Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II Review

Quick verdict

The Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II fits a dry-land beginner who wants more sorting help than a basic beep-and-needle detector. Its LCD shows probable target categories, three audio tones separate broad conductivity ranges, and the discrimination, notch, and auto-notch settings let you reduce some common trash responses.

It is not the simple, do-everything starter that old marketplace copy can make it sound like. The control housing must stay dry, the display does not provide modern numeric target IDs, and its all-metal mode needs retuning when ground or temperature changes. Buy it for parks, yards, fields, and permissioned dry ground. Skip it for saltwater beaches, submersion, or a first detector you expect to keep through a serious upgrade curve.

The exact current marketplace identity is Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II, ASIN B00005A3L3 . Check that the offer says Sharp Shooter II, not a different Bounty Hunter model or a bundle with unclear accessories, and verify the seller, supplied coil, warranty, and return terms before ordering.

What the Sharp Shooter II actually gives you

The manufacturer-linked manual describes a 6.5 kHz VLF detector with a waterproof search coil, LCD target categories, three-tone audio, a sensitivity knob, a discrimination knob, and touch controls for all metal, discrimination, notch, and auto-notch. The current First Texas product page describes the stock coil as 8 inches and the detector as a general-purpose coin, jewelry, and relic machine.

That is meaningfully more than a bare-bones detector. The display does not give a two-digit target number, but it does place a repeatable signal into broad categories such as iron, foil, nickel, pull tab, zinc, dime, and quarter. The manual is careful to call these probable identifications. Shape, depth, orientation, corrosion, and nearby metal can all move a target into an unexpected category.

The same warning matters for gold jewelry. The manual shows small gold items overlapping iron or foil ranges and many rings overlapping nickel, pull-tab, or screw-cap ranges. Aggressive discrimination can make a park quieter while also rejecting the targets a jewelry hunter hoped to find. A sensible beginner should recover a controlled sample of repeatable mid-range signals before deciding what to notch out.

The modes are useful, but not all equally simple

The Sharp Shooter II’s controls make more sense when treated as a progression.

No-motion all metal

This is the deepest-seeking, single-tone mode in the manual. The coil does not need to move over the target, which is why the manual also uses this mode for pinpointing. The trade-off is retuning: the user presses Retune over clean ground and may need to retune again when the ground or coil temperature changes.

Motion all metal

The manual creates this behavior through the discrimination mode with the discrimination control fully counterclockwise. The coil must stay in motion, but all metals remain available and the detector adds three-tone audio. This is a useful learning setup because it preserves targets while showing how the tone and LCD category change across real finds.

Discrimination

Turning the discrimination knob progressively rejects lower-conductivity targets. That can reduce iron, foil, and other common trash, but rejection is cumulative. Turn too far and useful mid-conductive targets disappear with the rubbish.

Notch and auto-notch

Notch is the more selective option: it can reject a middle band while retaining categories on either side. Auto-notch automatically removes iron and aims to reject many common pull tabs. Neither mode can identify every buried object correctly. Bent aluminum, unusual tabs, corroded targets, and gold jewelry can still cross category boundaries.

This is why the Sharp Shooter II is beginner-accessible rather than beginner-proof. The controls are visible and direct, but learning what not to reject is part of owning it.

The waterproof claim stops at the coil

The manufacturer’s manual is unambiguous: the search coil can be submerged, but the control housing and cable-to-housing connection must stay dry. That makes the detector suitable for wet grass and careful freshwater-edge work where the electronics remain safely above water. It does not make the complete detector waterproof.

First Texas says the model can be used on dry sand and around freshwater but should stay away from saltwater and submersion. Wet salt sand is also a difficult electrical environment for a single-frequency, preset-ground-balance detector. Anyone planning regular shoreline or surf hunting should start with a fully waterproof simultaneous-multi-frequency model instead; our best beach metal detectors guide explains the practical differences.

Current documentation has conflicts buyers should know about

The current First Texas product page and its linked owner’s manual do not agree on every detail. That is a reason to use the model name and manual (not a generic marketplace search) as the purchase boundary.

The current product page also mixes wording such as digital display with an analog-style three-segment description. The most useful description is simpler: this is an LCD category display, not a modern numeric target-ID screen.

Field fit: where it makes sense

The Sharp Shooter II is best on reasonably dry, moderate ground where a beginner can compare repeatable signals with what comes out of the soil. A yard with permission, a school field when access is allowed, or a park with manageable trash gives the category display and three-tone audio room to teach useful patterns.

Start with sensitivity below maximum if the detector chatters. The manual specifically warns that household electronics, power lines, broadcast sources, machinery, and other electromagnetic interference can cause erratic behavior. Testing coins on an indoor floor is also misleading because floors often contain metal. An outdoor test garden or clean patch of ground is the better classroom.

Sweep slowly, keep the coil level, and overlap passes. A good target should usually repeat from more than one direction. Inconsistent category changes can point to irregular trash or oxidized metal, although no display can settle the question without recovery.

When a different detector is the better buy

Choose a simpler analog-style starter when the lowest learning friction matters more than visual target information. The analog-versus-digital detector guide shows why a knob-and-meter model can still suit short family sessions.

Choose a newer numeric-ID detector when most hunting will happen in busy parks or when the owner already knows the hobby will stick. Numeric ID does not turn trash into certainty, but it gives more repeatable information for learning target ranges and comparing signals across a site.

Choose a fully waterproof, multi-frequency machine for wet salt sand, surf, or regular shallow-water work. The Sharp Shooter II’s waterproof coil does not solve the dry control-box limit, and its platform is not designed around salt stability.

Price should be judged by those boundaries. The Sharp Shooter II makes sense in the lower-cost branded tier when the exact detector, seller support, and return terms are clear. If its checkout price approaches a current waterproof or numeric-ID model, the old platform loses its value advantage quickly.

What you need beyond the detector

The manufacturer-linked manual says the detector requires two 9-volt alkaline batteries and that headphones are not supplied. It uses a 1/4-inch headphone connection. Headphones can make subtle tone changes easier to hear and reduce disturbance to other people, but they should not block awareness near roads or shared paths.

A pinpointer, suitable recovery tool, and finds pouch improve the practical kit more than novelty accessories. Match the recovery tool to the site rules and restore plugs cleanly. The armrest strap shown in the manual is optional rather than included, so do not assume every photographed accessory arrives in the box.

Purchase checklist

Before ordering, confirm all of the following:

• The listing is the Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II, ASIN B00005A3L3.
• The offer identifies the supplied 8-inch search coil and does not substitute a different model.
• Seller, fulfillment, return window, and warranty terms are acceptable.
• You are comfortable keeping the control housing and cable connection dry.
• Broad LCD categories and three tones are enough; you do not expect numeric target ID.
• You have two fresh 9-volt alkaline batteries available, despite the conflict on the current product page.
• Your usual sites are dry yards, fields, or parks rather than wet salt beaches or submerged hunting.

Final verdict

The Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II is a reasonable first detector for a buyer who wants visible target categories and real notch controls without climbing into a modern midrange machine. Its strongest lesson is target sorting: use motion all metal to learn the site, add discrimination cautiously, and treat auto-notch as a convenience rather than a guarantee.

Buy it only when the exact B00005A3L3 offer is priced clearly below more modern waterproof or numeric-ID alternatives. Skip it when beach use, submersion, difficult ground, or long-term progression matters more than familiar controls and a lower initial commitment.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II good for beginners?

Yes, for a beginner who wants visible target categories and adjustable discrimination. It is more involved than a knob-only starter, but its controls remain direct and its manual explains a useful progression from all-metal practice to discrimination and notch modes.

Is the Sharp Shooter II waterproof?

Only the search coil is waterproof. The manufacturer manual says the control housing and the cable-to-housing connection must stay dry, so this is not a detector for submersion or surf use.

Does the Sharp Shooter II have a pinpoint mode?

It has no separate pinpoint button. The manufacturer’s manual uses the no-motion all-metal mode for pinpointing after a target is found in a motion mode.

How many batteries does the Sharp Shooter II use?

The current manufacturer page says one 9-volt battery, but the manufacturer-linked owner’s manual says two 9-volt alkaline batteries. Treat the manual as the setup reference and verify the current package documentation when the detector arrives.

Sources checked

• First Texas Products: Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II
• First Texas Products: Sharp Shooter II owner’s manual
• Exact Bounty Hunter Sharp Shooter II Amazon listing, ASIN B00005A3L3