First Relics with Xterra 50

[DonB]

I've been lurking on this forum for awhile now reading the posts about the X50. I traded a Tejon for a X50 a couple of weeks ago and got to take it out relic hunting for the first time today. I have hunted with it at a old house site that I have beat to death not far from where I live a couple of times before today...found mostly just small junk housesite items, but it also gave me a feel for how this machine performs in heavy iron trash and the very hot soil in my area.

I hunted a campsite today that I've hunted off and on for several years, there is loads of iron trash in this camp and it takes a good machine to find anything there. I also hunt with an Explorer 2 and always pull a few relics with it from this site...I have to say that it's much easier hunting this site with the X50 compared to the Exp. The X50 had no problems ground balancing to the hot soil there and I was able to run it at max 20 sens. without alot of chatter. This site has alot of hot rocks and larger pieces of iron...so,I rejected -9 and +45 and had no problems with either one...I was really amazed with the X50 today...I found several bullets among the iron that I couldn't believe the machine picked them out...along with a couple of buttons etc....I found a button that has NYC on the front that was inches away from a couple of bullets and a eagle button...it looks like one of those buttons that everyone says is not period but like I said it was there among other relics...it's a first for me. I've been relic hunting here in VA. for over 30 years, using mostly Whites detectors...I hunted with a XLT since they first came out until a couple of years ago, then I got the Exp.... the XLT is a good machine but the depth is limited in this soil. I have tried several other detectors over the past couple of years and have never found one that's as easy to hunt with as this X50...most of them will not get any depth at all in the soil around here and with others you end up wearing yourself out digging iron. I had heard how good the Tejon was...so I got one and found out real quick that it's no animal in the soil around here...it may be a good machine in better ground but I ended up keeping it in the closet.

Well....I'm very pleased with this machine and it fits my needs very well...I think my Exp. is going to get some rest for awhile.

 

[Mike Bearden]

I've been saying it all along, the X-Terra 50 is one more BAD DUDE and it's never failed to run stable anywhere I took it hunting.
Good depth and separation is NOT an issue for me either and I hunt in some super hot dirt. Glad it's working so well for you, again, those finds are awesome.
H.H.
Mike

 

[DonB]

Thanks Mike....I'm really impressed with the X50..it is a good machine....There's not many detectors out there that are as easy to hunt with and has the abilities like this one....don't have too many days like today anymore...plus it helps to have a decent place to hunt...

 

[El Cuerno]

what iron mask setting are you using on the Explorer? I also have both but the XTerra has no threshold and thats why the Explorer with the threshold hum will not skip over any metal without giving a change in the theshold hum it leaves nothing behind. Maybe its me, where I hunt mainly are areas that only go back to the 1920 and they have more modern alumimun trash mixed with iron and the XTerra 50 will do best at relic sites where not to many high tone trash items? My second question is did the Tejon(name for raccoon Mex. spanish)give good signal to iron or just to noisy to understand whats under the coil. You made some great finds, what is that odd shape bullet used in next to the NYC button?

 

[DonB]

Actually the Exp. didn't miss those relics, as I had never hunted in that exact area of the camp with my Exp. before...I mostly run my Exp. in iron mask -16 and hunt by the tones only...I use a Sunray 8" coil and it does a good job of working in the iron. The X50 will never take the place of my Exp. but it is a nice break to hunt with it without listening to all the noise that you have to with the Exp. I really don't judge a detector by just the depth capabilities... as if it will not discriminate the good stuff from the iron it's really no use to me, no matter how deep it will detect. The Tejon I had would do some amazing air tests but when actually hunting in this hot soil in this area, it was no better depth wise as any other detector I've used...plus, it would not discriminate at much depth at all...the iron would come back sounding good and I just got tired of digging all that iron with it...I know there are some that say they can tell the iron with it, but I really gave it a good try... there are only so many variations of a beep that you can listen for and I could never tell the difference...lol

I went back to that same camp today with the X50 again...didn't have as good of luck today...I dug 5 bullets 1 eagle button and a few misc. brass items....For the type relic hunting I do, the X50 suits me just fine...I plan to keep it...

 

[John(Tx)]

I hunted an old homesite that has alot of rusted iron in the ground. I was hunting in the all metal mode and just getting nothing but low tones but once in a while I would get a medium tone mixed in with the low tones. I decided to dig one of these medium tones just to see what the machine was telling me and it turned out to be small lead buckshot. I dug the rest of these medium tones and they were all the same thing. I was really surprised that the XT50 actually saw these small lead balls just slightly larger than a BB. I can hardly wait to get the 6" coil, I'm sure it will do a great job at these sites. HH John

 

[tvanwho]

I hope to be down in Lynchburg,Va area and Greensboro, NC area in mid April,looking for hunt buddies or places to hunt? Am trading in my Cortes to Gerry M in Idaho for X50 demo unit and a sniper coil for my Ace 250,also will bring Lobo ST and MXT. Lobo ST has done the best for me in hot dirt. Just got the Xterra DVD video,looks impressive,especially the notching ability and ease of use.
--Tom,in Illinois

 

[El Cuerno]

Thanks for the update, I like your statement about the Tejon(THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY VARIATIONS OF A BEEP THAT YOU CAN LISTEN FOR)here is one they use when one complains about digging to much iron(THE GRD. BALANCE HAS TO BE JUST RIGHT, ONE CLICK TO POSITIVE AND YOU DIG IRON OR ONE CLICK TOO NEGATIVE YOU CHASE GHOST SIGNALS)hey the ground changes every couple of feet which changes the grd. balance every couple of feet. I also just got the X-50 and having fun.