Finding Gold with the Minelab SDC 2300
Over the past few decades, the Minelab brand has made a name for itself in the goldfields around the world. Nearly all professional gold hunters are using one of Minelab’s pulse induction metal detectors.
One of the most recent offerings from Minelab is the SDC 2300. This metal detector has been generally well-received by most gold prospectors as a fine gold nugget detector. Some of the features available on this detector make it unique to other gold-specific detectors that are available today, and in certain situations it shines above the competition.
Its general design is one of the neatest features of this metal detector. It folds up into a self-contained compact unit, weighing just over 5 pounds with batteries. This unique style allows the detector to be easily transported in your backpack, something that many gold hunters will love. Unlike most detectors that are cumbersome and somewhat awkward when taken apart, the SDC 2300 is simple to transport, allowing you to pack it into some of those remote goldfields in the backcountry.
The SDC 2300 is a pulse induction metal detector, which means that it handles highly mineralized soils better than most other detectors. The benefit of this technology is that it will find small gold nuggets that are easily masked by ground noise in iron-rich grounds.
One drawback of the SDC 2300 is that it comes with a small 8” coil that is not replaceable. This may come as a surprise to most Minelab owners, who are accustomed to being able to switch and use a large variety of different coil types with their older GP and GPX model detectors.
While the 8” coil may be considered a limitation by some, in certain situations it is actually the best coil for the job. The SDC 2300 really isn’t designed for finding large, deep nuggets the way that the GPX 5000 or the GPZ 7000 was made to do. While it will certainly find those large nuggets too, the primary design is particularly good for working shallow bedrock areas with abundant hot rocks but also many small gold nuggets hidden in the bedrock cracks.
Another interesting feature of the Minelab SDC 2300
is that it is waterproof up to 10 feet, so a gold hunter could potentially use it in shallow water to search for gold nuggets in creeks and rivers.
Most prospectors who have used the SDC 2300 are finding that it is the hottest pulse induction detector on small gold that there is. It is capable of finding small bits of gold that weighs only a few grains, something that was basically unheard of with older PI detectors. Combined with its ability to cancel out the ground noises of iron and hot rocks, small bits of gold can be found in areas that were very hard to work previously.
Ultimately that is the benefit of the SDC 2300. This is a specialized gold detector that is designed to be used in a specific circumstance. If you are looking for a detector to be used under a wider variety of hunting situations, a metal detector like the GPX 4500 or GPX 5000 might be a better choice. But for locations with small gold and shallow, hot bedrock, the SDC 2300 is the best of the best right now.
One of the most recent offerings from Minelab is the SDC 2300. This metal detector has been generally well-received by most gold prospectors as a fine gold nugget detector. Some of the features available on this detector make it unique to other gold-specific detectors that are available today, and in certain situations it shines above the competition.
Its general design is one of the neatest features of this metal detector. It folds up into a self-contained compact unit, weighing just over 5 pounds with batteries. This unique style allows the detector to be easily transported in your backpack, something that many gold hunters will love. Unlike most detectors that are cumbersome and somewhat awkward when taken apart, the SDC 2300 is simple to transport, allowing you to pack it into some of those remote goldfields in the backcountry.
The SDC 2300 is a pulse induction metal detector, which means that it handles highly mineralized soils better than most other detectors. The benefit of this technology is that it will find small gold nuggets that are easily masked by ground noise in iron-rich grounds.
One drawback of the SDC 2300 is that it comes with a small 8” coil that is not replaceable. This may come as a surprise to most Minelab owners, who are accustomed to being able to switch and use a large variety of different coil types with their older GP and GPX model detectors.
While the 8” coil may be considered a limitation by some, in certain situations it is actually the best coil for the job. The SDC 2300 really isn’t designed for finding large, deep nuggets the way that the GPX 5000 or the GPZ 7000 was made to do. While it will certainly find those large nuggets too, the primary design is particularly good for working shallow bedrock areas with abundant hot rocks but also many small gold nuggets hidden in the bedrock cracks.
Another interesting feature of the Minelab SDC 2300
is that it is waterproof up to 10 feet, so a gold hunter could potentially use it in shallow water to search for gold nuggets in creeks and rivers.Most prospectors who have used the SDC 2300 are finding that it is the hottest pulse induction detector on small gold that there is. It is capable of finding small bits of gold that weighs only a few grains, something that was basically unheard of with older PI detectors. Combined with its ability to cancel out the ground noises of iron and hot rocks, small bits of gold can be found in areas that were very hard to work previously.
Ultimately that is the benefit of the SDC 2300. This is a specialized gold detector that is designed to be used in a specific circumstance. If you are looking for a detector to be used under a wider variety of hunting situations, a metal detector like the GPX 4500 or GPX 5000 might be a better choice. But for locations with small gold and shallow, hot bedrock, the SDC 2300 is the best of the best right now.
Get this Highly Recommended New Book:
The Gold Prospector's Field Guide:
A Modern Miner's Handbook for Successfully Finding Gold