Does Size And Or Success Matter? No Right Or Wrong Answer.

[Reg Wilson]

All gold is good gold, but 'real' nuggets are what turn me on. I like to hunt unproven ground, but by doing so I can go months without colour. This does not bother me at all as I just think that each day without joy is one day closer to my next virgin patch or good slug.

Many people like to get colour on each trip regardless of size, and get disappointed when returning home empty handed. There is one area nearby where the gold is all small (120 bits to the ounce) but not far from there I got a 27 oz nugget. Both these areas were virgin situations.

There is nothing like the feeling of hitting the first colour in an area never worked before in modern or old times, but the 'one nugget patches' are frustrating to say the least.

[geof_junk]

For the recreational prospector it's the enjoyment of doing that counts. The size has affect if the value is not to high, then they become trophies. When they can be swapped for a car, boat etc then it is hard to keep them. 

The recreational prospector requires something that can get small sub ounce (not extremely tiny nuggets) that make it a pleasure to uses (Weight, Balance, and Ease of matching the ground conditions. For other nuggets then it is special backup detector or coil where coverage and depth is required to bring down the odds of not getting any nuggets. Steve has summed this up on the first page of this POST.

 

[Glenn in CO]

I and my wife have been very fortunate in the area we search for gold for the last thirty years. The type of specimen gold we find be it only one or several pieces we would consider that a successful trip as most specimens are mostly sub gram, maybe a gram or more and a occasional grain in size. The type of gold specimens varies between wire, leaf and sponge in character. Being small in size and weight the gold specimens command very high prices. With that being said, I and my wife enjoyed the thrill of the hunt, the beautiful mountain surroundings and the possibility of finding one or more specimens, the monetary value was always secondary. We have never sold any of the gold specimens we had found until last month. The gold specimens were sold to a gold dealer and I committed to an exclusive arrangement where he has the option of buying all future gold specimens I have before I contact other gold dealers.

Here's a few I cleaned up recently and will be coming up for sale:

[geof_junk]

Wow!

[Gerry in Idaho]

22 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

The GPX 6000 seems to deliver the performance one might expect with a GPZ 7000 and a smaller X Coil. The SDC has an advantage in tuning out certain hot rocks, but it does miss a class of gold that the GPX 6000 hits. There are some rocks, you tune them out, you lose gold. So a GPZ or 6000 is a mixed blessing in that regard. If you have a serious hot rock issue, and still want tiny gold, a SDC is a great solution, but don’t think there is not a cost associated with its aggressive hot rock cancellation. That, and limited coil options.

For tiny gold and specimen hots, seriously giving all but the hottest VLFs a run for the money, the 6000 is optimized to hit gold that both a SDC and an unmodified GPZ will miss. That does mean more hot rocks, but frankly I’ve not found a place yet where I can’t deal with them, mostly by ear and by eyeball. If digging a few hot rocks means I get gold others missed, I’ll do it.

If I really put the pedal to the metal, my 6000 will hit small gold about as well as the 19 kHz series VLF detectors, assuming similar coil sizes, but with more punch. So like GPX 6000 versus Gold Bug Pro with 11” coil, well, except for trash handling, the VLF can now stay home. It’s only the 48 kHz and higher models that can hit tiny bits I miss with my 6000, but I am talking sub-grain bits. 480 grains to an ounce, and bits less than 1 grain. Say 10th of a grain or less. To make an ounce, you need to dig 4800 1/10th grain bits. That’s a lot of digging, and frankly, for that stuff, it’s maybe time to break out the dry washer.

Gerry asked me early on about specimen gold and the 6000, and my answer was not to worry. The 6000 is probably the best PI made to date for specimen gold, and I’ll post some of my finds in that regard soon. It may very well be my new “thing” with the 6000, hunting pocket gold. Dispersed gold in rock is just another version of small gold, and the 6000 with 11” mono kills it.

Very well said Steve and gobs of fantastic info mentioned.

I want those who are new to the game and or those who play a few times each year to pay attention to these four paragraphs above and his words of field knowledge/testing.  If you are thinking of purchasing a new detector, or trading, upgrading detectors, he is telling you the findings he's experienced so far in the area he's been detecting.

I posted it on here before the GPZ-6000's came out and some folks had issues with it (which is fine to question a detector not yet in our hands), that I have been with Minelab for near 25 yrs and a pretty good nugget chaser with their different gold detector products.  Minelab makes very few mistakes or steps backwards when a new technology machine comes out.

I said in the US, the GPX-6000 would be the desired high end detector.  It would be the most talked about and posted finds of gold with the GPX-6000 than any other gold detector and that is pretty much what we are seeing.  Yes the SDC-2300, GPX-5000 and GPZ-7000 can do a select certain thing or 2 better than the GPX-6000, but overall and for the majority of people who desire a high end gold detector and for the gold we are finding in the US, the 6000 wins EASILY.

Thanks again Steve for taking the time to share your knowledge with us as that was quite a write up.

[Gerry in Idaho]

17 hours ago, GoldPanDan said:

when do you give up on a patch/how many times getting skunked until you move on or find it not worth your time going back even if your not getting skunked. 

Yes, very good question Dan and it is worthy of its own post, so I won't give my input yet.

[Redz]

The US is a big place with many areas of gold mineralization, and many people never post their finds for obvious reasons. I think it is very hard to generalize based on Rye Patch and a couple of other areas. Those doing very well keep it very quiet and dont advertise where there is good gold to be found.

[Gerry in Idaho]

Norvic - Yes even some of the Aussies are realizing the importance of proper ergonomics and the performance is even better than I had expected for the majority of gold we have left.  Like you, my 7000 is not for sale yet, but it has become a dust collector in the corner.  She probably is a little mad that I don't take her out for a spin on occasion.

Joe D. - Those around me know, I get excited with a detecting find pretty easily.  Heck to be honest, I also get excited if it's not a detector find.  Finding a cool arrow head, a nice old bottle or spotting a bull elk, it all gets me going.

nvchris - You bring up a great point many of us are missing.  The ability to cover ground quickly with the 17" coil to find a patch and then slow down and methodically work said area.  Have you sold your 7 yet or keeping it for those deepest of deep nuggets?  Also if you don't mind, I love the pic of your partner (dog) and the truck.  I also see the cooler, with electrical plug and the cooler is covered with some kind of insulating blanket?  It would be nice if you could start a post of the cooler and what you have went from to this and the experiences both good and bad.  That would be a fantastic help for some of us who are wanting to solo in the back of our truck.  It's becoming quite popular in the US now.  Thanks for giving input.

GotAU? - Sounds as if you have lived a pretty entertaining life being around a lot of people in the outdoors.  Seeing and feeling the weight of gold is something some of us never forget.

Gold Catcher - Your perspective of Success is TOPS in my book as well.  Yes I sometimes use the term Success in the amount of gold recovered, but the reality of it for me....is the ability to be out there in gods country (may it be mountains or desert) and absorbing what is around me and the beauty provided.  YES as well, LOCATION is key.  A special thank for taking the time to let us know your preferred setup and settings on the GPX-6000.

Reg Wilson - I'd love to see your dance when finding a multi ounce nugget, or hear yours inner thoughts and comments when finding that tip off nugget that is about to bring you a new 20+ ounce patch.  Funny how you call .4 gram nuggets (bits) and almost of a (yea down the road when I get to it).  120 bits to the ounce = .4 gram on average for each nugget.  In the US, most of us will work that (yawner, whenever) patch out in a heartbeat.  I'd so much love to sit around a campfire one night and just absorb some of your true stories of hunts/gold finds.  I was honored to last winter to sit around a camp fire in AZ one night and hear of gold stories and recoveries by Pieter Heydelaar.  On a side note, I see your profile showing "Gear Used" does not mention the GPZ-7000 any more but shows the new GPX-6000.  Do you have any regrets? Thanks for your input.

 

 

 

[Norvic]

12 hours ago, Reg Wilson said:

There is nothing like the feeling of hitting the first colour in an area never worked before in modern or old times

Aye, tis the driver for me too, weights become of much less consideration (or need) as I age, simply that next virgin patch is calling, and you know what a my lifetimes knowledge has very little bearing on finding it, other then the patience it has taught, is mainly perseverance. Of course the latest tech helps just a wee bit more then a wee bit..... we are spoilt with that tech whether vehicles, detectors, coils, camping gear etc etc... pre-dawn here with a "bush" Expresso in hand.