Any metal detector guys out there?

[Bill]

I owned surface gold mines and claims in California. Built desert mine setups and was around a lot of detectors. I can tell you the more you spend the deeper you go. A good detector to find "buried" treasure is going to be in the 4k to 5k range.
Surface detectors are cheaper of course. It's like most things in life where you get what you pay for.

Thanks- I have a question about surface gold. This area in Montana (at the bottom of the Alder Gulch gold rush) had billions of dollars of placer gold mined (in today’s dollars), and has an active garnet mine close by- red garnets hence it’s called the Ruby Valley.

Our son is excavating a foundation locally and and is in an area with lots of garnets. Here’s a couple rocks with garnets I found yesterday.

The rocks and surrounding soil sparkle with shiny gold flakes. When I separate them from the dirt in the palm of my hand and rub them with my finger, they crumble into a dust. Is that iron pyrite or gold? I’ve heard gold commonly is found together with garnets?








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[Native Texan]

To[QUOTE=Radar;

I found a few pieces of broken glass on my farm in a place where there is nothing. I had a guy come out with a metal detector and he found these in the same area. Old axe head, cinch buckle, part of a harmonica, piece of an old sheep herder stove and few square nails.[/QUOTE]

Places where there is nothing now are the best places to detect. Most visible old structures have been detected since the hobby became popular in the 70’s. Do the research and look at old maps and topos for clues to what was once there. You will be surprised what you can find.

[Native Texan]

Even the old iron stuff is cool when cleaned up and preserved.
These are from the early to mid 1800’s. The axe head even still has handle wood in it that is nearly petrified.

[crxshooter]

Would like to barrow one or buy a cheap one from somebody, lost my wedding ring last year in a gut pile in Kansas. I'm guessing it's gone but would like to check this year.

If this is the Colony in Cedar Creek, I have a cheapie from Academy that you can borrow. I found our survey rods with it so I know it works. Msg if you wanna try it.

[Bard]

gold

[QUOTE=Bill;16701089]Thanks- I have a question about surface gold. This area in Montana (at the bottom of the Alder Gulch gold rush) had billions of dollars of placer gold mined (in today’s dollars), and has an active garnet mine close by- red garnets hence it’s called the Ruby Valley.

Our son is excavating a foundation locally and and is in an area with lots of garnets. Here’s a couple rocks with garnets I found yesterday.

The rocks and surrounding soil sparkle with shiny gold flakes. When I separate them from the dirt in the palm of my hand and rub them with my finger, they crumble into a dust. Is that iron pyrite or gold? I’ve heard gold commonly is found together with garnets?


Certainly you are dealing with Fool's Gold/Pyrite there. I do not know about the gold, Garnet correlation. Lost gold can be anywhere but panning for gold in the creeks could be fun and may produce gold. You will surely recognize it when you see it. One saying we have about gold is that it is where you find it. lol

[Bill]

Thar’s my prior post- not Bard’s. I don’t know what happened.


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