I enjoy the 5X8 DD 'Ripper' coil for most typical day-to-day hunting with the Apex. Monte Jr. & I hit the city park tot-lot about a week ago and we both did reasonably well. He also nabbed a sterling silver ring on that 30-45 minute outing. I was using my Tesoro Silver Sabre µMAX w/6" Concentric for quick work on all the commonly-hunted places that generally get the most coin & jewelry loss. But that left a lot of open wood-chip area to be covered that was away from metal structures, so I've started working my Apex & 'Ripper' DD. I am looking for anything good, to include both incidental targets as well as small hot-spots with clusters of losses from rolling and tumbling or falling.

To better get to know how hard places around here have been hunted in the past, as well as prepare to work some permission sites. I am working the site in about 10'X10' grids to better learn the detector, coil and help my patience level. With so much private property here in Texas and very little public-use BLM or other land, like I was used to in Oregon, Utah, Nevada, etc., I need to be ready for any permissions I get in the future. I'll be starting on my first 'permission' of a 63 year old farmhouse site within the next two weeks, and I am awaiting the OK for another home-site that dates back about 90 years or so.

With any good luck I hope to be adding some silver coins to my recoveries soon. Also, working the different 'permissions' might let me get to know the Apex visual Target ID better since there will be an assortment of desired targets at various depths and, hopefully, not as much masking trash as would be encountered in a lot of modern-use locations. Plus, on some of the larger properties of an acre or more, there will be more open areas with sparse targets where I can get more use out of the 8½X11 DD 'Raider' coil and learn its strengths and weaknesses.

We'll be getting about a week of showers and thunderstorms starting tomorrow evening, and that should help soften some of the harder-soil areas that are here-and-there. Most of the ground I've been able to work so far is more of a rather looser, sand-like mix in the upper 4" to 8" before it gets to a solid/firm texture. But some rain ought to help with those areas with a tougher surface make-up.

One thing I do know for sure, and that is I am continually enjoying the Garrett Apex and search coil set I am using. Very comfortable, light-weight, and the battery run-time is also impressive. I'll know better the more times when I am able to put in longer stretches more often. Two other things I know are that it is the time of yer when we get a lot of regular wind from 10 to 20 mph and sometimes more, and that helps when it is sunny and warms into the upper 70° range and into the lower 90° temps. In addition, most of the locations I am working on now have some trees scattered about on the property, and those will provide a lot of shady areas to hunt. Two good points to help out in the hot and dry West Texas weather.

I hope readers have some fair-weather conditions to enjoy, are locating some new and different sites to hunt this year, and are prepared to get out and enjoy this great outdoor sport.

Monte

"Your EYES ... the only 100% accurate form of Discrimination!"
Stinkwater Wells Trading Post
Metal Detector Evaluations and Product ReviewsI'm now 'back home' in Farr West Utah monte@ahrps.org ... or ... monte@stinkwaterwells.com 503-481-8147Detector Outfit: A selection of my chosen makes and models, with the best coils mounted for the tasks I'll take on.F-19 * F-5 * Racer * Racer 2 * V-540 * Relic * Silver Sabre µMAX * Bandido II µMAX * XLTPinpointers: Garrett AT Pro-Pointers .. Headphones: 'Hornet' .. MS-3 Z-Lynk .. ML-80 *** All working well today to make memories for tomorrow. ***