So wahts it like using a 4 or 5 inch coil. In a lawn . do you really have the ability to get around trash and find the goodies. And how deep do they go.
In area of dense trash, heavy iron or both together, (as I am blessed with),the sniper coil is a must have.
Masking is a huge issue here and you better bet that smaller coils have the advantage in getting between trash and has a better chance of getting the best signal invoke targets with garbage in the vicinity.
Someone that used to hang out here argued with me and others that snipers had no advantage because anything the sniper goes over and reacts to the large coil would certainly do it to.
He was 100% correct but he was also very wrong because it isn't all about just acquiring a good target but just as much about getting the most logical, stable,correct signal that you are willing to dig.
There are things such as up-averaging and down-averaging and skewing of normal numbers and behavior when good stuff is in the vicinity of bad so unless you are willing to literally dig every blasted thing your detector finds over it might be smart to get a few more percentages of luck on your side by using a smaller coil that has a better shot of seeing a good masked target better by reducing the scanning field area.
Less confusing and false or skewed signals permits you pick out the really good ones easier and more efficiently.
You cover less ground but you make up for it with some finds that are exceptionally good at hide and seek.
I hunted using larger coils a lot and then once I saw what the small coils were able to find most everywhere I really thought I had cleaned out better than well came shockingly alive again after I tried a small coil at those sites.
I became a fan, all my detectors have small coil option and 99% if the time I have one mounted and have for years including years ago when I lived in another state and hunted in much better and cleaned dirt.
I just started finding more so I learned to stay with what works.
I still have and use bigger coils but I rarely use them.
Just some of my adventures with small coils on a few detectors...
https://www.findmall.com/read.php?37,2364649,2364649
Post #366 below the instant my eyes were opened...
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?p=1300299#post1300299
http://metaldetectingforum.com/showthread.php?t=193738