Coil/target optimisation can be quite complicated, but it can be broken down into a number of separate considerations. I will deal with just one, at the moment.
The diameter of the coil in relation to the target size is perhaps the most dominant characteristic. If we look at a mono coil, which is the simplest to understand, the optimum coil size is one that detects the target at a distance equal to the coil radius. e.g. if you have a 10in coil that just detects a target at 5in, then going either up or down in coil size will result in less range. If, however, your 10in coil detects a target at 10in, then the coil is not optimum, and going to a larger size will give more range <span style="background-color:#ffff00;">on that target</span>. In fact, the optimum coil for that target is 27.5in diameter, and it will detect the target at 13.7in. Say your target was big enough to detect at 15in with the 10in coil. The optimum coil size would then be 46in diameter and the target range 23in.
Coil sizes get bigger quite rapidly, and more cumbersome, but because the coil radius/range curve is very flat as you approach the optimum, you could reduce to a 30in coil and still get just under 23in.
All this assumes that everything else stays constant. i.e. TX current, inductance etc, and also pickup noise.
If I can find it, I will post a graph of coil radius/range curves.
Eric.