Whats a good target to use to substatute for gold?

[Jessgo33]

Just got a new detector and sold my gold last summer and have nothing bigger than fly poop, and was wanting know what is a good metal to use to substatute for gold?

 

[James02]

Lead shot, glued to plastic poker chips, works for practice.

 

[Tom Slick]

Lead or a small piece of a nickel.

 

[Hoser John]

silver as closer conductivity wise-John

 

[steve herschbach]

Aluminum and lead both fall in the same range as gold. A US nickel roughly mimics a 1/4 oz nugget.

 

[Jessgo33]

Cool thanks guys i just bought a used xterra 70- and love the machine so much. Its a breeze to use, and prospecting is going to be fun. Can't wait to use it.

 

[Tom Slick]

silver as closer conductivity wise-John

Not to a metal detector.

 

[Jessgo33]

lead ok? i figured use a fishing weight. as a depth test is the detector going to go deeper when a target is in the ground or ontop of ground or air test?

 

[fredm]

air tests don't mean much as all dirt has minerals in it...if you are just learning don't worry about max depth...learn how to use the machine and the different settings. Depth will always be relative to size of target, size of coil, settings and ground mineralization; among other factors.
good luck
fred

 

[Jessgo33]

Aluminum works? Like a part of a beer can folded up?

 

[jamesinwesttexas]

better probably would be a piece of foil wadded to the size of a typical nugget

 

[steve herschbach]

Smaller is better. Big nuggets are easy - you have to work on hearing the little ones. Most nuggets read in the foil range.

If I could tell aluminum from gold I would not have to dig thousands of pieces of aluminum trash while jewelry detecting.

 

[fredm]

Jeez, Steve, only thousands??? I am sure we have both dug about a billion bits of aluminum by now...I just wish I had dug as much gold as you have...you the man!
fred

 

[Ed in SoDak]

Carve a small piece off an old car battery post or clamp, or a wheel-balancing weight. Any car shop could probably help you out. Fishing tackle at the hardware store. The old type of lead plumber's solder. Shooting enthusiasts or ammo reloaders. Detect any fishing beach or shooting range. Use your noodle!
-Ed