Clodhopper Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 Just out of curiosity, I'd like to hear what the average depth of nuggets you have found was. You can post a range if you like but be sure to post what you think the average depth was as best you can estimate. Might be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lve2fsh Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 0 inches I'm still a virgin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garimpo Posted July 21, 2007 Share Posted July 21, 2007 8"-12" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B. Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Hi Clodhopper and All Probably the average is less than 6 inches on 95 % of my finds. But I hunt alot of hillsides , piles and hilltops. I have dug nuggets and species up to about 24 inches but those are fairly rare. Some of my deeper nuggets were in benches and species deep in tailing piles !! I've dug green turds to almost 4 feet not much fun and trash at similar depths. I think my deepest have been species in tailing piles with VLF machines were PI's are virtually useless !! Happy Huntin John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billyazprospector Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 John fill me in on how you figure PI'S are useless, not that im arguing its just that I have never hunted tailing piles and I own a PI Thanks Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted Scott Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 While I've dug a lot of deep targets, thinking back on it, if I'm totally honest, out of all my nuggets the average would be about 2". That's average. It really says more about the nature of placer gold and the nature of my hunting style though and doesn't really have anything to do with the depth capability of the machine. :headphones: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micro Nugget Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 If area has been beaten to death (and most of them fit this category out my way), then I do crumbing (looking for really small pieces that have eluded capture by others who have cleaned out all the sitting ducks and then some). That, in turn, means some elbow grease working a rake to prepare the ground for close contact with a small coil VLF machine. Really small pieces (quarter grain or so) are found within a quarter to a half inch of surface using this technique. Of course, as I scalp off some layers, then larger stuff gets within detectable range. Small nuggets (a tenth of a gram or so) are detected 1 to 2 inches deep. Half gram to pennyweighters 4 to 6 inches deep with VLF. One to two pennyweighters can be found as deep as 14 inches with PI machine and a mono coil (but typically 4 to 6 inches). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lotsa luck Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Our average is about 72 inches for the nicer ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wyndham Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I'd hate to be the shovel man on that dig. Wyndham :headphones: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C... Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 Hi without using the minelab/fishing ruler-you know the magic kind that turns an inch into foot -I average between 3-9 inches :icon_mrgreen: -Mike C... :ph34r2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
29 Prospector Posted July 22, 2007 Share Posted July 22, 2007 I agree with Micro-Nugget, on average, 4-6" detecting. Dry washing, 4-12 feet. O'29er Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 4 to 6 inches - is a typical depth. About where PIs are useless: I think John is saying that in hard rock mine tailing dumps, PIs are useless as these dumps tend to be very trashy and often their gold is fine, wiry or pourous. He can clairify, but I'd agree with the statement I made above. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Anywhere from just laying on the surface to about 18 inches. Pretty average for our patches up here. Found alot just laying on top of the ground, just covered by leaves. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest montana Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I'd say 6 inches, and I'd bet most other people who detect desert placers would say 4to6 inches.----Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 I am with many here with 2 to 12 inches average with most in the 4 to 8 inch range. Much depends on the area and if it has been hit before. Many placers were littered with nuggets early on (years ago) and VLFs were king with allot of shallow gold. Their range in hot ground? Surface to 6 inches or so in many areas...Next the PIs and finding gold at 4 inches plus the VLFs left... Good hunting, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B. Posted July 23, 2007 Share Posted July 23, 2007 Hi Billy Certain types of diceminated or course pourous gold PI's virtually ignore :Huh_anim]: . They are invisible to the pulse induction machines yet they are screamers on VLFs :headphones: . However once that gold has been pounded up by natural geological forces they become visible to the PIs :tisc-tisc: . I have many species that are hygrade gold ore with plenty of visible gold and the PI's cannot see them yet the VLFs scream on them :angry-smiley-010: . At the last Rich Hill outing I brought several specimens to show Reno Chris from my mine :hmmmmmm: . AZ4AU Mike couldn't get a fart outa them in any setting or any coil he had with his GP40000 . Yet all of them were found with my goldmaster and they are pretty good screamers on it :confused0013: !! All of them have a significant amout of free visable gold and one piece I would guess it contains at least 1/2 ounce of free gold :innocent0009: . Happy Huntin John B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nugget Shooter Posted July 24, 2007 Share Posted July 24, 2007 Ahhhhhh yes, The dreadded invisibal nugget. I too have a couple that a PI will just not hear due to the way the signal is broken up enough to "fool" the detector into thinking it is ground noist. Eric Foster worked with this issue in his Goldscan series and by changing the pulse delay I was able to hear both of mine while testing a GS5. Honestly the GS5 works very well, but the GP is still my choice for nugget shooting in the Southwest. I own more than one type detector for the simple reason that experience has taught me that although my trusty PI is used 95% of the time, there are just some places or types of gold that require the use of a VLF. Fortunately there just isnt a large amount of this type gold out there, but if a feller has an area he has found a lot of fine wire gold or chrystaline specimens it may be wise to check your patch out with a VLF.... :icon_mrgreen: Good hunting, Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkaba Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have been using a vlf for years and found exactly 4 pieces on the surface. With 5x9 eliptical coil average is abot 7 inches. With 11 inch coil probably 9 inches. My deepest was 26 inches with the eliptical coil. and 17-18 with the round one. I have only found 3 pieces deeper than 1 foot.........Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike C... Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Hi M--did you use a little of the Mind-Body-Soul while hunting :innocent0002: --just curious- what kind of Vlf are you using :headphones: -Mike C... :ph34r2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mirkaba Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Hi M--did you use a little of the Mind-Body-Soul while hunting Mike C......What the heck is mind body soul??? OHHHH yea I've been using this alias for so long I tend to forget where I got it. Mostly mind and soul I guess...the bodies getting a little wore out. I have an old Minelab xt 18000 thats paid for itself many times over.....Its a little embarrassing to my local dealer but I've sent quite a few sales his way. Getting an new Sd to work with it this year. A little reluctant though. The 26 inch find was a little wierd. There was a 17 gram nugget a couple inches above a 247 grammer. I think it set up some sort of resonance.........Bob :coffeetime: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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