Vortex Nation Podcast

You too can prevent muzzy misfires. Guns that load from the front can be inherently finicky and susceptible to environmental factors centerfire rifles shrug off with indifference. That’s part of the reason you generally get a special season. It’s simply harder. Equal parts challenge and frustration, getting your muzzleloader to go bang no matter what takes extra thought and care. And even with tha...

Clip in for a highly informative arrow podcast with Bryan Broderick of Day Six Gear. Combine 12 lifetimes of putting arrows in critters with an engineering mind and you get a company built around a balanced philosophy of practical performance. Tips to knocks, we cover it all. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podc...

Justice prevails for the gun community and The United States of America itself. Pistol braces are back baby. Light, compact, incredibly practical, and no tax stamp required, pistol braces are a great option for shooters of any stature. Their intrinsic form factor makes them the perfect tool for a variety of applications. First guns to truck guns, a pistol brace may be the ideal option for you. To...

Back from shooting 9mm and 10mm pistols at charging paper targets, ballistic gel blocks, and bear skulls, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn have a lot to digest — so they can best prevent being digested by a bear. What pistol did they shoot better? Why? Which round performed better and by how much? Can less be more? Tune in as they dive deeper into their findings.  As always, we want to hear your...

Vortex’s Golf rangefinders have specific features optimized for the application. But what are those features? Is there crossover with hunt/shoot rangefinders? Tune in to hear why you may need to up your game by adding a new Vortex Golf rangefinder to your golf bag. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by aski...

Pistols come in all shapes and sizes. But what is the best size for your first pistol? What is the best size for your carry pistol? Are they perhaps the same? Pete Schreier from Vortex Edge® sits down with host Mark Boardman to chat through his full-size-pistol philosophy. What are you packing? Will it change after this podcast? Tune in to find out. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us...

Mark Boardman twists off his Barrel Deresonator, Ryan Muckenhirn twists the truth, and Jimmy Hamilton is along for the ride as they debate the merit of this unique device. The boys go back and forth on its physical appearance and performance — including testimonials to its accuracy-improving potential. Ultimately, they make a plan to test it at the range. Tune in for some barrel-tuning fun. As alw...

Red dot sights are the answer to so many firearm-topping needs. Pistol – red dot. AR for close-to-medium engagements – red dot. Shotgun – red dot. Double rifle – red dot. Bolt gun for driven game or dense forest — red dot. Fast, light, compact, and effective, red dots provide the ability to stay target focused for optimal performance down range. Mark Boardman and Adam Maxwell (Vortex Law Enforceme...

Mark and Ryan stand side-by-side in a head-to-head battle of words and wisdom. Ok, “wisdom” might be a bit strong. From the professional wrestler they would take hunting, to the movie “Leave the World Behind,” and an open-sighted spaghetti-shoot-off at Vortex Edge®, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like c...

Don’t be deceived by inflated numbers that look better on paper than in practice. Mike Rosen (Vortex New Product Development) and Liam Ward (Vortex Product Marketing) give us the rundown on battery run time — and why it’s a more useful and concrete measurement. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking u...

Back from the range, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn continue their evaluation of the good old 30-30 Winchester. Uniquely original, a first in its class, and potent deer medicine, is this more-than-century old cartridge all (most) deer hunters need? With bullet-extracting tools in hand, they circle the wagons on the gel blocks and pull projectiles for the rest of the story. As always, we want to...

Comfort and comradery to saving your life, the ability to reliably start a fire under any circumstance mother nature can throw at you is imperative. Expert hunter and outdoorsman Remi Warren has started a lot of fires in a wide variety of conditions (all controlled and safely put out). Learn what he’s learned and practice fire starting when it doesn’t count — so it works when it does! As always, w...

There’s a lot going on and a lot you can do with the EBR-7D reticle, but you need to know how to use it. Vortex Edge® instructor Corey Eliasson drops by to break down the EBR-7D reticle. Extremely well thought out, every feature of this reticle has purpose and meaning. Tune in to hear all about it and decide for yourself. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topic...

Fur prices are in the tank. Perfect! There’s never been a better time to hunt raccoons. Populations have boomed, they are plentiful, and these callable critters are fun to hunt. Mark Boardman, Erik Barber, and Ryan Muckenhirn aren’t professional coon hunters, but they share what they know in this podcast and make a pact to chase coons together before the season ends. Additionally, just because you...

If you’ve ever fired a shot, you used gunpowder. This substance is integral to the ultimate function of every firearm and firearm discipline. Hunting, recreational shooting, self-defense, law enforcement, military conflict — gunpowder was there. It shaped our country, kept us alive, and keeps us safe today. But how much thought have you put into this nearly magical substance? Chris Hodgdon from th...

High-stepping .17’s, your good old .223, the lightning-fast 22-250, or the dog-anchoring .243?  Which of these cartridges takes the coyote crown. Or is it another? Just about every cartridge has taken a coyote at one time or another, but what’s the best coyote cartridge and why? Mark Boardman, Ryan Muckenhirn, and in-house coyote connoisseur, Bill Krivanek, sit down to discuss this question. Do yo...

It’s time to go ballistic – GeoBallistics® that is. You can’t shoot long range without an accurate ballistic solution. The GeoBallistics app gives you that solution in an intuitive, easy-to-operate format. Accounts for all shot influencing variables with specific modes and features optimized for your shooting application. Integrates seamlessly with select Vortex products. Tune in if you’re interes...

It’s open season on Mark and Ryan as Jim peppers them with questions. What is the animal we should open a season for? Is there a definitive answer when it comes to the best shotgun for bunny busting? As per usual, there’s a bunch of in-between antics and exchanges you won’t want to miss. Can Mark eke out a win or will Jim gun down his hopes of a victory with the push of a button? Tune in to find o...

Welcome to a #10MinuteTalk about 5 shooting-themed 10-minute talks you should listen to — or listen to again. Pistol lights with Pete to how to shoot a pistol with Jerry Miculek, these podcasts are packed with good tips to make you a better shooter. Oh, and it’s approximately 1 hr. — pretty standard for a #10MinuteTalk. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics...

Varmints, to home defense and military applications, the .223 Remington and .300 AAC Blackout aren’t your typical deer cartridges. But in the right scenario, are they the perfect solution? And if so, which is better? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn took a couple blasters to the range and shot gel to find out. Here’s the rest of the story. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if...

Rifle stock combs come in an array of heights. Why? Because a rifle’s comb height can be helping or hurting your shooting. Tune in as Mark Boardman, Jim Hamilton, and Ryan Muckenhirn talk through different comb height styles. Is your rifle set up, right? Tune in to find out. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podca...

Gear is fun to research and use! With 2023 in the books, a few usual suspects at Vortex® get together to chat about new-for-them gear they ran, liked, and recommend. Tune in and plan on being a few dollars lighter after. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

Vortex® Venom® and Strike Eagle® series riflescopes are incredibly capable “tactical” optics. But what’s the difference and where do they shine? We’ll tell you, but you’re going to have to listen to find out! As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

Fact: You can trick out an AR-15 with more accessories than any other rifle platform. But if you had to pick three, what would they be? Liam Ward and Chris Urrutia from Vortex® join Mark Boardman and Jimmy Hamilton to boil down the bare necessities of AR accessories. Did they get it right? What would you pick? As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like...

Putting up huge numbers of coyotes pique your interest? Wade Chandler from Ally Outdoors and the Texas Predator Hunting Podcast joins Mark Boardman to chat about, you guessed it, Texas predator hunting. If you like hunting predators and haven’t hunted Texas, this podcast might have you planning a destination hunt to this predator paradise.  As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if...