How would you hunt this?

[Canewrap]

Today we hunted a field where we ran into a pretty good concentration of nails and other iron junk (like wire). It was a carpet of iron that is at the 6" to 8" level. I'm convinced there should be a few good targets there, but we didn't find any. We dug iron where it was bigger than a nail and what we found were old, broken farm implements and stuff that looks like it came from an early homesite. We did dig a few square nails though, so I know there's earlier stuff. It's pretty bad ground, down along the spring creek, but at the top of the hill, 500 feet away, it's better dirt. We're using an X-terra with 10" DD coil and an AT Pro with it's stock 8.5 X 11 DD coil. Should we try a smaller DD coil on the ATP and the 9", 7.5khz on the X-terra? Would a different detector be a better choice for this? Next time through we'll strip out more of the iron and keep hunting the areas we didn't get to. Just wondering if anyone knows of a machine that would be better for handling this iron headache?

 

[jimmyk]

Deeptech Vista Gold is excellent in nails and iron. I'm currently hunting a ghost town with areas carpeted in nails and pull out good ferrous targets and virtually nonails. Best machine I've ever used in trash in nearly 40 years of detecting.

jimmyk in Missouri

 

[morelic55]

I have the X-Terra 705 and it is a great, deep, open field detector with the 10.5DD, but get it even close to a carpet of nails and you will have to SLOW down. When I get into a real nasty iron patch, I use a Gold Bug SE with the 5" or 5x10DD coils. I have had both the Vista Gold and the ATP and the Gold Bug just works best for me.
It has a really fast recovery rate. Another thing to remember is you have to remove a lot of iron trash to get the good non-ferrous targets, depth is not a factor when you are hunting in iron, you can even cut back on the sens, as a lot of great finds are made in thick iron at shallow depths. Just listen to the high tone squeaks in the iron and dig every one, even the one way hits. HH Mark

 

[Canewrap]

Thanks MR, yeah I'm thinking I need to put the 5X8 on the ATP and the 6" DD on the X-terra. I noticed that I can get up to 8" on that little XT 6" HF coil.

 

[Cajuncoinhunter]

Go slow. Remove the iron. I use a strong magnet at times when digging in a nail infested area. Saves time.

 

[Canewrap]

Mark, have you ever tried the 5X10 DD that can be used on the X-terra 70/705?

 

[morelic55]

Yep I have, it is ok, but the 6"DD 18.75 kHz would be my choice in thick iron for the X-Terras............Mark

Mark, have you ever tried the 5X10 DD that can be used on the X-terra 70/705?

 

[fowlercharles]

Hi Canewrap, I would say for sure go to a smaller coil in that fence wire and nail beds. I would take a break from the iron beds now and then and get out to the ends of where the plow rows would have ended and into the woods. If the field was on a hill, at the end of every row /turnaround there is almost always a dirt build up, at the fence line/turnaround. Sometimes in clearing or reclaiming the land the old timers would "drag"(down the hill) the land in getting it ready to plow. One field I hunted had much of the same digs in the woods down the slope as was being found in the field. Also found depression and square nails from 3 toilet locations in woods.Found a fine coin an button just past the turnaround, ,,one just outside a toilet. depression.. Bigger coils would be fine outside the heavy trash but when the trash gets heavy go to at least 7" Con.or smaller if you have one. Don't give up on the field but a break in pattern sometimes also gives you different approach ideas. HH, Charlie . .

 

[Canewrap]

Thanks Charlie, very useful advice that I will use.