You’ve gone to the woods for relic hunting, you’ve dug out numerous coins from your backyard, so you want to take your game to the next level with gold hunting, but do you know gold prospecting differs from the aforementioned targets- you can’t use just any kind of metal detector to search for gold, because not all metal detectors can handle high mineralization that characterize the gold field, moreover gold is a rare element in the earth, which, however, brought us to the question- where to look for gold with a metal detector.
Gold occurs in different kinds of rocks, mostly gold-bearing rocks, and geological environments such as the placer. It sounds easy right? Sorry, is not that easy to detect. It takes deliberate effort and research to prospect for gold compared to relic hunting or coin shooting.
When it comes to gold prospecting, there are notable factors to take into consideration, which includes- best metal detector for gold, where to look for gold with a metal detector- a question that needs answer even if you own the best metal detector for gold, and tips on how to use a metal detector for gold.
Best metal detectors for gold reviews
Summary of reviews
| Product name | Unique for | Perfect Detection | Weight (pounds) | Product link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000 | Fully automatic operation | Small nuggets | 6.8 | |
| Garrett AT Gold Waterproof Metal Detector with Headphones and ProPointer AT PinPointer | Continuous audio response | Tiny nuggets | 6.7 | |
| XP DEUS Wireless Metal Detector | Fully waterproof | Small/large gold nuggets | 4.75 | |
| Minelab SDC 2300 All Terrain Gold Detector | Military grade construction | Small/Large gold nuggets | 5.1 | |
| Makro New Jeohunter 3d Dual System | 3D graphics | Small/large gold nuggets | 52.9 | |
| Metal detector |
Contents
Minelab GOLD MONSTER 1000
Minelab GOLDMONSTER uses an intermediate frequency to search for small gold nuggets, even on difficult ground at great depths with high-level discrimination between ferrous/non-ferrous metals also suitable to use on conductive soil with complete automatic operation: automatic ground balance, ground sensitivity coupled with automatic noise cancel.
Features include:
- Feature 45 kHz VLF frequency
- Dimension: 23.6×5.1×9.8
- Weighs 6.8 pounds
- High speed 24 –bit signal processor
- Easy quick start
- It includes 2 search coils
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Garrett AT Gold Waterproof Metal Detector with Headphones and ProPointer AT PinPointer
Garrett Gold is suitable to find tiny gold nuggets in the most challenging environments including shallow fresh water. This unit allows you to prospect at deeper depth with continuous audio response to hear weak signals. And the ground balance function to deal with high mineralized zones effectively.
Features include:
- Submersible up to 10 feet
- Offers two discrimination mode
- Manual and automatic ground balance
- Dimension: 21.3×14.4×5.7 inches
- Weighs 6.7 pounds
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XP DEUS Wireless Metal Detector
This is truly a metal detector for the ages! XP DEUS comes with updates that you can easily install from the PC via USB cable to take your machine beyond the previous versions.
It has a wireless design which makes it easy to swap coils, and to use anywhere coupled with its light weight. And it has a great recovery speed.
It features high level discrimination coupled with multi-frequencies level from 4 kHz to12khz. On top of that, it has iron discriminations, audio reactivity settings to allow you detect gold in any environment of your choice.
Features include:
- Wireless 9 inches double D covered coil
- Completely waterproof
- Wireless control unit
- Limited 5-year part and labor warranty
- Weighs 4.75 pounds
- Dimensions:23.7x10x4.5 inches
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Minelab SDC 2300 All Terrain Gold Detector
Suitable for all kinds of terrains- riverbeds, shorelines, land – you name it, to find gold buried shallow or deeper. On top of that, it is made with high military grade construction to thrive in tough conditions yet lightweight.
Features include:
- submersible up to 10ft
- Dimension: 59×9.5×2 inches
- Weighs 5.1 pounds
- Compact design
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Makro New Jeohunter 3d Dual System Metal detector
A metal detector made with advanced technology for maximum gold prospecting experience. It is suitable for deeper gold search, and uses advanced discrimination to categorize metals into 4 gold, iron, ferrous/non-ferrous and steel.
In addition to this, it gives accurate information of the target depth and size coupled with that is the 3 different search coils it features for different target hunting. And it is user friendly for amateurs also for experienced gold prospectors
Features include:
- Suitable for metal and cavity detection with 3D graphics
- Provides metal discrimination and accurate depth analysis
- Comes with 3 search coils: 60×100 cm-deep search coil; 21×31.5 cm- all purposes; 8.5×12 inches-coin shooting
- Performs multi-functional search
- Weighs 52.9 pounds
- Dimension: 28.4 x 16.9 x 8.3 inches
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Finding gold has to do with trial and error whether as a part time or full time to earn substantial amount of money.
You have to research, meet people to discuss possible places you can look out for gold, and read gold related books or journals. By reading gold related journals, you can get acquainted to possible places to look for gold in your area also know the possible target, and the geological characterization of the environment before launching out.
You can also visit government department of natural resources or a gold tourist shops to get maps of old digging areas.
Moreover, visit to the mines department will be of huge benefit to have first hand information on areas you can legally detect gold with and without license.
Old diggings: You are sure to find gold nuggets in areas of old diggings, at least small gold nuggets, and even large gold nuggets especially in areas that contains mullock heaps of old-diggings and uneven ground. Areas with presence of ironstone, shale or quartz vein are also worthy of exploring.
Old mines: prospecting for gold comes with rules. Firstly, do not enter a mine tunnel for no reason whatsoever. Secondly, don’t collect gold from another person’s claim to avoid lawsuit. Having said that, you can check the old mine’s tailing also check the placer deposit towards the lower point of the mine.
Desert: dry washer is a valuable mining equipment to use along with the metal detector in the desert. How does it work? Run dry dirt through the dry washer to trap some gold nuggets, but most times, the dry washer misses the gold, so it will be good to scan through the tailings to recover lost gold nuggets.
Visit areas where prospectors have found gold- there is high tendency to find gold where others have found it.
- Take things gently when prospecting for gold- sweep through small areas at first with your metal detector at 1 cm above the ground surface. And do not jump from one place to the other looking for gold nuggets by doing this; your enthusiasm may fizzle out.
- Use a rake to clear the patch of leaves, sticks or rocks littering the surface of the target area to help your metal detector probe deeper.
- If you are getting a faint signal, then excavate part of the top soil, and scatter little amount of the scraped soil on the search coil. The detector will signal if it touches the metal object.
- Dealing with hot rocks: presence of hot rocks in an area most times depicts the presence of gold nuggets, but it involves some technicalities to navigate such environment with a metal detector because, hot rocks contain heavy mineralization, which therefore gives the same audible sound as gold nuggets, as a result, confuse the prospector especially a novice in gold prospecting.
So, take note of these procedures for happy exploration in hot rocks areas:
- Pass your search coil over different directions, not far from the target area- form a kind of dart board with the target point at the centre. If you keep getting signal from one direction then take your search to a new area, because that is definitely not a gold nugget.
- Slightly and slowly raise the search coil over the target area as you are scanning, doing that will make you have faint signal on gold nuggets, but at the same time, remove the noisy hot rocks so you are left with the faint signal of gold nuggets.
- You can kick out or easily throw away noticeable hot rocks from the vicinity, to avoid unnecessary signal interference.
- High Frequency metal detector: if the hot rocks in your target area are difficult for you then use a metal detector with intermediate or high frequency to prospect for small gold nuggets.
Hot rocks vicinity is a hot area to look for gold, however; it has a difficult ground compared to the desert and old mines to find gold.
But all in all, hot rocks and gold nuggets are best of friends, as much as prospectors hate to admit it. So take your time in such areas with the few tips provided on how to use a metal detector to look for gold, and have an amazing gold prospecting.
Brian Fielding
Hi, My name is Brian Fielding, for the last 10 years ive been taking metal detecting from a hobby to my full time research. I love the idea that you can just relax and kick back while you listen to the noises, ive been lucky enough to love the sport, keeps me healthy and keeps me going!