Axiom Gold

[matt]

9 minutes ago, Steve Herschbach said:

That's a story I can identify with. I have left targets like that, and literally had them bug me for a year. In two cases in particular, I dug them both a year later, and both were cans. Both were in places nuggets weighing over a pound had been dug, and I just knew I may have left the big one. Not. But yeah, what you are describing does happen, and is another reason not to leave certain targets behind. the ones we know we should dig, but don't for some reason. In my case both times, I was at end of day and worn out. Both were in remote Alaska locations, which is why it took a year to get back to them.

Anybody that detects for nuggets most likely have at one time or another left a target in the ground for trash. I remember digging on a target in a location where very large gold had been found. I was over a foot deep in hard dry dirt. It was a hot day and toward the end of my hunt. It just sounded like trash so I left it.

Once back at home, that's all I could think about! The next day, I left work early and went beck. Glad I did because another 3 or 4 inches was a nice specimen that had over an ounce of gold in it! I never left another target unchecked and recovered many multi ounce pieces. That was an eye opening learning experience to say the least.

[IronDigger]

My best find was when a friend demanded I finish digging a target I had thought was an iron target, I was a foot down and started to backfill  the hole. He said just dig  the damned thing before someone else does. So I dug down and found my best find since I began nuggethunting. You just never know when it will come your way, always a surprise and when you least expect it.

[Swegin]

The story goes many guys swung their detector over this and thought it was trash.

https://nuggetshooter.ipbhost.com/topic/20783-story-about-the-silver-dog/

[mn90403]

Good story.  

The 'truth' of the matter is that trash can sound like a big, shallow nugget, not the other way around.  The nugget was there first.

I've been fortunate enough to find a couple of big nuggets that sounded like trash.  As Fred Mason would say I just didn't know any better.  What is a big, shallow nugget supposed to sound like?

The first big nugget (1.5 oz) was easy.  When it overloaded my 5000 I looked down and saw it.  It was a sunbaker!  (It didn't really sound any different than some of the other trash in that wash.)  The second one was a big specimen.  It was in the same general area of Franconia.  It was a loud target that was not on the surface like a can or 50 cal bullet but it was loud enough to make me dig.  Once you get down a foot into cobbles in an undug ravine it is hard for it to be trash.  Other large nuggets have been found in that same 20-30 square mile area.

I don't know how many large or larger nuggets I've missed over the years.  I don't know what I don't know.  No one has told me 'You missed this one!'

[matt]

14 hours ago, mn90403 said:

I don't know how many large or larger nuggets I've missed over the years.  I don't know what I don't know.  No one has told me 'You missed this one!'

I think it's more about digging down and not retrieving the target. Then leaving with that little thought about "what if?"

[Quick]

Good to see that another manufacturer may finally be getting something on the market that will attempt to compete with Minelab. A gold machine that is lite weight, works with after market coils and can compete with the higher end Minelabs is needed in this industry. 

[Smigo]

8 hours ago, Quick said:

Good to see that another manufacturer may finally be getting something on the market that will attempt to compete with Minelab. A gold machine that is lite weight, works with after market coils and can compete with the higher end Minelabs is needed in this industry. 

Shame here the Price convert makes the Garrett on par virtually with the 6.

When the 2000 came out here in OZ it was around 2g, within months it doubled.

Up, and up PI prices went sadly ?

[Gerry in Idaho]

Oh my Steve you have done quite well.   I know for a fact those nuggets will bring top dollar vs the ugly rocks I've been able to recover. 

As you said, our season is winding down do to weather and since the release is in the next weeks,  it's time to sit back and let others get their time swinging and making observations.  Hopefully the ones who pull the trigger and get an Axiom, spend time learning it before making judgment.  Most certainly for those who've never used a PI.

I can honestly say, this detector is much better than what I was expecting from Garrett.  Hopefully others see the same.  Well done Garrett, now let's work on a true do it all VLF with advancements above Deus-II, Equinox and Manticore.  Be sure to price it at $1499 or less and you'll sell like hot cakes. 

[Steve Herschbach]

I had to edit my original post, since I left out my largest nugget! That was the 10 gram nugget I found on my trip to Alaska, but left with the miners when the trip was done. So it was not in my vial when I did up the final take photos. The nugget is coated with manganese oxide. I dubbed it "The Black Pearl" and encouraged the miners not to clean it, since black nuggets like this are far rarer than the clean variety. There is a secret meaning to the name also that will be revealed at a later date. Long story short, my take with Axiom so far was not 2.25 ounces as originally stated, but 2.57 ounces, with me keeping 2.25 ounces of that total.

This gives me a goal in 2023 to find more than 2.57 ounces with the Axiom, and also find a nugget larger than 10 grams with it. It helps to have a goal, and beating those numbers will be a worthy one and help motivate me going into the new year. 

The Black Pearl