V3i as a relic hunter

[Larry (IL)]

I went hunting for Civil War relics today and was pretty impressed with the V........ and myself. Every target was between 8 and 12 inches deep because I was hunting undisturbed ground unlike the plowed fields that I have hunted before. I use the Hi-Pro program with the RX at 10 and Sensitivity at 65 and I had the SEF 10X12 on the beast today. I had the recovery on 50 at first but the targets were short, choppy and a very iffy target ID so I ran it up to 90 and started to get some very nice tones. I have my discrimination set up almost like what Magic has except his 5 Hz VDI's, I have them set to Zero, I don't want to hear the iron "ticking" because if I lose the threshold, I know I'm in iron anyway. The ground was very clean, very little trash which made hunting a pleasure. None of the targets "locked on" and the VDI's and tone was jumping around a lot but it left no doubt that I had a target under the coil that I wanted to dig.

Maybe some of you relic pros can help me ID some of the finds if you would please. I'm familiar with the 69 cal three ringers and round balls and the little one on the left is a .32 I'm sure. The shot cleaner bullet under the LC has a name but I can't remember it and that goes for the double rim fire cartridge on the left as well. I'm also baffled with the large ones to the left of the .69 three ringers... my guess is a .74 cal because they mesure 3/4 inch across and one is a two ringer and the other is a three. I really need to get me a bullet ID book, but I don't do a lot of relic hunting. The no date Large Cent is toasted and there is a nice Eagle button with no back in there too. I knew right away that I had a coin under the coil with the LC, the 2.5 was dominate by a long shot even though the depth read 11.5 which was all of that. All of the other finds were 7.5 or 22.5 dominate depending on the size of the target.

Thanks for looking and comments and ID's much appreciated.

[attachment 206377 relics.jpg]

 

[Bill_S]

Nice hunt. You said the TID was jumping around. What area did the bigger bullets come in. All over or near the 50 range?

 

[TIM CLARK]

A good day for sure . nice fines

 

[Larry (IL)]

I would say 45 to 60, I really don't pay a lot of attention to the VDI's. I glanced at the display several times but I mostly go by audio only. When I look at the display it is usually after I have pulled the trigger and I'm in pinpoint mode.

 

[Cajuncoinhunter]

Wow ! Great hunt. From the pictures looks like a wide variety : 2 Ringer looks very similar to a .69 cal rifled musketoon ??? ; you also got some different cal 3 ringers plus NICE round minnie balls. Awesome job!! I need to come and visit you.

Most bullets of that size come in the mid to upper 50s range down here. CCH

 

[nw1886]

Right on Larry! That looks like you really had one heck of a hunt.

 

[Daniel Tn]

Your bullets look to be standard .58 cal three ringers and your big one is a .69 cal. I get that from the size comparison between the bullets and eagle button and LC. Your cleaner bullet I can't tell. They were called Williams Cleaner bullets, of which there are 3 types. They are determined by the number of rings at the base. Congrats on the relics. You got me wanting to go stretch my VX3s legs and dig some myself. But as long as its 100 degrees and dry, I'm sticking to water hunting.

 

[Larry (IL)]

Thanks Danial, I got out my metric calipers and you are right. I have two .69 three ringers, one fired, and the Balls are .69 as well, some .58 and one .54 three ringer. The Williams cleaners are .54. The rimfire cartridge is a .44 and the small bullet is a .32. What a selection of sizes and types. I cleaned up the General Services two piece button and the back is complete with the loop intact, the back was just pushed in and the dirt covered it up. If I lived closer to the battlefields, I think I could do this more often........

 

[Elton]

Your exceptional with the V3i..

 

[Rob (IL)]

Nice finds Larry. ROB

 

[Larry (IL)]

Maybe I can give guided tours.........

 

[Larry (IL)]

I just found out that the two ringer .69 bullet is a very rare type. It matches up to a 1842 Springfield rifled musketoon. Dealers who have them for sale are asking $65 for one.

 

[hang7575]

The double rimfire casing is for a Henry rifle

 

[Larry (IL)]

Thanks Andy, I knew they were unique to some gun.

 

[Dirtyray]

awesome finds larry great hunt,larry what is some of the more common trash you will start too find in places like this so us newbies like myself lol will know when im there at the spot .ive got a good campsite too swing on.just gotta find it

 

[johno]

great finds larry congrats,,, some day im hoping to run into some of those.

 

[Larry (IL)]

That is going to be site specific. Where I hunt it goes from being trash free in some areas to lots of iron where old buildings were.