Bugler

Steve, it has all been said very well. What a great, professional job! Best of luck to you going forward. Bugler

Don't know what I did there, but I was going to say that Steve's personal notes on settings will make for an interesting start for the season. Gerry, I read your posts and have for years. Thanks for the advice. As soon as I get handy posting some pictures I will share some success with the 2100 and Gold Bug 2.

Thank you Gerry and Steve, You guys are getting me pretty fired up to get out there and melt snow! Steve, I have a pretty good notebook started with your tips from the videos and

Ram79 and Timbus59, Very good advice from each of you. I have spent hours reviewing Steve's notes on settings with the Axiom. Just can't wait to get the machine in the field. I'll let you know as soon as I can get out with the Axiom. Thank you again.

Thank you, Ram79. Some very helpful advice. It looks like you are getting great results with your quick learning curve. I detect in similar sounding terrain and have softball size magnetite "bombs" that keep me on my toes. They sound like deep nuggets that I have dug in the past. A detector that will not notice those "bombs" will surely help. I'm hoping I can count on the Axiom to do that for me. I have some beautiful pictures of gold recovered with the SD2100 but I do not have them on my phone. So, I don't know how to transfer them to my computer. Your pictures were excellent and I thank you. Maybe I am just resisting new technology too much. I am 79 and a bit stuck in my ways. The Axiom purchase was a leap for me. The 2100 and Gold Bug have been my crutch too long. Again, thank you for your help. I will put it to work as soon as the snow goes.

Hello Ram79, Any positive feedback I can get on the Axiom only helps my confidence when I hit the gold fields. How long have you worked with your Axiom and in what kind of terrane? Good luck going forward with your hunts.

Many years ago I signed on to this forum while I was out of commission as far as metal detecting. I started traveling to Quartzite in 1995 during the winter months. I had read many articles about all the gold that could be found. I joined GPAA and LDMA and bought a Goldmaster 2. I searched for three winters and only found the usual junk. That third winter I had a week left before heading home and hit six sub gram pickers in a wash. When I got back to Montana I went to visit Bud Guthrie near Helena, Montana. He examined my Goldmaster and said the coil was faulty and sold me a Fisher Goldbug. I found three ounces of gold the next winter near Quartzite. On my way home, I stopped at Rye Patch. It had rained and I couldn't balance the Goldbug (lack of knowledge on my part). Anyway, the next morning I watched some detectorists out detecting nuggets left and right. They had the SD2100. Again, I went to Bud and asked if he could get me an SD2100. Armed with the Goldbug and the 2100, I never looked back. Well, I finally found ground that I cannot keep my 2100 quiet with all the magnetite. I know there is gold that I cannot differentiate from deep hot rocks. After seeing Steve's introduction to the Axiom, I finally made the leap. It came yesterday but we still have too much snow right now. I'll just continue to watch the videos and be ready to hit my favorite area this spring. The 2100 has been very good to me over the many years with over 50 ounces. The largest at 6.5oz. Reese has been a great inspiration with his never give up attitude. So many of you on this forum have taught me a great deal. Keep it up!

Hi Reese, I've read your book from cover to cover and appreciate the pointers throughout. Very well done and worth the price! Bugler

JP, There is nothing wrong with success!! Hope you will keep posting. Bugler

I'm sorry to hear that Jim has passed. My very earliest days of metal detecting were greatly helped by Jim. I have his books and the ICMJ articles in my library. I will dedicate my summer searches to Jim's memory. Bugler

Thank you all for chiming in. Reno, this property is up for sale as a building site and it just happens to have an old mine on it. The seller was trying to find out if the old mine would or could add value to the sale price. The property is within 10 miles of the "richest hill on earth". The comments about the assays were very helpful for the seller and it certainly gave me a better perspective going forward. I am a prospector who metal detects and am always keeping my eyes open for geological changes but my heart is with placer. By the way, Fists Full of Gold is a great publication and is well worth owning! Bugler

I just bumped into this post and see that the word is out that Montana Cadastral is no longer functioning. It is working as I use it regularly. It does only show patented claims. I also am hoping the business in Missoula takes on the huge task of posting unpatented claims. Great Idea! Bugler

Thank you again, Clay Diggins, I called both assayers and each has offered to run the samples again at no charge. Both assayers were professional and helpful. Your explanation was very helpful as well. Thank you, Bugler

Clay Diggins, Thank you for responding. The samples sent were out of the same crushed batch. The batch was almost crushed to powder and completely mixed. 8oz. was sent to each assayer and it was fire assayed by each according to each report. I will call each assayer today. Not to challenge their integrity but to see what they think could have caused this result. Bugler

I sent in a sample to two different assayers out of the same sample batch and received two very different results. One assayer returned results of 0 Au and 0 Ag. The other assayer returned results of .68 Au/ton and .36 Ag/ton. Anyone have some serious thoughts on what would cause this? Both assayers are professionals with 30+ years of experience. Bugler

Beautiful gold! A nice story to end 2018. Bugler

Happy New Year to you Steve and all the forum readers. This is the first site I visit on a daily basis and have really appreciated the information provided. Thank you, Bugler

Jim, Outstanding accomplishment!!! I read the patent and it looks like you put a tremendous amount of work and thought into your invention. Bugler

Go ICMJ! I just want to voice my support for this fine publication. I have received the Mining Journal since I started metal detecting in 1994. I have kept each and every copy. I must say that Chris's contributions have really been instructive and I wish you could write more, Chris. So much is going on politically and the publisher, Scott Harn, is supporting issues that effect all of us out in the gold fields. I hope there is a lot of new subscribers! Bugler

Thank you, Steve! What a great story. So glad you were willing to share it. Bugler

Just outstanding, Peg! Bugler

Steve, The site is working great and I thank you for all the information you so willingly share. Bugler

Great information. I do know of one mine in Montana that was allowed to continue dredging (bucket line) because they were also recovering tungsten along with gold and other minerals. Maybe someone else knows of others. Bugler

This winter in Western Montana has put snow level on my claim at about ten feet with snow drifts 25 feet or more on the road in. I have spent the winter researching and studying. I just wish I could retain half of what I have read. Normally I have to wait until July 1 to get in and get the gold. Usually it is worth the wait. This year I hope to discover other deposits on the fringes of my past workings. I do coin shoot here in the valley when the snow melts and the ground is not frozen. What a lifestyle! Aren't we fortunate? Good luck out there! Bugler

What about the coils? I didn't realize they were waterproof. I have been covering the coils with a plastic bag also. Don't I need to? Bugler