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

Long-time podcast listener Austin Brown joined me on the show today to talk about his recent roe deer and chamois hunt with Joseph von Benedikt in Spain. As you'll learn here shortly, they had an incredible adventure hunting two iconic species of European game in some absolutely stunning country. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though and they had to deal with some unexpected challenges and ad...

Ryan Muckenhirn from Vortex joined me on The Big Game Hunting Podcast to talk about their hunting scope and binocular lines. Specifically, we talk about the history of Vortex Optics, what makes their products special, and the details of each individual line of scopes and binoculars. We also discuss the details of the Vortex VIP warranty. Learn more about Vortex on their web site or call 1-800-4VOR...

Darren Binder from Muzzle-Loaders.com joins me in episode to talk about some of the new developments in the muzzleloader world for 2023. We talk about a couple of important updates to the muzzleloader world, some of which are good, but some of which are disappointing. On one hand, supplies of certain muzzleloader components have greatly improved in recent months. On the other hand, CVA's (hopefull...

Aaron Minkus is back on the show today to talk about his return trip to Africa in 2023. He previously hunted Africa back in 2021 as one of the first Americans to make it back to South Africa after the country opened back up after the COVID shut downs (which we talked about in episode 209). He was bitten by the Africa hunting bug on that trip and returned for another fantastic safari this year. In...

Christensen Arms recently upgraded their Ridgeline rifle line to include some new offerings utilizing what they call Flash Forged Technology (FFT). Are the new Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT and FFT Titanium offerings worth the cash? Or are you better off with something else? Well, I took a new Ridgeline FFT chambered in 7mm PRC to Africa this year, where I got a chance to thoroughly test this new...

I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we dive into the specifics of the 9.3x62mm Mauser and how it stacks up against other popular dangerous game cartridges like the 375 H&H Magnum. In this episode I talk about the development of the 9.3x62mm Mauser, how it compares to the 375 H&H, the 416 Rigby, and the 458 Win Mag, the strengths and weaknesses of the 9.3x62, and who would be be...

I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we'll compare the 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout. Both are effective and popular cartridges, especially among those who like to hunt or shoot with the AR-15 platform. Though there's some overlap in their capabilities, you'll learn here shortly that there's a pretty significant divergence in what they're best suited for. In this episode, I inves...

Better buckle up because today's episode is the one you've been looking for: a detailed analysis of the new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge from Hornady. In this episode I talk about the development of the 7mm PRC, how it stacks up against the 6.5 PRC and the 300 PRC, and who would be best served by the advantages the 7mm PRC offers. 7mm PRC: Your Ultimate Guide – Blog article referenced in podcast...

I unfortunately ran out of time to really do justice to the taxidermy side of things back in episode 254 where I discussed the logistics of hunting Africa, so that's what we're going to talk about today: an overview of how you get my trophies home after your hunt, some common problems I hear a lot of people having, and a little bit of inside baseball about the ugly side of the taxidermy industry i...

As promised, I have a more comprehensive recap of my recent African safari hunt with several podcast listeners for you today. I'll talk about that hunt in more detail today and provide some reflections on how my equipment, especially my new 7mm PRC rifle, performed. Watch the video of our hunt here (make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, like that video, and leave a comment). Email me at  ...

The folks at AXIL sent me a set of the new XCOR ear buds just in time for me to take them on my recent hunt in Africa. I used them as hunting ear protection every day over there and holy cow am I impressed with their performance. I still like the GS Extreme ear buds, but I think the new XCOR ear buds are a big step up in quality and fix a lot of the issues people didn't like about the GS Extreme....

Join me, the two podcast listeners who I hunted with in Africa, and 2 of our PHs for an informal "campfire style" discussion of the highlights of our safari! Subscribe to my  Patreon  channel to see video from this hunt before I release it elsewhere. Additionally, Patreon subscribers will hear about any potential future podcast hunts before the general public and will also receive first priority o...

I have another cartridge profile for you today where we'll dive into the details of the 22 Hornet and see how it compares to the 22 Long Rifle, the 22 Magnum, and the 223 Remington. I think you'll agree with me that, at first glance anyway, it makes a whole lot more sense to use more modern cartridges like the .223 Remington or the .220 Swift instead of the .22 Hornet for small game and varmint hu...

I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we'll compare the 270 Winchester and the 7mm Remington Magnum. Both are effective and useful cartridges with dedicated fan bases, and there's some overlap in their capabilities, but you'll learn here shortly that there's a divergence in what they're best suited for. In this episode, I investigate the 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag debate in detail and pr...

I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we'll compare the 25-06 Remington and the 30-06 Springfield. I think most hunters would agree the legendary 30-06 Springfield is an excellent all-around hunting cartridge. While it does indeed offer many advantages to hunters, it's not perfect. Indeed, cartridges like the 25-06 Remington handily outperform the old 30-06 in some areas. But on...

Mark Huelsing from EXO Mountain Gear is back with us on the podcast today to talk about their new K4 hunting pack. I got the chance to test that pack out on my Arizona elk hunt last year before it was released to the general public. I love it and think it's a great pack and you'll learn why here today. Learn more about EXO packs on their web site or call (208) 995-4688 to speak to a representative...

Amazingly, I've never had anyone from Leupold on the show to this point. Well, I fixed that issue this week: Tim Lesser from Leupold is joining us on the big game hunting podcast. Today, we're going to talk about the history of Leupold, their hunting scope lineup, and their hunting binoculars. We talk a little about the history of Leuopld, what makes their products special, and the details of each...

Evan Siembida from Siembida custom knives is back with us on the podcast today to talk about hunting with hounds and knives (yes, you heard that right). He recently designed a new type of knife specifically for pig sticking and he went on a couple of pretty exciting hog hunts down here in Texas to test that knife out.  Show sponsor: Go to  HuntingGuns101.com  and Sign up for my free e-book on the...

I get emails all the time from people asking me questions about the logistics of hunting Africa: what's the best airline, how do I take my rifle with me, what vaccinations do I need, how do I pay for my hunt, how much should I tip, what's the deal with taxidermy, how do I get my trophies home after the hunt, etc. Those are all good questions, especially for someone who has never been to Africa bef...

Mike Arnold is back on the show again today to talk to us about his recent trip to the west African country of Cameroon. We'll discuss how his trip went, what the hunting is like there, and also discuss another few examples of the benefits of well-regulated hunting for both the local population and wildlife in general. Show sponsor: Go to  HuntingGuns101.com  and Sign up for my free e-book on the...

Kevin Robertson is back on the show again today and gives us a glimpse behind the curtain when it comes to how to become a Professional Hunter (PH) in Zimbabwe, what the training is like to get that certification, and a look at the practical and business side of being a professional hunter and an outfitter in Africa. Show sponsor: Go to  HuntingGuns101.com  and Sign up for my free e-book on the be...

Wouldn't it be nice if there were a company that would produce ammunition specifically designed for optimum performance in your rifle? Or a company that could provide ammunition in a wide range of cartridges (to include some obsolete cartridges no longer in production with most companies) that's also available loaded with a bunch of different premium hunting bullets? Well, that company exists: its...

Kevin Robertson is back on the show again today to kick off our latest series on hunting in Africa with a talk about African trackers. Trackers are an incredibly important part of a safari and are probably the single most valuable member of the team that assists a PH while out hunting. The best trackers seem to have almost magical abilities in the bush and Kevin was blessed to work with an incredi...

Brandon Maddox from Silencer Central is back on the show with me again today to talk about the new Banish Backcountry, the Banish 46, a couple of their other suppressors, and how to legally travel to a different country with a suppressor. We also discuss a recent dust-up with the ATF regarding possession of suppressors and how that was resolved.  Shoot me an email at  john@thebiggamehuntingblog.co...

Gregg Sloan and Mitchell Kukson from Barnes Bullets join me on the show today. Gregg manages the Barnes Ballistics lab and R&D department and Mitchell is the lead R&D engineer at Barnes, so they both know a whole lot about Barnes bullets and ammunition. Today we talk about the history of Barnes, the details of the various bullets they offer, the ins and outs of their factory ammunition offerings,...