Vortex Nation Podcast

We forgot a tiny cartridge in our “Tiny Calibers” Podcast – and you guys let us know about it. Thanks!...Jim and Mark wrangle the cartridge oracle himself, Ryan Muckenhirn, to find out all about the .17 WSM. Mark was disappointed WSM stands for Winchester Super Magnum - not Short Magnum. Other than that, there’s a heck of a lot to like about this little powerhouse. As always, we want to hear your...

Straight-wall cartridges are surging in popularity as certain state game agencies integrate them into seasons where centerfire rifles were previously not allowed. Increased effective range, better ballistics, better accuracy, fast follow-up shots, clean to shoot, hassle-free loading –  all in a super handy rifle – what’s not to like?  For a lot of folks, the advantages of a straight-wall rifle ove...

A 17-year, three-attempt saga for VTNP host Mark Boardman to take a black bear with his 300 WSM in SE AK finally pays off. Tune in to hear why it took so dang long.

The dust hasn’t settled and Mark and Jim are on the horn with ALONE TV show champion Clay Hayes to get the full behind-the-scenes rundown of his survival experience in the wild, wild, wild Canadian bush. Unforgiving country, a grizzly-choked landscape that’s indifferent if you live or die, 10 minimalistic items, the skills Clay developed over a lifetime of seemingly preparing for this challenge, t...

Whitetail wizard Jarrod Erdody from Next Buck/Whitetail Addictions drops by Vortex on his way back from a summer scouting mission to chat summer scouting….It just made sense. Tune in to get some solid tips from one of the foremost whitetail experts in the woods. 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...

Brady Miller from goHUNT Joins Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn for a run through on their content platforms, insanely powerful hunt planning tool, and new product from Vortex he’s been testing for months. First timer or  lifelong hunter, there’s something in here for anyone looking to, well, go hunt. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered...

You approach the stage, get the stage brief, memorize the target engagement order, ready your gear, get asked if you’re ready and the “!BEEP!” go’s off…..What were those targets again? Holy heck that was hard – and fun! Mark and Jim’s trial-by-fire PRS match is in the books. Click play to hear about their experience and get some additional tips from professional precision rifle shooter, Dave Prest...

Professional Precision Rifle Competitive Shooter, Dave Preston, gets Jim and Mark trained up for their first PRS match, the “Vortex Vengeance”.  Dave is a long-range precision master. The level of detail he scrutinizes, practice he puts in, and number of matches he competes in, is truly next level. In this podcast, we go back to basics – or more accurately, start with the basics of a PRS match – a...

Lucky for long range aficionados and newcomers alike, if there’s rifle style, type or configuration, there’s likely a competitive shooting constituent to go along with it. From long range 22 Rimfire competitions like NRL 22, to precision rifle, service rifle, F-Class, and even air gun, the list of long-range competitions available to shooters is, well, long. Tune in to find out more about the many...

From lightweight hunting rifles with long-range attributes, to heavyweight precision rifles that could double as an incredibly expensive boat anchor - and even what the cool kids are using in the Law enforcement and Military world - we cover the fun stuff in this podcast all about long range GUNS! As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on t...

Time to get #Triggered with this 10MinuteTalk on single versus two-stage triggers - in the most triggering of rifles -  the AR-15. What’s the difference? Where does each style shine? Is there one that’s best? In-house trigger-puller, Reuben Aleckson, gives us the scoop on this incredibly important aspect of any AR.

First focal plane (FFP) reticles in hunting riflescopes? Aren’t those reticles for all them “Tactical Folks”. Well, no. The benefits of having an FFP reticle in your hunting riflescope are many – depending on where and how you will predominantly hunt. If short-to-moderate distance shots are your norm, an FFP reticle could be a detractor. If you’ll likely encounter longer shots – 300 yards and beyo...

The weighted gun vise calls to us like a siren’s song. On the surface, they make so much sense. No recoil, your rifle clamped in tight, eliminating the human element for ultimate accuracy. Why not use this modern marvel of rifle-zeroing Zen? The reasons are many, and potential negative repercussions for your rifle and optic strong…Not to mention all the time and ammo you’ll spend diagnosing what t...

Heavy arrow setups with a high Front-of-Center (FOC) percentage and single-bevel, cut -on-contact broadheads built for optimal penetration, bone breaking performance and consistent pass-through’s, are the basics of Troy Fowler’s, (a.k.a the “Ranch Fairy”), arrow philosophy. But why? Can’t you get the same total Kinetic Energy with a light arrow moving faster – and it will shoot flatter too? What a...

Gas Stations are a big part of any road trip. They fuel your vehicle and your body. But what is the best gas station? Opinions on this tough-to-answer question differ greatly. Regionality plays a role on one’s nationalistic view of their favorite petrol peddler. Mark Boardman, Jimmy Hamilton, Cameraman Cooper Long and the all-knowing Ryan Muckenhirn tackle the tough questions in this riveting 10-m...

par·al·lax   /ˈperəˌlaks/ Noun: A mysterious phenomena known to cause confusion, mispronunciation, and possible overthinking. Ok, the real definition: The effect whereby the position or direction of an object appears to differ when viewed from different positions. Mark and Jim grab Vortex’s Mike Tassoul and Ryan Muckenhirn to break down parallax as it relates to shooting, how big a deal it is, and...

Mark and Jim were astounded when in-house long-range shooter, Nick Laufenberg, did some simple subtraction and had them hitting targets out to 800 yards with their 6.5 Creedmoor’s  - without ever touching a ballistic calculator. Tune in to hear how this mathemagician did it!

Hound hunting for bears, mountain lions and other game where regulations allow, can be a hot-button topic for hunters and non-hunters alike. It’s often under attack, but why? As with many things, education and understanding are paramount when it comes to formulating a valid opinion – no matter where your view ultimately falls. That’s why we brought on Kirk and Josh from “The Untamed” - Two Experie...

Few subjects garner more contention than how to cook the perfect steak. I mean, we are all masters of our grilling domain, right? Mark and Jim sit down with in-house chef, Travis Vogel, to tackle this hotly debated topic? From Sous vide to cast iron, butter to bacon, and the why behind it all, this is a good one for anyone who eats red meat!  What are your tips to cook the perfect steak?

Competition AR Vs. Duty AR. Big difference, or semantics? Will a competition AR get you “killed in the streets” due to its guaranteed unreliability? Is a duty AR, selected with considerations that matter not when seeking a podium finish? The answers you seek lye between the ears of our very own Adam Maxwell. Lucky for us, he shares his wealth of knowledge on this all-important matter. Tune in to f...

Shout out to Greg Lewis (@glewisecom_) for suggesting…and requesting and requesting and requesting…the 7.62x25 as one of our 10-Minute Talks. This bottlenecked pistol cartridge is flat-out cool-as-heck. Tune in to hear Ryan Muckenhirn enlighten us on this unique, ahead-of-its-time, blast from the past!...Thanks Greg!

The only thing hotter than .22 Long ammo on the shelf is NRL 22 and NRL 22X. Fast, fun, family oriented with a lower barrier to entry compared to other shooting disciplines, if you love to shoot, want to get into shooting, and are looking for a good time, this may be for you! From indoor events and casual gatherings with the .22 you grew up with, all the way to matches where the rifles more closel...

So you made, have, or are looking into getting a self-bow, recurve bow or similar. But how do you shoot the dang thing? Good question – and good thing we have Clay Hayes of Season 8 of History Channel’s hit show “Alone”, where participants test their mental toughness, physical toughness, and bushcraft in a crazy competition of survival and attrition – to explain it to us. Clay is not only a master...

Long before Clay Hayes ever appeared on Season 8 of History Channel’s hit show “Alone”, where participants test their mental toughness, physical toughness, and bushcraft in a crazy competition of survival and attrition, he was building self-bows and teaching others to do the same.  Folks like Jim and Mark, who made the trek to Florida to tap into clays wealth of hard-earned self-bow knowledge. Mak...

In this episode, we sit down with Biologist, Bowyer, and Outdoor Bad-Ass, Clay Hayes (As seen on Season 8 of History Channel’s hit show “Alone”, where participants test their mental toughness, physical toughness, and bushcraft). Clay is one of the coolest, most knowledgeable and capable guys you may run across in the woods. If you do see him in the field, it’s likely you have some grit yourself, b...