Deepest CW Relic Find?

[Canewrap]

As a relic hunter I'm always looking to get my hands on the deepest seeking machine I can. My reasoning has always been that the older machines (late 70s to early 90s) wouldn't have had the depth capability we have now so it should be possible to keep picking up finds in areas deemed hunted out, if I'm using latest and greatest technology. What has your experience been? How deep have you managed to find your CW relics?

[jimmyk]

The newer technology does seem to get deeper. Yet, my deepest machine is a Nautilus, which has been around for decades. However, it is the deepest because I use a 15" coil. When using same sized coils, it is about the same. The last year I switched from an MXT, which did very well, but is pretty heavy with a 14" coil. The Nautilus, with the White's handle upgrade is a lighter machine to use and, IMHO, more stable. I also have a Fisher F-75 which is comparably as deep as the Nautilus, and when a 14-15" coil ever becomes available, will THEN be my go to machine. Deepest bullets and coins dug has been in the eight inch range. A lot will depend on your ground conditions. That's my two cents worth. Metal detectors are like golf clubs. You are always trying out the new ones to see if they will go deeper, or hit a ball farther. :lol:

keep on diggin'

jimmyk in Missouri

[Bama Dave]

Mine have been about 8 or so inches most being around 4.5 --6 inches deep. As you know -It also depends on soil type /mineraization/moisture, etc . every site is different i think learning your detector and systematically hammering a site to get easy stuff, plotting finds to look for concentrations/patterns of use , then going back to dig deep iron signals works well. At the CW sites ive been on the iron always outnumbers bullet signals so trying to cherry pick at depth w/ all the competing iron signals is difficult for me at this stage w/ a large coil which sees alot of soil in every sweep- you will get target contamination from iron/mineraliztion -so i have to use the approach mentioned above- just my experience.

BD

[Tn mxt]

I have been using the Mxt with pretty good results. My two of my deepest targets to date was a Burnside case at around 10-12 inches, and a large eagle button on the bank of a creek at 16 inches. The last one was so faint that I all most walked right over it. I have been using the Super 12" and the 6x10dd. Without a doubt, the finds are deeper with the the Super 12". A couple of things to remember, equipment is very important! Invest in a decent set of headphones. You will start to see a vast improvement on those weaker signals. Keep the coil as flat to the ground as possible. If weight is a issue, you can buy a Metal detector harness that attach to the metal detector and works by distributing the weight to your waist with two flexible crossed bands and shoulder pads. Its the same concept as carpenters that have straps to hold up their tool belts. You can purchase these at Kellyco detectors. No matter how many signals you get with a bigger coil, once you have learned your detector inside and out, you can pickup on those good signals. This is where the good headphones come into play. Good luck to you, Scott

[PCGeorge]

The title of this thread is "Deepest CW Relic Find?" ...so that's what I'll answer.

My deepest SINGLE-ITEM relic find was a 10"-caliber mortarball, at Port Hudson LA, back in 1976 or '77. It was approximately 3.5 feet deep. I found it using the old White's Coinmaster Five, with a 15" coil.

Regarding the improvement in detectors in the 30+ years since then... all I can say is, if you want to dig super-deep shells (or a rifle in the bottom of a filled-in trench), I suggest hunting in All-Metals mode.

Regards,
Pete [P.C. George]