Metal Detectors

[ChristieM]

Hey all,
I hope you'll excuse me butting in - but I wanted to ask some folks who may be able to help. My boyfriend has repeatedly said he needs a metal detector to help recover his shells. I am planning to get him one for Christmas. I was thinking a smaller, hand held one would be best - but really have no idea. Any suggestions or personal experiences?
Thanks!!!!
Christie

[medic0079]

Don't know if that would work... I'm no expert, and I'm sure someone with more experience will be able to tell you more, but I think they work on a magnet principal, brass is non magnetic. but like I said I don't know for sure.

[Shoney]

Christie:
When shooting semi-auto pistols, brass is easily lost. It is amazing, even on flat ground with no vegetation, they seem to disappear.

The hand held metal detector will do the job. If you get it for him, I would urge you to go shooting with him when he uses it, because it will be the only time he is on his hands and knees, groveling at your feet. Looking for brass that is.

The hand held requires that you be close to the target, which means you are either stooped over, or on your hands and knees.

Beggars can't be choosers, but I would prefer the detector that I could stand up and use. Saves on the back and wears less on the clothing.

[rwilson452]

A metal detector will detect brass or any metal object. that is the problem. At a public range there is so much metal you get a lot of hits unless the range is groomed frequently. the fancy detectors my be able to be set up to "miss" a lot of the deeper stuff but I doubt you will be able to detect one certain size brass that is on the surface.

If your going to use it on a home range where you want to get all the brass. it is a dandy tool.

[Creature]

Shooting while standing on a large 12' x 12' canvas or plastic tarpaulin spread out over the ground works even better than a metal detector...

[Hawg]

Go to Wal Mart and get a cheap Bounty Hunter. It will do for finding brass. It will differentiate between ferrous(iron/steel) and non ferrous(brass and other metals). It will also tell you the depth so it will easy to tell if something is on or near the surface. It may also give him another hobby bug. They're not real good for treasure hunting so you may end up getting him an expensive one later on.

[ChristieM]

Thanks so much for the info! We have a minimal range here at home, basically facing into the mountain. But there is a ton of vegetation - honestly, you stand in the wooded horse pasture.

I love the tarp idea. I will probably print this whole thread to put in the box

I was thinking the hand held would be easier to carry around. But I agree with the bending over part. Any specific recommendations on type?

Thanks again!
Christie

PS - Shoney......the begging at my feet does make a big sales pitch for the handheld. LOL.

[brickeyee]

...I think they work on a magnet principal, brass is non magnetic.

Common mistake, but incorrect.
Metal detectors will work on anything that can conduct electricity.
While ferromagnetic materials will concentrate the magnetic field set up by the detector more readily, any metal in a time varying magnetic field will have eddy currents created that tend to cancel the field.
This unbalances the field enough that the metal can be detected.

The same thing occurs with a powder scale with magnetic damping.
The time varying in this case is caused by the movement of the aluminum or copper blade in a static magnetic field.
Once the beam stops moving there is no force from the magnet so the scale still reads correctly.

[medic0079]

so what your trying to tell me is they are magical right

[Hawg]

so what your trying to tell me is they are magical right

Seems like it sometimes. Just a small sample of my finds.

[Hawg]

Before the mods shut it down for getting off gun topics I found this too.

[Prince55]

I was a dealer for several brands of detectors. They will find brass easily,
also lead and many other metals.
Among my many finds were an 1885-S $5 Gold piece and a couple of
"Live" Civil War cannon balls.
Someone stole the Gold Coin in about 6 months or less and the State
Police came and took the cannon balls.
Great pictures of the coins and gun found in the above post.

[Prince55]

By The Way---Welcome Here, Christie.

[Hawg]

Great pictures of the coins and gun found in the above post.

Thanks. Just a scattered sampling I took for another forum. Older White's 6000 Di PRO.

[WadePatton]

metal detectors work off the magic of radio waves. they generate them and listen for reflections and then filter the results based on user settings-which may be computer chip controlled.

The nice ones are way overboard for brass finding. Hang a sheet (from the trees or bushes or make a frame) on the ejection port side-stand next to sheet and brass will hit it and roll down to your feet. Brass catcher hickies are sold too.

Good luck.

[Stargazer]

I just bought a low cost one from Harbor Freight, it works good but just doesn't go real deep, maybe 4-5". I had the same thought too, to find my brass at my shooting lease. Well, it works too good and I forgot just how much AK steel case rounds have been shot out there. I couldn't move that sucker but about 6" in any direction and it squawked at me. It became useless to try to find anything there. I was hunting my lost, expensive .380 cases. Now I guess I will just have to save it for the day when I can go do the parks around here and become the old man with a metal detector. I have to got to find myself a straw hat, some bermuda shorts, ankle high knee socks and I'll be set!

[gspointer]

Random tidbit. Alexander Graham bell invented the metal detector to try to find the bullet in President Garfield. His detector worked, but, he later surmised he was unable to locate the bullet in Garfield as his mattress was atop a box-spring. (also reletively new)

[Hawg]

I will just have to save it for the day when I can go do the parks around here and become the old man with a metal detector.

That's alright if all you want is RC Cola and Moon Pie money. Try old home sites and small town fairgrounds that haven't been used for many years. That's where most of mine came from. The one you have is good enough to get you hooked if indeed it will detect a dime at four inches in the field and not just on the kitchen table. It also needs the ability to discern between ferrous and non ferrous metal and discrimination is a plus for high trash areas. no discrimination will give you the best depth and it's best to dig all hits but after digging 26 cents in change and a hundred gazzillion pull tabs a little discrimination is nice.

I have to got to find myself a straw hat, some bermuda shorts

Straw hat is good. Bermuda shorts is bad. You're going to be spending a lot of time on your knees. Heavy denim is better, especially if you're going into areas that are overgrown.

ankle high knee socks

You wanna explain that one?

[Stargazer]

Quote: Ankle high knee socks

I was just poking fun at myself! I really do not have time to go searching like that. I just got the detector to try and find some of my brass I had lost and the other reason was to locate my property boundary line marker between me and the house next door.

[brickeyee]

metal detectors work off the magic of radio waves. they generate them and listen for reflections

Not really.

They generate a standing electromagnetic field and then look for changes in the field when a conductor is present.

They are NOT ground penetrating radar.
That IS used to generate a pulse, send it into the earth, then see what reflections occur.
It can detect even non-conductors as long as they have a different wave propagation (electrical impedance) than the earth around the object.
Water tends to make the earth so lossy it interferes with ground penetrating radar though.