nuggethunting

Hello All, Just wanted to let you all know "Rob's Detector Sales" will be closed from June 5th to June 14th. I will be in Alaska for a week giving Moore Creek another run. All ordered received before or on Friday June 2nd have been shipped US Priority Mail. Also, just received an email from my Distributor that the larger Coiltek order in now in the States. When I return I will get all the backorder processed and shipped ASAP. I know some have been waiting over a month on products. Wishing you all a wonderful week. Rob Allison

Hello All, Here are a few shots of the gun. I picked up a .44mag speedloader today with a small holster with it. The leather holster that I purchased with it is a Galco. I still remember when the .44 mag was the most powerful handgun on Earth. Now with all the new handguns ... Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Gaine, Thanks for the information. I guess I will just stick with the loads I have for now if you think they will work. I will post a picture of the gun tonight and make sure it's the same one we are both talking about. I know the retail price was over $900.00, but sells for $729.00. Sportsman Warehouse has very good prices on handguns. I have seen this gun at other stores for over $800. I know the .44 Mag Airlight that I purchased is lighter than my Ruger 9mm. P.S. What would be the best protection for home defense? Talk with you later, Rob Allison

Hello Chris, Ok, now I don't want you re-finding that nugget next week! Haha.... Heck, with the price of gold then vs. now, I should have purchased a bunch of gold. A good friend has pounds of sizeable nuggets and wanted to sell them back then and I decided not to purchase them. What the hell am I going to do with more big nuggets? Hopefully, you will have a 3rd, 4th, 5th More Creek nugget .... and so forth. What time did you say you arrive in Anchorage, AK Chris? Our groups from Arizona will be arriving on US Airways at 12:09 in Anch, flight # 8012. I guess we will all just crash out in the Penn-Air terminal if we can sleep. Some might be too anxious to get to Moore Creek. Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello Guys, Thanks for all the info. I purchase some "Federal Premium Vital-Shok" 300 grain bullets for it. The guy at the gun store said that should do the trick. However, they are not jacketed, and I would think jacketed would get the best penitration. I don't want something to just bounce off ... Gaine - I just looked at the model number, and the gun is the M329 with Hi Viz sights!! The gun was $729.00 here, but after some ammo and a nice leather holster I walked out paying just over $900.00 for everything. I will feel a bit more at ease knowing I have something more powerful than the Ruger 9mm I took last year. I think a .44 mag with some good bullets should work well on Black Bears, but not certain about Grizzly's. The most powerful load I seen was about a 340 grain bullet for the .44 mag. Is this about the biggest you can get? Also, I still can't find a complete jacketed shell, I guess all they make is a jacketed hollowpoint. Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello Big Ed, Been running wild over here with work, the business, getting ready for Alaska .... Actually work is going really well. Making better than fair dough there, so I can't complain. I just took the CDL test and passed today. What a big relief since I had that going on with everything else. I had a deadline for the CDL, and I'm always good noted for waiting until the last minute to complete something. Business is still very consistant. Going to the Post Office every day is a good think I guess ... It's slowing down a bit now due to the heat, but during the winter I couldn't keep up. Luckily, my girlfriend Dawn was able to help me out with the load and get orders out in a timely matter. I'm still packing for the Moore Creek trip. I have piles of items lying around right now, but it's a matter of getting everything packed and making sure its everything I need. I would hate to forget something important. Alan purchased the coil tonight and should have it by early next week. He said he needs to check out your claim with it! Just enough time to pay for the coil and then he will turn the ground back over to you. Haha... Congrats on the new finds. Hope you continue to hit big with the Coiltek Platypus coil up there. I can't keep the coils in stock since guys like you and Grubstake keep cleaning house with them. Thanks for the encouragement at Moore Creek. I'm hoping we all do well and some back with some nice gold. If I can do another four ounces I will be more than happy. Although, twelve ounces sounds much better. Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello All, Tonight I broke down and decided to purchase a new lightweight gun. I decided to go with the Smith & Wesson .44 Mag Airlight. After shooting a friends .44 Airlight I feel in love with the weight and power! Now since I own a .44 Mag, what would be the best suggestion for ammo for bear protection? I searched around the Internet and couldn't find a complete jacketed .44 shell. Most of them are jacketed hollow points. I know the manufacture manual says not to shoot +P+, but I can shoot normal rounds and the +P. I hear Corbon is a good round for Bears, but not certain on the weight of the bullet and type. Was looking at the 240 - 305 grain jacketed hollow points .... Any suggestions? Rob Allison

Hello Shep, You know regardless of how much the area has been hunted up there, I feel at peace when I'm there. Several years ago John B. and I made a 6-7 day trip up that way and I really enjoyed it. It's kind of a bonus when you find a nugget along with enjoying the trip. Congrats on the nugget. Wish the weather permitted more hunting for you guys. Talk with you later, Rob Allison

Hello Buzzard, I would have to agree with Reno Chris. I used to drive a water truck when I worked for a Construction company. The water cannon looks just like the ones on the side of the water trucks I used to drive. Someone might have removed one from an old truck and customized it for something else (like hydraulicing). Have you seen any placer activity in the area where you found the water cannon? Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello Big Ed, It was great talking with you this week. I'm anxiously waiting those pictures you mentioned. I won't say anything as of yet! Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello Kajun, I pretty much agree with what Reno Chris stated. I never have personally used them, but have spent a lot of time with Gold Wheels and small recurculating units. I have seen the Blue Bowl demo's several times at Gold Shows and they seem to work well on concentrates that are screen way down. You wouldn't want to run normal "River Run" through them. Keep us updated on the results of the Blue Bowl. Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Lamar and others, You would be amazed how many people walk their DD coils straight in front of them. I have seen it over and over and decided to make a post about it. Another thing people need to consider when hunting for small gold is using the noise of the DD around obstacles. When you're hunting for small gold near the surface or big gold at depth near the base of an obstacle, you really need to use the front of the coil to scan those areas. It's amazing how much you can miss by hunting lazy! The DD Pro's do pump more juice into the ground and create a much stronger electromagnetic field. This does increase sensitivity to smaller gold and allows you to gain a bit more depth. Coiltek claims they are using about 20% more power than conventional DD coils on the market right now. As for coil speed, the PI seems to respond much slower than VLF's. However, the GP series, especially the GP3500 seem to have a quicker response over the SD's in my opinion. You should still use the motto, "Low and Slow!" I also agree with keeping the coil right on the ground, if not scrubbing the ground. An inch off the ground is an inch lost in depth. In very rocky or thick areas a small coil might get better depth due to the fact it can get down near the ground level. When it comes to coils, it's a matter of personal preference. The large plastic coils from 18-inch and larger can become heavy if not balance properly. This is where a "heavy duty bungee cord" or "detector swing arm" plays an important role. I never had a problem swinging coils from 17-inch ellipital/14-inch round and smaller all day. P.S. When should I book my flight to Bolivia? Hehe ... Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Jerry, I'm hoping all the guys had some luck up at Rye Patch. Anxiously waiting for a report. Hope everything is well on your end. Rob Allison

Hello Bigfoot, It's funny you mention "Grudge Gold." There have been times in the past where I was really pissed or depressed. Normally if I can get away and detect for a few hours it really helps. Funny, most of the time I always have found a nice piece of gold. P.S. Anyone want to piss me off? I need another nice nugget! Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Flak, I was going to send you a pink one, but thought Gray would fit your style! Heheh.. Just razzing you. Actually I kind of get what he sends. Sometimes I get the Brown trimmed ones and then Gray trimmed ones. Thanks for all the business in the past Flak. Your a special friend and loyal customer. Rob Allison

Hello Good Friend Lamar, It's great to hear stories like that. I guess I'm going to have to come visit you very soon! Haha ... I'm sure there's a lot of virgin ground that needs to be explored with a good Minelab. The advantage you have is the fact your ground hasn't been beat to crap and back by the oldtimers. I'm sure there has been some minor gold rushes there, but nothing like the attention the States have received over the last 150 years with hundreds of thousands of prospectors trying to make a living searching for gold. Just think, when you find something there, the possibilites could be huge. Not that we can't find the same here, but then again most of the major placer deposits have been located and worked over and over. I'm sure after your friend seen what you found with the Minelab, he will be calling me. Tell him the prices have doubled now! Haha... Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello Alan, I know many of the people on this forum are great friends and customers, so I try to share as much information as I can. Normally people can see who is sincere and willing to help, so plenty of business comes my way regardless. I just like to razz you guys a bit to keep you all on your toes! Yes, with the Wallaby and being it's DD Pro, you will have to lift the coil up to get down into the cracks and crevices. The smaller elliptical DD's, such as the Joey DD Pro, work better for shallow bedrock areas with cracks/crevices. However, the Wallaby DD Pro will still work, but you won't find the 1-2 grainers like the Joey DD Pro. You won't have any problem finding the 4-5 grainers in the cracks if you pay attention. Getting the noise of the coil into the cracks with the technique you mentioned will give you a better response. Thanks for the reply back and I will keep the tips coming. Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Bob, Well I never personally used the GMT, but have used the GM2, GM3 and White MXT. However, I have used the Fisher GB2 a lot in the past. I used to be a Fisher dealer and I swear it's the hottest detector for small gold. Although, in highly mineralized areas is can drive you nuts. I always had to back the sensitivity down and loose some performance or hunt with the searchcoil off the ground a bit. I would give the mineral immunity advantage to the Minelab X-Terra 70, but for small gold, I would give the advantage to the GB2 hands down. If you have no desire to hunt coin/relics, or if you already have a coin/relic detector, then it's best to stick with what you have already. I think the Minelab X-Terra will have a huge market for people that love to hunt for different items (coins, relics and nuggets). Also, for anyone that is just getting into detecting and wants a good entry level prospecting detector that is lightweight and under $800. Talk with you later, Rob Allison

Hello Guys, I also love to hunt behind the guys that use bad techniques. Usually after a few nuggets I will tell them ... I see a lot of guys using bad habits, some probably don't know any better. I have a few more techniques for DD users that should help. I will post them in the near future. Bob - Why do you think I'm "left" handed? From my handwritting? I'm actually two handed! Take care, Rob Allison

Hello All, Well over the years I have seen several things people do wrong with their DD coils while swinging them. I'm going to point out one important issue first and then will follow with a few more. You should always understand how a coil operates and where the electromagnetic field is the strongest to get the best performance. Most know with a DD coil you get a straight electromagnetic field that goes from the top to bottom of the coil. With larger DD coils you are more likely to miss gold on either side of the coil since the hottest section is right down the middle. About a month ago I saw a detectorist working a large wash with a DD coil. What I observed was the fact he wasn't swinging the DD coil from side to side, but rather pushing the coil in front of him while walking. When you do this you're really defeating the purpose of a DD coil, which gets the best performance swung side-to-side. When you push the coil in front of you with minimal swinging, you're only getting a narrow detection band. It's really easy to miss a lot of gold this way, but I see it all the time. Strange, the dealer that sold this person the detector and coil never told him anything about how the coils work.… It's kind of tough to describe what I'm talking about through text, so I drew up a quick sketch so most would understand. If you click on the picture below you will get a larger picture that is easier to view. In the picture you will see a conventional DD coil, and then the electromagnetic field of the coil if you "push the coil" or "swing it side-to-side." You can see from the diagram that you really loose a lot of area by not swinging the coil. If you're using a larger DD coil in an area with depth you're really loosing the most performance. This is just one tip that some might want to consider while using a DD coil in the field. I see a lot of people "walking" their coils in a straight line up washes, but even more when they are working the hillsides or crossing the hillsides from one gully to another. I will post more of these tips in the near future. This is just an example of what you learn when you purchase a detector from me and go out for field instructions. Keep in mind, most of the best tips/tricks will only be giving during instructions! P.S. Keep in mind there are some exceptions to the diagram below, but for the most part it will give you an idea on the detector area lost if you don't swing a DD from side to side. Would love to hear your feedback also. Hope you enjoyed, Rob Allison

Hello Guys, Buzzard - I'm sure impressed with the nuggethunting ability of the X-Terra 70 now after using it then I was before it was released. I was a bit skeptical about another "multi-purpose" detector like the MXT. The MXT is nice and I used it in Alaska, but it didn't handle the Arizona mineralization worth a crap. However, I was able to find several 1-2 grain nuggets with the MXT on exposed bedrock (minimal mineralization). With the release of the new Minelab 10-inch elliptical DD for the X-Terra 70 I suspect more and more nugget to be found with them now. The coin/relic mode is very impressive for highly trashy gold bearing areas also. 29Prospector - Thanks! My primary hunting detector is the GP3500, but I like to play around with other detectors from time to time. Everyone needs a change, maybe just for a few hours though ... Been following your posts on the diggings, but been very busy here on my end. Wish I had more time to post and share info. Hope you have fun back East. Wirechief John - Thanks for the comments. Been doing really well nuggethunting lately. Counting just off the top of my head, I have found over 125 nuggets in the last 10-11 trips. However, the area is pretty beat down now. The X-Terra 70 will be one hot seller this winter season. I'm really impressed with the nuggethunting abilities of the machine and the price is very affordable for most that want to poke around with coin, relic and nugget hunting. Hey, I thought I was the best in the WEST! Take care all, Rob Allison

Hello Lamar, Glad everything arrived, even a bit extra! Just keep the extra stuff that was shipped. I meant to ship (2) bungee's since I knew you could always use an extra. The headphones and other stuff, just keep them and try to make use of them in case something goes down. I would like to "Thank You" for all your business and business you have directed my way. Ok, now I heard about some gold you found .... When do we get an update? Talk with you soon, Rob Allison

Hello All, Today several friends and I headed west since it was a bit cooler than normal. After several hours with the GP3500 I decided to play around with the new Minelab X-Terra 70 and 10-inch elliptical DD coil. I managed to find this nice nugget at approx. 6 inches with the new coil using a sensitivity setting of 25. The X-Terra 70 handled the mineralization much better than I anticipated. Below are a few pictures of the nugget I located. Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Steve, Sorry to hear about the delay heading into Moore Creek. Not sure if you have the entire trip now booked, but after the first week is done you will sell the remainder slots that are open. I strongly suggest anyone that hasn't seen the Alaskan outback and loves to prospect to take this trip. Moore Creek is remote and the country is beautiful if you like the outdoors! Hell, you might just get lucky and get a few nice gold nugget/specimens to take home with you. The experience will last a lifetime. I enjoyed it so much last year I'm returning to see it again. Also, you will never get a guide like Steve H. at Ganes Creek or any other Alaskan trip. Steve's not going to hold your hand, but he will answer all the questions you might have and point you to where the gold has been found and places that might hold potential that haven't been hunted. Also, the food is great for an Alaskan Bush Camp. Take care, Rob Allison

Hello Guys, I agree with you about the Sugar, but most replacement drinks have some sugar. I know Gatorade is loaded with sugar and I use it a lot and it works well. I think the most important is the salts and to keep them within the body. A friend used to swear on that "Sea Salt" stuff when it was hot out. Regardless, you need to keep your body hydrated before, during and after. Most make the mistake knowing they are going on a long summer hike and take plenty of liquids. Most of the time this will keep you out of danger, but hydrating your body several days prior to a long hike can really help. When in doubt, don't hide your water .... Take care, Rob Allison