Bounty Hunter Lone Star Pro Metal Detector Review
The Bounty Hunter Lone Star Pro is a popular analog VLF detector that hits the sweet spot many hobbyists actually want: enough manual control to hunt smart, at a price that won't scare off newcomers. It offers motion all-metal and discrimination modes, target ID and adjustable ground and sensitivity controls, wrapped in the dependable First Texas Products build the brand is known for.
In this review I'll cover how the Lone Star Pro handles real hunting conditions, its genuine strengths, the trade-offs you accept at this price, and who should buy it versus who'd be happier with a digital model. Specs and pricing move around by retailer, so I keep the numbers qualitative — for exact figures, check current listings before you buy.
Specifications
| Technology | VLF (very low frequency) single-frequency |
| Modes | Motion all-metal and discrimination |
| Target ID | Yes, with adjustable discrimination |
| Controls | Sensitivity and ground/discrimination adjustment |
| Search coil | Waterproof submersible coil, interchangeable |
| Power | Standard batteries (see current manual) |
| Best for | Coin, jewelry and relic hunting on land and beach edges |
Pros
- Excellent value for a capable analog VLF
- Genuinely adjustable sensitivity and discrimination
- Effective all-metal depth
- Submersible interchangeable coil for beach edges
- Lightweight and comfortable for long hunts
- Backed by First Texas support and a big coil ecosystem
Cons
- No LCD screen, so target information is more audio/needle-based than numeric
- The control box isn't waterproof
- It can get noisy on very mineralized ground until settings are dialed in
- It won't out-depth pricier specialist detectors
Who should buy the Lone Star Pro
This is a strong pick for the hobbyist who wants a real analog detector with adjustable controls rather than a locked-down automatic starter. If you enjoy tuning discrimination to your site, swinging in all-metal for depth, and learning your machine's audio, the Lone Star Pro rewards that. It's well suited to parks, fields, old homesteads and dry-to-shallow-wet sand.
Complete beginners who just want plug-and-play might prefer the simpler Tracker IV, and anyone set on an LCD screen with numeric target ID should compare it against the Land Ranger Pro. But for value-focused buyers, the Lone Star Pro is one of the easiest recommendations in the range.
In the field
On average US ground the Lone Star Pro delivers solid hobby depth on coins and jewelry and enough discrimination to reduce trash digging in moderately littered sites. All-metal mode gives you the most depth and the fewest missed targets; discrimination mode keeps you sane in trashy parks. The audio and target ID are dependable once you've put in a few hunts and learned how it responds to common junk like pull-tabs and bottle caps.
On heavily mineralized soil you'll want to manage sensitivity to keep it from chattering, and a smaller coil helps with target separation in trash. Our search coils guide covers which coil to reach for depending on whether you're prioritizing depth in clean ground or separation in junk.
Lone Star Pro vs the rest of the lineup
The Lone Star Pro competes closely with the Platinum as an analog step-up, and both make sense if you like manual control over a screen. Move up to the digital Time Ranger Pro or Land Ranger Pro only if an LCD, notch programs and numeric ID are must-haves. For a full ranking of where it fits, see our best Bounty Hunter detector guide, and if you're weighing the brand overall, this honest look at Bounty Hunter is worth a read.
Frequently Asked Questions
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