Shotgun is a 20 acre placer mining claim located just West of the Hassayampa River. Shotgun is a great claim for drywashing, metal detecting, rockhounding, and running a wet sluice. Gorgeous views of the Hassayampa River and the town of Wickenburg are in the distance, making this a tranquil spot for mining just far enough out of town for a peaceful day out on the claim.

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Shotgun has two dry washes that run through the claim. The main wash begins on the West side where two converge, then runs all the way down near the Southeast corner. The second is up near the Northeast corner, which has a lot of interesting spots to prospect as well. The road to the claim from Rincon Road requires at least a mid-high clearance 2WD vehicle. There are spots to park along the road that runs by the claim. The road does narrow a bit once you get closer to Shotgun, so a smaller 4WD/side-by-side would be recommended to get the best access. Moderate physical ability is recommended to enter Shotgun, as the claim boundaries are a short, but hilly walk from the road. 

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Shotgun is located in the Black Hills area about 5 miles directly North of Wickenburg.  There are places near the claim to camp if you want.  It has good access and an interestingly bizarre amount of geologic activity for the amateur geologist to take in, from metamorphic to volcanic events and more.  The dirt in this area has less iron and clay in it, which tends to make it easier to drywash.  Wet washing is easier because there is less clay to thicken the water.  Also noted is much more caliche, which acts as a barrier to keep gold from dropping further toward bedrock.  Caliche traps the gold so nuggets are often found near the surface on top of the caliche.  We did bring in a geologist that confirmed the presence of gold bearing quartz in the area trending from the Black Hills west at about 272 degrees.  We have been exploring this area for nearly 14 years and always come up with some awesome specimens of gold and other minerals.  In addition to gold: jasper, agate, green tourmaline, black tourmaline, topaz, garnet, epidote, and other minerals are pretty common in this area.