kevinbgood]

Good Advice Larry, I'm on it. I did have some fun today just scanning the yard of my in-laws. They live on a property with a 100 year old home that they live in. I started to realize that "trash" sounds trashy by its tone. Strong signals I dove on turned out to be some coins, oldest 1943 quarter, but mostly junk metal. I did hit on a strong signal at 93 and well in the positive side showing a $1 coin. I dug it and it was a piece of metal. The metal is silver in color and has a high ringing sound when tapping it against a rock or other metal. I had a $1 coin to compare the signal, and it too came in at 93 and in the same spot on the positive side. Now I'm wondering if I found a chunk of Silver. Need to do some homework on how to test it. One thing for sure, it isn't magnetic.

So, I got plenty dirty today, I'm tired, have 67 cents to my name from the dig and feel good about sitting back enjoying a cold beer now. This is going to be a fun hobby!

Thanks everyone, any tips will be appreciated. (pointers, not your crusty coins) Big Smile

 

[vito]

Hi Kevin.
Now that you're reading I think a little more will help a little more. (??)
Hope it brings some more light into the darkness.
Good Luck & HH

 

[Kevinbgood]

Thanks Vito. I had not seen these documents before, but can tell by a quick look they are going to be a big help. Thank you again for the docs!

 

[vito]

No problem. You're welcome.

 

[Justme]

One thing I’ve found with whites machines is when I swing it a little faster over the target and the sound breaks up it is likely steel nails or at times a bottle cap. May not work so much with a bottle cap now as most are made of aluminum. It’s been a long time since I’ve owned a whites. They are good units. As far as bullets, lead and gold are almost similar in composition they are not far apart on the periodic table (couple years ago I was on a beach hunting near water and hit a really good sounding signal I thought for sure was gold, but the tide was coming in and I could not retrieve it at that time. I got out of the hole and studied carefully where I was standing in relation to the hotels etc and went back at the next low tide. 30 minutes later I had a beautiful lead fishing weight that was roughly 2’ in the sand). If it’s a solid sounding repeatable signal dig it

 

[Kevinbgood]

My dad has told similar stories to that while hunting the beaches in Florida every year. He too found lots of fishing weights, coins, kids toys and general junk. He did come home every year with at least one nice treasure like a ring, watch, necklace, etc.. I am having fun and plan on digging up the in-laws yard. At the least, it gets all the trash out of it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Kevinbgood]

My dad has told similar stories to that while hunting the beaches in Florida every year. He too found lots of fishing weights, coins, kids toys and general junk. He did come home every year with at least one nice treasure like a ring, watch, necklace, etc.. I am having fun and plan on digging up the in-laws yard. At the least, it gets all the trash out of it. Thanks for sharing.

I just got back in the house from messing around in the yard and need to relate this experience. We had rain yesterday that softened up the ground, it was like concrete days before. We had an old Maple cut down a month ago and I thought I would just scan around it to see what was there. About 7 feet out form the tree I hit a strong signal i had not noticed before, about six inches down. I started digging and hit something solid and larger than a coin. Once I got to it and started moving dirt away, it was about 3.5" across and round. I thought "Man, I just found a civil war artillery shell". Digging faster around it, my shovel blew threw the dirt like there was a void. After about 5 minutes, I finally could see it wasn't a shell, but a pipe sticking straight up. It was also surrounded by old block or stone. Turns out it is either the old well head or an old oil tank. I betting on the well head since the diameter is about right and this thing is very deep and won't even wiggle.

I did find a dime and a toaster oven metal rack. Interesting morning.

 

[pulltabfelix]

Howdy All,

I inherited a Spectrum XLT from my dad who is a long time White's user. I am still trying to understand how to use it and have read over the manual many times, but you can't beat experience.

Right now I am parked in NW Georgia near heavy Civil War activity and would like to set up the XLT to detect bullets, perhaps under the Custom setting. Any thoughts?

Also, I would like to detect for Silver. What have you found to be a solid signal for silver coin or smelted material containing silver? Any particular settings you found to be helpful?

Sorry for all the new guy questions, but you were there once too. Have a good one.

are you on a civil war permission property. If so let me know how you obtained the permission. Thanks, John

 

[Kevinbgood]

Pulltabfelix. I am not on some official property, but land my wife's family owns that is in between to distinct battles. So, permission was easy.

 

[Kevinbgood]

Pulltabfelix. I am not on some official property, but land my wife's family owns that is in between to distinct battles. So, permission was easy.

Found my first gun related item today, modern unfortunately. I dug up a .223 casing about 5' down. Still cool, but a crazy signal.

 

[Odanscoils]

Good Advice Larry, I'm on it. I did have some fun today just scanning the yard of my in-laws. They live on a property with a 100 year old home that they live in. I started to realize that "trash" sounds trashy by its tone. Strong signals I dove on turned out to be some coins, oldest 1943 quarter, but mostly junk metal. I did hit on a strong signal at 93 and well in the positive side showing a $1 coin. I dug it and it was a piece of metal. The metal is silver in color and has a high ringing sound when tapping it against a rock or other metal. I had a $1 coin to compare the signal, and it too came in at 93 and in the same spot on the positive side. Now I'm wondering if I found a chunk of Silver. Need to do some homework on how to test it. One thing for sure, it isn't magnetic.

So, I got plenty dirty today, I'm tired, have 67 cents to my name from the dig and feel good about sitting back enjoying a cold beer now. This is going to be a fun hobby!

Thanks everyone, any tips will be appreciated. (pointers, not your crusty coins) Big Smile

Nice
Practice makes
Um
In detecting terms.
An experienced Student.
You never stop learning in this sport.
Congratulations
You found your first Silver.
With that 43 quarter.
Any US coin pre 65 is silver.
Except for coppers and gold that is.
Can't wait to see your first Indian.
Good Luck !!

 

[Odanscoils]

Pulltabfelix. I am not on some official property, but land my wife's family owns that is in between to distinct battles. So, permission was easy.

That kind of location.
Dig Everything.
Maybe you'll find a cannon.
You just never know.
Good Luck

 

[pulltabfelix]

That kind of location.
Dig Everything.
Maybe you'll find a cannon.
You just never know.
Good Luck

I don't know that detector, but glanced at the manual. stay in relic mode. it will be good for relics and coins because the range of frequenices to choose from is rather narrow mid range frequencies so it won't make much difference in what frequencies you use.
Even today or more so with a detector like the 800 stick with the preset modes until you REALLY know what you are doing.

Otherwise you have a great location so early to bed, early to rise, swing, swing, swing.