Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!

Jeff Cooper wanted one rifle a man could carry all day, hunt big game, and defend himself with if he had to. This was supposed to be a handy, compact, & powerful general-purpose rifle, not a battle rifle or a specialized long-range gun. In this episode Richard Mann, author of The Scout Rifle Study , joins me on the show and we talk about Cooper's original Scout Rifle specs, how they changed over t...

Ryan Muckenhirn of Vortex Optics is back and we discuss two very different 30-caliber hunting setups. First up is the load that might raise a few eyebrows, but is also incredibly effective: a 308 Winchester firing Barnes' 130-grain TTSX. Ryan runs it in a 4-pound-13-ounce Kimber Mountain Ascent and that combination is a flat shooting, 400 yard and in load that delivers devastating terminal perform...

Tyler Freel returns to talk about the Alaska grizzly he killed this spring with a 22 ARC. He used a Zermatt Origin action, 20-inch Proof 1:7 twist barrel, and a 71-grain Maguire Ballistics Copper Rose at about 3,000 fps. His first shot was through the lungs and his second was into the shoulder as the sow turned. She was down in roughly three seconds and covered about seven yards. We cover the rifl...

A hunt in Tajikistan that tops out over 19,000 feet. An argali at 1,200 yards. Kyrgyzstan on horseback and a Mongolia hunt that included wolves working the same animals. Rob Gearing shares stories from three very different Asian mountain hunts: the long, open, high-altitude country of Tajikistan near the Afghan border; camping and horses in Kyrgyzstan; and Toyotas in places they shouldn't go in th...

John McAdams sits down with Ron Spomer to talk about the .243 Winchester and the 6mm Remington (originally the .244 Remington). Both are light recoiling, flat shooting 6mm cartridges introduced in the 1950s and have similar performance on paper at first glance. However, the 243 Winchester remains one of the most popular dual-purpose cartridges in America while the .244/6mm Remington never achieved...

In this special episode, four young hunters sit down to share the stories of their first successful big game animals. My son James talks about preparing for and harvesting his first impala in Africa at age nine with a suppressed 25 Creedmoor. Heidi recounts the excitement (and nerves) of her first deer hunt where she took both a doe and a management buck with a Savage .243, Jake describes the long...

In this episode of the Big Game Hunting Podcast, I compare two legendary African dangerous game cartridges: the .375 H&H Magnum and the .416 Rigby. I cover the history and design of both rounds, real-world ballistics, recoil, penetration, rifle and ammunition availability, and how they stack up for buffalo, elephant, and general safari use. I also discuss some of the nuances involved in using the...

John sits down with Mike Arnold (author of Bringing Back the Lions and Bringing Back the Wild , biologist, and host of the Bringing Back the Wild podcast) for a deep dive into one of the more specialized pursuits in African hunting: the Tiny Ten. Mike shares the full story of how his very first African animal — a Vaal Rhebok in the Great Karoo — launched a multi-country quest that eventually produ...

Julius Fortuna returns to the podcast in this episode and we discuss how to properly prepare for an African safari hunt. We discuss range prep, boot break-in, physical fitness, gear recommendations, mental readiness, and much more. clothing, fitness, and mental readiness. This episode is packed with practical advice and hard earned lessons to help YOU avoid some of the mistakes Julius & I have eac...

My father and I took a father-son safari to Africa armed with classic lever-action rifles in .45-70 Government — my Marlin 1895 and his Winchester 1886. Despite being an uncommon choice on the Dark Continent, the old .45-70 delivered devastating close-range performance. Join me as I share the full story, the challenges we experienced with our set-up, and what we learned from running this American...

Watch this full episode on YouTube to see video of the leopard charges, good/bad shots on leopard, etc. https://youtu.be/t8a3DOHP3nQ Dave Fulson from Safari Classics TV joins me in this episode to discuss leopard hunting. He shares his thoughts on why he thinks leopard hunting is uniquely demanding compared to any other animal in Africa: the endless waiting, the mental grind, the constant second-g...

John sits down with Graeme Wright, author of the definitive Shooting the British Double Rifle , to explore why double rifles continue to captivate hunters more than a century after their golden era. Graeme shares how his lifelong fascination began and eventually grew into owning and shooting over 100 double rifles. He explains the original purpose of the double rifle, breaks down key terms (side l...

Joseph von Benedict returns to the show for a deep dive into one of his favorite classic cartridges: the 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser (aka the 6.5 Swede). Joseph shares a few hunting stories involving the cartridge from Mozambique, New Zealand, and even a giant roe deer in Spain. They break down the cartridge's rich history and Olympic pedigree, why it's still winning fans more than 126 years after its i...

Is an African safari really as expensive as most hunters think? I break down the real, all-in costs of a guided plains game hunt in South Africa versus a guided rifle elk hunt in Wyoming — using hard numbers from actual hunts in this episode. I discuss everything: daily rates, trophy fees, licenses, tips, flights, taxidermy, meat processing, shipping trophies and meat home, and all the hidden extr...

Jim Harmer (aka Backfire on YouTube) is back on the show and we discuss a subject I know you'll enjoy: our favorite cartridges for hunting virtually any species of big game. We play little game where Phil and I each list our favorite cartridge and bullet for hunting specific species of game ranging from coues whitetail all the way up to thick skinned species of African game like cape buffalo and e...

Federal has taken the high-pressure case technology first seen in the 7mm Backcountry and applied it to the 6.5 Creedmoor, creating the new 6.5 Creedmoor +Peak. This new ammunition promises to deliver 6.5 PRC level performance out of a standard 6.5 Creedmoor rifle. In this episode, Outdoor Life shooting editor John Snow returns to the podcast to discuss his extensive pre-launch testing of this gro...

If you could only choose 5 guns to hunt with for the rest of your life, what would they be? Join me as I answer that very question as I lay out practical recommendations for a well-rounded five-gun battery that covers everything from small game, birds, and varmints to medium and dangerous big game. What's your ideal five-gun battery? Drop a comment on YouTube/Spotify or email John at john@thebigga...

In this episode, John McAdams sits down with Tyler Grethen, Marketing Director at Weatherby, for a comprehensive look at one of America's most storied firearm manufacturers. Tyler shares the fascinating history of Roy Weatherby — from door-to-door insurance salesman and garage tinkerer to creator of some of the fastest production cartridges ever made. They discuss the move from California to Wyomi...

Bryce M. Towsley joins John McAdams for a comprehensive look at the Savage Model 99 rifle. From its origins with Arthur Savage and the early 1899/99 models to its innovative internal hammer, rotary magazine with cartridge counter, and ability to handle modern smokeless cartridges with pointed bullets, we cover what made this lever action truly different from the Winchesters and Marlins of its era....

L.D. McCaa of Westley Richards dives deep into the history and performance of the .425 Westley Richards — one of the most unique and effective British dangerous game cartridges of the early 20th century. In this episode you'll learn: F.C. Selous story and how he tested his new .425 rifle, why Westley Richards created the first rebated-rim short magnum on a standard Mauser action, design details of...

Bill Wilson, founder of Wilson Combat, shares the story behind the 300 HAM'R — the AR-15 cartridge he designed to outperform the 300 Blackout and match the legendary 30-30 Winchester out of a 16″ barrel. In this wide-ranging conversation, Bill dives deep into why he moved away from high weight retention bullets, the devastating performance of Lehigh Controlled Chaos bullets, real-world results on...

Phil Massaro is back on the show and we discuss a subject I know you'll enjoy: our favorite cartridges for hunting virtually any species of big game. We play little game where Phil and I each list our favorite cartridge and bullet for hunting specific species of game ranging from coues whitetail all the way up to thick skinned species of African game like cape buffalo and elephant and almost every...

In this episode, John sits down with the Leupold team to explore their exciting 2026 hunting optics lineup, headlined by the all-new BX-6 Range HD 10×42 rangefinding binoculars. This flagship optic delivers best-in-class glass, industry-leading Hornady 4DOF ballistics with real-time environmental sensors, precise GPS pinning to OnX and other mapping apps, and ranging out to 6,000 yards. The conver...

John McAdams sits down with Sebastian Mann of Wilson Combat to explore the company's rich history, innovative rifle lineup, and commitment to building firearms that hunters actually use in the field. Sebastian shares a memorable childhood story of receiving a custom lightweight 1911 from Bill Wilson himself, then dives into Wilson Combat's evolution from 1911 pistols to modern AR-15s, AR-10s, and...

Long time listener Jim Myers joins me on the show today to talk about mountain lion hunting: cartridges, bullets, and his tactics that have resulted in him successfully harvesting a mountain lion in 4 out of the past 5 years despite living in a state where hunting mountain lion with hounds is illegal. Sponsor:  Make sure you're signed up for my email list by going to  Biggamehuntingpodcast.com/ebo...