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Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505

Price: $280
Avg. Score: 4 stars 4.42
Based on 38 reviews

Avg. Durability: 5 stars!4.67
Avg. Ease of use: 5 stars!5.00
Maximum detection depth
Submit your review for Bounty Hunter Pioneer 505

Perfect for the price

November 01, 2010
My dad bought this model, it was the first time we ever tried metal detecting and I have become obsessed with it because of this machine. I have found 3 rings, 1 ear-ring, over 10$ in coins and numerous other things. I almost always use the auto-notch mode and I promise you will find many coins with it. Once you have found something with Auto-Notch click all metal to pinpoint the object. Keep pressing all metal around but not directly on the target to pin point it even further. It pinpoints perfectly as well. The only thing about this detector is I wish it had more depth.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

223

The Best Hobby Investment I've ever made

August 31, 2010
I purchased my 505 at Wal-Mart on 2/1/2007, around 3 1/2 yrs. ago. I have used and abused this machine. The knobs are missing. It was left out in the rain....twice. Black tape now holds the grip in place. It has bounced around in the back of my truck and has been crammed and jammed in the tightest of places. And after all of that, It works just as well as the day it came home with me.
I have lost count on the relics, coins, and jewelry it has recovered for me. Even at depths of 12 inches in certain soils. It competes with detectors costing 3 to 5 times the price and emerges victorious more often than not.
Given the choice, If this one ever gives up it's ghost, I will start with bounty hunter for it's replacement. WELL worth the money.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

364

Happy with this unit

July 27, 2010
Had never even used a metal detector until just last week when I purchased this item on sale from Kellyco as a scratch-n-dent item for less than $200. Did not include the 4-inch coil, but DID include a 5-year warranty. Also bought a headset to go with it. After gleaning every bit of information I could from the instruction manual and watching the video, I set the discrimination for a zinc penny, hit the notch button and set forth to an abandoned lot across the street to try metal detecting for the first time.

Within just a few minutes of searching around an old house foundation I found a quarter and two dimes, and I was hooked! Notch mode is a very quick and easy way to get started with this unit. All-metal mode is a little trickier and I haven't mastered it yet, but it seems that the ground-trac button works in the same way as the squelch on a radio and should be re-pressed from time to time over quiet ground. Very happy with this unit so far. Not just a toy, would recommend it to anyone.

Update: I stated that I purchased this unit bare-bones for less than $200, but I think it was actually a bit more than that. I purchased the 505, a headset, a carry bag, and a sifting scoop and it came up to $275 and I don't have the receipt in front of me. Please add this to my review so that people aren't misled. Point is, it's a bargain.

Overall Rating 4 stars

275

Great Machine !

February 25, 2010
Once I learned how to use this 505 I started finding much deeper coins.
For the money, you can't beat it.
Time will tell if my 505 will do better than my last more expensive detector,but for now I'm really pleased.

Overall Rating 5 stars!

283

GREAT Machine for the price !

December 03, 2009
I upgraded this year from a BH Tracker IV to the 505 after spending time reviewing several in the $250 - $350 range (I love Kellyco's site ) Then after choosing the 505 found they had some in damaged boxes for under $200.!! (The box was barely wrinkled).
At local park playground which I had cleaned out a few days prior (I Thought!?) I found 8 dimes 5 quarters & several 1C's that I missed with the T-IV. The target ID & Tone tell zinc & copper pennies apart so I no longer dig deeper zinc cents (which are usually corroded anyway).

This machine likes Silver, I found 3 Sterling rings & 2 charms in a week, & the Auto Notch wipes out most pull tabs (& all iron as in regular notch), but nickels are not as easy to find in that mode. Notch setting works best IF you take the time to set it by using the actual items you want to eliminate (per the DVD). Sensitivity & Depth are very good, I have found many coins below 10" & Alum cans much deeper. I switch from Auto Notch to Disc on "IFFY Hits" for better ID, but usually the Auto Notch setting gives good results. Shallow items may display a bit deeper than they are. The varied tones are clear & easy to ID once you get used to them, I listen more than I look but do often check Depth & ID meter to verify. (watch 505s DVD for good info!)

I almost never use All Metal so cannot say much there except it does "PinPoint" when I need it (A Mode I wish 505 had). I am planning a Gold Strike Area trip soon & will review on Gold capability then.
In All, The Price & Features MAKE this machine my choice for 5 stars! It similar to the Garret Ace 250, But has better definition, easier to start using, esp for newbies, The ACE 250 has a Complicated display! Garret offers 2 Yr warranty, BountyHunter 5 Yrs

Just FYI - I ALWAYS use headphones with volume controls, I buy 2 sets of rechargeable batteries (unit uses 2 9V at a time) I do get about 15 hours if fully charged (Nicads do last a bit longer but don't recharge), & I made my own chest strap rig to hold machine weight off my wrist (Nothing Fancy, Just a Nylon Gym Bag Strap over head & Rt shoulder with bungy cord between to the balance point on shaft. I use a hose clamp to attach a key ring on shaft to clip cord on/off between my machines). Once you use one you will see why!
Oh I have the BH-505, a BH-Tracker IV, & a Bounty Hunter Red Baron. I had a a Garret Ace 250 but sold it to a friend. Been MD'ing on & off for about 6yrs & My 1st find was a Silver Dime under my own clothesline...

Overall Rating 5 stars!

953

Four stars ++++

November 18, 2009
I have owned my 505 for about 6 years now with no problems at all this unit works very well for an inexpensive detector, I was out at the river using my PI unit and my grandson was using the 505, when I hit a good target with the PI and my batteries died on the PI.

I borrowed the 505 from my grandson and tried to hit the target in disc mode no luck so I put the unit in allmetal mode, it hit on the target my PI had picked up! so I started digging and just a little over two feet 26 inches I found a small piece of metal sticking out of the deep hole I just dug, I tried to pull it out but it would not budge so I dug down another foot and pulled out a smashed hub cab that someone had thrown in the river and it was deposited in the ground over the winter through flooding.
I was very amazed with the performance of this detector, also I have used the small nugget coil and it did pickup placer gold that I ran past the coil, this is a well build good preforming starter unit! and don't forget it is not cheap just inexpensive!!!

Overall Rating 4 stars

382

Pioneer 505

May 13, 2009
The pioneer 505 is ok for a cheap detector, could spend money better. The battery caps broke after about eight changes and they want to charge me for the part. I will buy new leads in town and keep 505 as backup to the prizm V.

Overall Rating 2 stars

2340

505 detector trick makes it a great machine

April 27, 2009
I have used the 505 for a few months now and found out that if you turn the disc knobe all the way to the left(off)and put the machine in the disc mode it will still change tones and you can get an inche or so deeper the target id system is very good and yes I find nickels with it (use pin pointing and learn that a pull tab is smaller side to side then a nickel).

Overall Rating 4 stars

326

Great For Finding Bottle Caps and Pull Tabs!

April 19, 2009
I bought a Bounty Hunter 505 from a pawnshop in April 2009; I practiced with it and took it out to the most popular gold prospecting area in Southern California, The San Gabriel river area. The only thing it was able to find were bottle caps and pull tabs, or large rusty nails. Sometimes it detected them correctly, other times it said it was money, gold or silver (which I knew better). On All Metal Mode, it gave a whine on almost everything. It could be because there is a high black sand content in most of the rocks there.

I found no gold in a week of searching up and down the river and the dry canyon area, but then neither did anyone else. I think the San Gabriel river area, though popular, is not the hot spot it used to be. The detector was fun to use, but would be more fun if it could find more things than bottle caps, and not get confused by black sand. The 4 inch gold coil did not penetrate the black sand as promised, and no amount of sensitivity adjustment or groundtrack setting affected the results. I'd like to know if anyone has have found gold nuggets with this detector; I can't seem to find anyone who has posted a gold find with it.

I'm hoping the higher-end detectors actually work better at penetrating high-mineral areas.

Overall Rating 2 stars

2835

The price at Walmart-Unbelievable

February 14, 2009
We bought our metal detector from Walmart today. It was the last one left. It was the complete one they sell for @ $278.00. The cashier let us have it for $20.00. Can you believe it. $20.00. Never been used. We took it over to our local park @ within 10 minutes of using it, found several coins. I still can't get over the price that Walmart let us have it for. I'm going to learn how to use it after reading all the reviews. Maybe can find a treasure.

Overall Rating 4 stars

754

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