Bullets

[all iron]

Went back to the farm field today and searched in A1 metal mode with my Delta 4000
sensitivity cranked up to 12 / volume maxed / new Gray Ghost headphones.
A wee bit nippy this morning.

The larger caliber bullets rang up at 78 zinc constant if they weren't any deeper than 3 or 4 inches / 84-86 at 6 or 7 inches until i was closer.

The smaller calibers rang in at 72 constant.

I wonder if these are Civil War vintage? / no battles that i am aware of in Terre Haute, Indiana

3 were at one end of the field within 30 yards of each other and the other 7 were at the other end of the filed within 20 yards of each other.
More than i'll say 500 yards to between the 2 groupings.

I think the larger bullets are 58 caliber or larger ( weight approx 48 grams)

 

[sekypaleo]

Yup, 58 and 69 cal. CW era Minie balls. Perhaps a practice firing range for a CW recruitment camp?

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[earthmansurfer]

I have dug around 40 musket balls in the last 6 hunts, think they go back hundreds of years.

My question - I'm using the Omega and the musket balls being lead mean that 8Khz is not the best frequency for them. The ID jumps all over the place if they are over 3" deep or. Sometimes I get a semi iron reading in there, but that is probably from small iron nearby. Do you find that lead doesn't hit as good too? (My old T2 running at 15khz or so, hit much better on lead.)

 

[all iron]

The Delta hits hard on the lead

 

[sekypaleo]

Earthmansurfer...you are absolutely correct. I am primarily a CW relic hunter and I am using an Omega. The Omega is very good at silver coins ...but absolutely not at lower conductive items made of lead and brass. And no one can tell me differently because I have logged too many hours this year hunting relics with the Omega. I have also found that for those items (lower conductive) that 3" seems to be the cut off point as far as accuracy with TID. Past that it is all over the place...but usually HIGHER numbers. I dug yesterday a 55 cal Hanoverian bullet at around 4-5 inches that was ranging around from 79 up 88. That bullet should have accurately ID'ed at about 75-78. Silver it is usually accurate to about 5- 6". Total depth for me is around 8-9" with sens at 95, disc at 16 and GB around 60-62. I am keeping the Omega for coinshooting, but need a better machine for the relics. At this point I am down to the G2 or the new Garrett AT Pro. Bill

 

[all iron]

Dug 7 more today
that brings the total to 21

A couple are very small caliber

the pattern is starting to take shape and i can almost tell in which way they were shooting from.

I sure hope to find a coin or something that would help date these bullets

A lot of them seem to be smashed on the tail end ??? seems odd

 

[MickTwin]

"A lot of them seem to be smashed on the tail end ??? seems odd"

Must be Yankee bullets... The Reb's scared 'em so much, they tried to turn around and go back!

 

[Monte]

Reading you reply has left me wondering a bit.

I am primarily a CW relic hunter and I am using an Omega.

How long have you been involved in metal detecting, and which makes/models have you used in the past? How long have you have the Omega, and which search coil(s) do you generally use on it?

The Omega is very good at silver coins ...but absolutely not at lower conductive items made of lead and brass. And no one can tell me differently because I have logged too many hours this year hunting relics with the Omega.

I've put in an ample amount of time this year myself, with the Omega after parting with an MXT, and I have had very good success with the Omega on all sorts of conductivity ranged targets. Gold jewelry, bullets from .22 LR on up to .45-70 slugs, rivets from saddles and other harness hardware, buttons of all sizes, shapes and alloys. Just a wide range of targets, and frustrated because there hasn't been much silver coinage for the sites I am hunting, but no major problems on low-to-mid conductivity. Most of the time I am hunting with the elliptical 10" concentric coil or the round 5" DD.

I have also found that for those items (lower conductive) that 3" seems to be the cut off point as far as accuracy with TID. Past that it is all over the place...but usually HIGHER numbers.

Without knowing where you are or the ground you are hunting, all I can say is that most TID models on the market will have difficulty with 'proper' identification once the depth starts to get beyond 3"-4". No, not all, but a majority of models will, and most often they will up-average, too. I've used most everything that's available for the average detectorist and, for me, few of them have very consistent TID and VDI 'lock-on' as the target depth increases. Higher conductive targets of more noble metal usually do better.

I dug yesterday a 55 cal Hanoverian bullet at around 4-5 inches that was ranging around from 79 up 88. That bullet should have accurately ID'ed at about 75-78.

A big, odd-shaped bullet doesn't surprise me if the TID read-out varies a bit. This is especially true with fluctuations in the alloy mix used to make them, combined with their depth and position and the ground mineral make-up.

Silver it is usually accurate to about 5- 6".

Silver is also often quite accurate for me as well, but I get reasonably good VDI read-outs on coins down to the 4" to 8" depth range even if they are 'clad' or nickels.

Total depth for me is around 8-9" with sens at 95, disc at 16 and GB around 60-62.

I have pulled some coins deeper, but the 8'-9" depth range is close to what I get them at when they are deeper. I am usually set at 99 Sensitivity, 0 to no more than 16/17 in Discrimination, and most dirt or ground around here I balance to and get a Ground Phase reading of about 72 to 77 the past few days.

I am keeping the Omega for coinshooting, but need a better machine for the relics. At this point I am down to the G2 or the new Garrett AT Pro. Bill

I'm going to play with the AT Pro just to see what it can do, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I like my Omega, mainly for 'pleasure' hunting and that's generally coin shooting. I also like the G2 and the T2. The G2 w/5" DD coil is now my favorite for working the very trashy sites, and it can be used with the stock 11" DD, but I have so far had better depth when using the T2 w/11" Double-D coil. The G2 is better on lower-conductive targets than silver or copper or other upper-end conductivity targets, but it works. If I want depth and want to hunt in the Discriminate mode, the Omega and T2 get a bit better depth than I get from the G2.

I hope you post what you check out and let us know what make/model you feel works better, for you, than the Omega for Relic Hunting.

Monte

 

[sekypaleo]

Hello again Monte, Years detecting: around 30. Detectors used: several old Whites Coinmasters and XLT, Minelab Soverign, Fisher 1266 and CZ-5, Tesoro Sidewinder and Vaquero. The issue I have with the Omega for hunting relics is not so much the inaccuracy with the TID's once you get past about 3 inches. It is the audio signal. When I am relic hunting I notice the TID's but dig based on audio response. The Omega jusy does not hit hard on lower conductive items like it does with silver coins. As an example of what I am saying. Saturday I got a weak signal while relic hunting in the woods. The target was a brass scabbard tip at only 5 inches down. This is a piece of brass about 3 inches long. If I was hunting with my old CZ-5 (which was my main relic detector) the signal would have blown my headphones off. Another example: 3 weeks ago while hunting with my Tesoro Vaquero I got a good solid signal, I had my wife check it with the Omega (setting were as always: sens95, disc 16, GB about 63)...no response at all. The target was a brass shoulder scale off of an epaulet at 10"...this is a brass piece about 3"X3". I fear I am missing good relics with the Omega. Perhaps the T2 would be a better choice for the relic hunting. Bill