# Upgrade Metal Detector or Get a pinpointer



## SarahFair (Jan 4, 2017)

I bought my son a Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505 for his birthday. I bought it from the auction so it did not come with an instruction manual. Everything hes learned about it has mostly come from youtube or finding bits and pieces over the internet. 

Hes come to enjoy metal detecting a lot but wants to be able to detect certain types of metals better (meaning, he wants to know if its gold in the ground vs a 5, 10, 25 cent piece).
Hed also like to be able to better "pin point" the metals ground location better rather than digging the hole out this way, then have to dig it out the other way..

He wants to either get this pinpointer or get a MD-3010II 


I know nothing of metal detecting, but I dont know how a $70 metal detector is going to be better than what hes got.
A lot of his frustration comes from getting $1 hits, only to dig up big hunks of melted metal in the backyard. 
Our house is 116 years old so there is really no telling whats back there, but for some reason there is chunks of melted metal in a lage area, at various depths


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## 3ringer (Jan 4, 2017)

Go to the treasuredepot.com  It is a forum for all kinds of metal detecting. To be sure what a target is, you are going to have to dig. No high dollar detector will give an accurate description every time. So to be sure, you have to dig. When I hunt for civil war relics , I may dig 10 to 20 pieces of trash to every 1 good target. In an old homestead, you will always have trash. Folks back then buried their garbage. When you want to move up to a good inexpensive detector, try a Tesoro. They have a lifetime warranty.


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 4, 2017)

Let me add to what 3ringer said



Hmmm,can't think of anything to add


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## SarahFair (Jan 4, 2017)

Thanks yall!


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## Jeff Raines (Jan 4, 2017)

I will say this.

If he gets in to hunting for civil war relics,he will become a civil war historian,studying their march routes and camp sites.
He will become stealthier in the woods,he will learn to not leave any trace that he was in the area,so as to not tip anyone else off to a hotspot.

He may even want night vision optics.......I never went that far.But it is very addicting.


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## riverbank (Jan 4, 2017)

Good hobby for a kid, (adults to)


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## Hooty Hoot (Jan 4, 2017)

I am not familiar with that model but there is a learning curve with all of them. You can X a target to get an accurate location. I super tune my machine in the all metal mode and then use my discriminator once I get a hit. Like someone else said, you have to dig some trash to find the good stuff.


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## PappyHoel (Jan 4, 2017)

I'm a novice but like they said, trash is fun too.  It's what I like to do when scouting around after season.  I've found lots of interesting trash.


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## QuakerBoy (Jan 4, 2017)

its been a few years since I played with detectors, but at that time I didn't recall being able to differentiate between a coin and gold.  Ferrous and non ferrous metals yes.  Keep in mind that a lot of old coins are solid silver...and worth a LOT


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## PappyHoel (Jan 4, 2017)

QuakerBoy said:


> its been a few years since I played with detectors, but at that time I didn't recall being able to differentiate between a coin and gold.  Ferrous and non ferrous metals yes.  Keep in mind that a lot of old coins are solid silver...and worth a LOT



Depends on the detector, the high dollar ones will give a good hit and mark when it's a coin.  The AT Gold that I've played with will definitely tell you if you have something worth digging.  Also you can eliminate certain tones like nails if you know there's a bunch.  

I dig most everything and don't decern the tones.  But I'm really a novice, these other guys are the pros


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 4, 2017)

Like the others said, don't discriminate the finds, just dig them up. I'd be too afraid I'm leaving a valuable treasure if I did.

When we were looking to buy one White, Bounty Hunter, Tesoro, Fisher, and Garrett were the big names. There was a Bounty Hunter Gold Digger model. I'm not familiar with the Goplus MD-3010II Metal Detector Gold Digger model or brand. I wouldn't think it is better than your son;s Bounty Hunter.
I would think your Son could download a manual off line. He might could find one on the forum mentioned from another member.

So the guy we bought our used Garrett detector was retired and really into the hobby. He had about 20 metal detectors. He was into it like a gun hobbyist. He took part in gold coin hunts set up like Easter egg hunts.
His friend was a bottle collector. His friend would get him to find the trash pile at the old homestead. Then he'd look for bottles.

He suggested to not discriminate and to take any metal trash with you from the area you are looking. 

I haven't used it in a while but it was a fun hobby. I used to take to the playground to give me something to do while the kids played.


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 4, 2017)

Bounty Hunter manuals to include your sons. Readable and printable versions;

http://www.detecting.com/manuals.htm


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 4, 2017)

I'm not exactly sure what pinpointers do but I'd buy one of those before I bought that Goplus metal detector.

The Bounty Hunter pinpointer gets bad reviews. Look on Amazon. The reviewers say spend the extra money and buy a Garrett. Might could also get input on a pinpointer from the treasuredepot.com forum.


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## WGSNewnan (Jan 5, 2017)

having used a detector for many years, I would suggest at a minimum get him an ACE 250 and a pinpointer. anything less is really a waste of time and resources.
a pinpointer is probably my most used piece of equipment outside of my gardeners shovels.


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## WGSNewnan (Jan 5, 2017)

Buy this - 





and this - 





from here - 

http://www.kellycodetectors.com/

Thats the best advice I can give any new enthusiast.


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 5, 2017)

Is the pinpointer what you use when you actually start digging? I could see where that would be handy.


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## Hooty Hoot (Jan 5, 2017)

You use that pinpointer as a locator after you have pulled a plug. You can locate the  target in the plug or test the hole to see if it is still there. I was going to get one at the relic show this year after making plans with my digging buddy to attend. He died that night. Right out of the blue. I haven't touched my machine since.


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## fulldraw74 (Jan 5, 2017)

I would start with the pinpointer. It makes finding the smaller things a lot easier.


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## Artfuldodger (Jan 5, 2017)

The pinpointer sounds like a good idea. I aways used the metal detector which was a pain.


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## flatwoods (Jan 5, 2017)

WGSNewnan said:


> Buy this -
> 
> 
> 
> ...



 This X2


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## 3ringer (Jan 7, 2017)

He will have a blast at the beach with it. Me and my father in law found about 200 coins between us in one week at PCB. We found all them in front of our condo. Look at where the people are gathering and playing on the beach. Go detecting at night or first thing in the morning. Buy a good quality metal sand scoop . When you hear that clanging in the scoop after the sand sifts out , your heart jumps. It might be a diamond ring in the bottom of the scoop. Don't get aggravated by all of the bottle caps and pull tabs. Remove the trash so you don't dig it again the next day. Headphones are good to drown out the sound of the surf.


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## Patriot44 (Jan 8, 2017)

WGSNewnan said:


> Buy this -
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> 
> 
> ...



X3, we got our kids the 250 a few years ago and it works great for them.


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