Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300
Street Price N/A - Coin, relic
Number of Reviews: 22
on 3 pages.
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Bounty Hunter Discovery 3300
BEST FOR THE MONEY!
Felix in Miami -
I was looking for an entry level detector about 6 months ago for about $250 and was deciding deciding between the 3300 and the ACE 250. When I saw the BHD 3300 go on sale at Radio Shack for $112 - the decision was a no brainer! Since then, as of today, I have collected over 1400 clad coins, over $105 basically doing park playgrounds. So the detector has paid for itself. I have found wheat & silver coins, lots of gold & silver jewelry. The detector is easy to learn, has excellent pinpointing, and target id is right on for the most part. When it says its a quater, dime or penny - 90% of the time it is. The only troubles I've had are with the usual pull tabs and foil masquerading as other signals. But from what I've read, expensive detectors can have these problems too. It is light and I can swing it all day. I find that the two 9v batteries don't last long, but since I use NiMh rechargeables it's not an issue. There may be more expensive detectors out there that can go deeper, but for my kind of hunting it's all the depth I need. If you can find one for the $112 (or mayble less I've heard) get it.
Aug 29, 2006
24 Yes
1 No
Even better value than the Ace 250 from Garrett
Andy,NM in Alamogordo,NM -Let me say first that i didn't hear much good stuff about bounty hunter detectors.
I bought the Discovery 3300 because i go it for 112 $ at Radio Shack. I didn't expect much but was surprised how well it worked after using it a few days. The fact that it can be ground balanced gives it an advantage over the Garrett Ace 250 with has only fixed GB.
Target ID surprised me too, because if you GB the detector right and don't use to much sensitivity it IDs right on the money. With numbers from 001 too 199 you have a better ID resolution than Garretts Ace 250.
Depth is still good for a detector at that price.
Don't swing it too fast because response time is a little slow. Retail price is 299$ when not on sale. I wouldn't pay that, but 112 $ is a great deal on that Discovery 3300.
Buy one and it will surprise you for the money.
HH,
Andy
Aug 19, 2006
11 Yes
2 No
DISCOVERY 3300 AFTER 1 WEEK
CJ in Seal Beach, CA -As a newcomer to MD, I don't have much background to compare this unit against. I had a Tracker IV and it found a bunch of coins on the beach. This seemed like a step up, and at the bargain price of $112 at RS I went for it. First, it finds coins very deep at the beach...blows away the Tracker. It identifies what it finds with very good accuracy. It is very sensitive, so I keep it at level 2 at the beach. Its easy to learn, and fun to use. It seems to go through batteries a bit more than the Tracker. After you use it awhile, it really grows on you. I am quite pleased and would recommend it....especially at the low price.
Aug 03, 2006
6 Yes
3 No
Worth every penny
miket in Chicago, IL USA -After purchasing a BH1100 last month for my son, I decided to pick up a 3300 for myself from RadioShack for an incredibly low $112.
Unfortunately, the first one they shipped me was an out of box failure and I returned it for a refund and had them ship me another new one. In the interim, the 'tectin bug got the best of me and I purchased a White's Prizm V from a local dealer who happened to have one in stock. I had fully expected to return the 3300 when it arrived a few days later, but was intrigued by the 3300's features and low price and decided to try it out and put it head-to-head with my White's Prizm V.
Well, the results were surprising to say the least, and the BH3300 at $112 held its own and in some ways even surpassed the Prizm V at over $500!
An air test with both detectors set at their factory default sensitivities yielded the following:
BH3300 - Detected a copper penny at 8.5"
PrizmV - Detected a copper penny at 8.0"
With both detectors set to max sensitivity:
BH3300 - Detected a copper penny at 9.5"
PrizmV - Detected a copper penny at 10.5"
Keep in mind that the Prizm V has a larger 9.5" search coil compared to the BH3300.
Since air tests are not a true test of how a detector works in real ground situations, I also tested them in my backyard on different objects. From the start, the BH3300 had an advantage over the Prizm V in that I could easily adjust the ground balance for my mineralized conditions via the front panel. The Prizm V has a preset ground balance and as I would lower the coil to a "clean" part of the ground the threshold would rise noticeably, indicating the GB was less than optimum.
Detecting with the BH3300 had a more positive feel in that objects that were not discriminated out would immediately trigger a sharp, positive tone. The Prizm V would respond to the same objects with a delayed, almost restrained response.
Pinpointing was incredibly accurate with both machines since they both have a non-motion pinpoint mode. However, when pinpointing with the BH3300, the Target ID and depth are not displayed, wheras they are displayed and updated on the Prizm V.
Although I really like my new Prizm V and will keep it for years to come, I probably wouldn't have purchased it had the BH3300 showed up on my doorstep 2 days sooner. As it turned out, I decided to keep the BH3300 and give it to my 9 year old son and will be returning his 1100 instead. As you can imagine, he is thrilled that he now has a detector that in many ways is even better than his dad's!
All in all, the BH3300 is a superb detector for the beginner as well as the seasoned detectorist. I can safely say that you won't find another detector out there with the same professional features and performance that the BH3300 offers for only $112.
Jul 11, 2006
30 Yes
4 No
Cheap fun
G. Sunderland in Portland, OR -Well, I just got back from vacation to New Smyrna Beach Florida. I had purchased this detector at Radio Shack for the low price of $120.00 great price. I had owned a XLT spectrum for many years and had to sell it. The discovery did well for the price. I didn't have a sand scoop with me and couldn't find one in Daytona so all I had was a regular garden trowel. I decided not to dig the pull tabs so I zapped them. The battery life was fantastic with the headset. It was lightweight I found many coins and someone had lost their silver ring on the beach and asked if I could find it. In less than 3 min I had found it and were they happy to have it back. Compared to the XLT I was afraid something would break on it, so I took extra care when handling it. Main control box cheaply made, extensions thin gauge, battery compartment kind of hoakey but all that in mind it worked well. Glad I took a chance and purchased this one easy to operate. I wish now I would have dug everything because I know now I zapped rings with the pull tabs... I need a good sand scoop before I try the coast here in Oregon.. g1968sund@verizon.net
Jun 14, 2006
10 Yes
0 No
Can't be beat for the money!
Anonymous in Midwest -I picked this detector up for $112 new at Radio Shack. It has an almost cheap feel to it but it seems to perform great. Could easily pick up a buried quarter at 6". The pinpointing is right on the money, many times I was able to feel the coin with a probe and pop it out of the ground without having to dig. The detector uses 2 nine volt batteries and so far does not seem to have a long battery life. The warranty is only 90 days unless you buy a display model and then they will double it.
Would I pay $299 for it? Probably not, but well worth the $112 I did pay. Have only had it a few weeks but have already found coins, silver, buttons, pocketknife, etc with it. I think this would be a good detector for someone just starting out.
May 21, 2006
17 Yes
4 No
I like my 3300.
FJ in South San Francisco -I purchased this detector because it has all the features I wanted in a metal detector without costing a lot of money. Actually, it has more bang for the buck than all the detectors on the market in my opinion. I didn't want to spend over $200 on any detector. So, when I saw that the model 3300 Bounty Hunter Discovery Metal Detector with Pinpoint and a lot of extra features was on sale at a hundred dollar savings, I jumped on it. And after I made my purchase I headed for a small beach-front on the western side of the San Francisco bay.
Right out of the box assembly was done in less than three minutes! The batteries slipped right in the compartment and the compartment cover fit beautifully. I powered up the detector and the display lit up, just as the instruction manual indicated it would. Also, this unit is well made and light in weight, and looks good too!
I field tested it right after assembly and everything worked fine. I was impressed with the readability of the large display, even in direct sun light. I followed the recommended directions and the detector preformed as promised. I really like the four tone target ID on this unit. Low tone "soft deep bellow", mid-range tone "mild elevated bellow", upper range tone, and a high tone "high beep" target identification alarms worked smoothly. Controls are simple and straight forward, and as long as one takes the time to read and follow the instructions there should be no problems. The directions were short and easy to understand, and after reading them I found I liked everything about this detector even more.
I had no problem with ground balance and the soil was fairly mineral laden beach sand. The target pinpoint worked nicely as did the discrimination functions in discrimination mode. Sensitivity control set to a lower setting gave better results in All Metal and Discrimination Modes with only moderate depth reduction noticed. At higher sensitivity settings I noticed a few false signals, so I reduced the setting and the unit calmed down. Six to nine inches is about average for target depth detection with this unit under the conditions I just mentioned, which were horrible. First, there was salt water, sandy beach front, and trash filled park conditions at and above the beach area. Oh, in the pinpoint mode the depth this thing is able to read a target at is very good with 10" to 12" about average for larger objects! So, if one thinks there is something worth while after hearing and seeing questionable audio and visual data but is not sure, be sure and check this kind of target with pinpoint no motion mode before giving up!
I'm sure the model 3300 can do the job just as good as other units that come along with a promise of better depth and a higher price. I held off on the extended warranty and bought extra batteries instead. Even if I would of bought the extended warranty I would have still have been way ahead considering what others are charging for something with similar or fewer features. I sure like my model 3300 Bounty Hunter Discovery Metal Detector with Pinpoint, and I'll always remember how much money I saved!
There you have it, in as few words as possible, a good value for the $. FJ 5/11/06
May 12, 2006
34 Yes
1 No
Nice!
Wolf in USA -This is the sleeper of Bounty Hunter Detectors. Many people don't realize it is made by Bounty Hunter not Radio Shack. It has an all digital display with VDI and manual ground balance. It is lightweight and very accurate. Plus the depth is great. The only flaws I find are Radio Shack's 90 day warranty (all other Bounty Hunters are 5 years) and the battery compartment door which has a weak hinge. Other than that I think more people should discover it.
Mar 03, 2006
14 Yes
3 No
Me and discovery 3300
Jackson in Australia -
esta detector en verdad apesta, tiene una profundidad bien leve y detecta cualquier pendejadita, hasta madera!!!
Jan 17, 2006
5 Yes
48 No
DISCOVERY 3300 BEST KEPT SECRET
Tony in Oklahoma -This little unit is one of the best detectors I have ever used and I have been detecting since the late 1980's. It goes head to head with the best. Excellent depth, accurate discrimination, lightweight, and all the needed features. Dont let the fact that Radio Shack sells it stop you. It is made by Bounty Hunter. They have produced a winner in this one. Time for First Texas to produce a new line of detectors patterned after this model.
Nov 19, 2005
36 Yes
2 No