Relic hunting - What is a good basic machine?

[Steve in PR]

I am going to expand my hunting horizons but trying to hunt some of the battle fields near my area to see If I can find any bullets and military things.

I am not sure I will find anything so I am reluctant to spend a lot of money on an expensive machine.

I would use my Excal but I just finished setting it up with a new rod that I custom built and it is now only suitable for water hunting.

I have never hunted relics or dirt before so this makes me a rookie.

I just bought a pair of kneepads and I have a garden trowel and I think all I need now is a decent detector that will turn up those kinds of items without busting the bank.

So, is there a decent (translate as inexpensive), say under $300 machine that will give me what I need?

I will be hunting near a river and possibly need to at least be able to get the coil into the water. Probably need a protective cover for the rain. Likely targets will be lead, bronze and ferrous. Might expect to see some aluminum too.

The dirt will be a copperous clay soil, I suspect. I have not scouted the area, just have been using Google Earth to locate the specific areas I want to hunt. Will this type of soil be a problem?

So is there a machine that will distinguish well between those metals and have a waterproof coil?

If I find a lot of stuff I'll think about a better detector.

All suggestions/testimonials are welcome. PM me if you don't want to post here.

Thanks.

[TonyinCT]

Detectors under 300.00 can surely find relics but there are no real relic hunter detectors at that price point. The Tesoro Cibola can be considered but to really find the good stuff if you have a good place to hunt , I would reccomend the Tesoro Tejon. Let me know if I can be of any further assiatance.

[Harry(PA)]

no further comment.

[Dick from IA]

I've had relic success with my Ace 250 ($212) and XTerra 70 ($750); a lot is based on your willingness to dig most anything that sounds interesting. Some days when I'm full of energy it's a relics day ; when I'm lazier I hunt shallow coin signals

If I were thinking relics only, the Vaquero would be my choice

[John's Detectors]

Yes it is hard to purchase a serious relic machine in that price range. Of course you can take a chance on finding a used machine and get it cheaper but I would feel better if I could buy new. But the Vaquero is a great choice. Also if you can get the Tejon because it was designed to do relic hunting in the Civil War camps and battlefields. The Tejon is not at all complicated either. Also you might want to consider the Minelab Musketeer which is also designed to be a relic hunter at 5Khz. If I can help you out just give me an email. God Bless and take care.

John Tomlinson,CET
John's Detectors
Blackwell,Tx.
Best Little Detector Shop in Texas!

[John's Detectors]

Originally Posted by boobieinPa

If I am hunting for relics I don't even use a detector.

I just look in the mirror.

By the way no one makes a Boobie detector!

John Tomlinson,CET

[Harry(PA)]

concerning a Tesoro Tejon on ebay