380: From Iraq & Afghanistan To Hunting South Africa
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
Release Date: 07/17/2025
403: Muzzleloader Elk In Arizona With Andrew Marlin
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I got the chance to sit down with Andrew Marlin from The Dove Guy podcast in this episode and he shares the story of his successful, muzzleloader self-guided elk hunt in Arizona this year. Sponsor: Go to and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Get in touch with Grant McCune of to book an elk, antelope, deer, or bear hunt in Arizona. (928) 713-3412 Get in touch with Rob Massa at to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. They can also...
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402: Worst & Best Creedmoor-22 vs 6mm vs 25 vs 6.5 Creedmoor
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
Here are my thoughts on the entire Creedmoor family: the 22 Creedmoor, the 6mm Creedmoor, the 25 Creedmoor and the 6.5 Creedmoor. We'll discuss how they stack up next to each other on paper, how they perform afield on game, and what the ideal use cases are for each one. I'll also share my picks for the "Best Creedmoor" and the "Worst Creedmoor". Sponsor: Go to and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe...
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401: Best Cartridge for Hunting Darn Near Anything With Richard Mann
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
Richard Mann 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’re play little game where Richard 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 everything in between like mule deer, elk, black bear, etc. The catch is we cannot reuse a cartridge for multiple species. Even so, our discussion provides an interesting glimpse into the thought...
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400: 40 Caliber Cartridges: The Ultimate Guide
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I discuss all of the 40 caliber SAAMI standardized rifle cartridges (plus one other noteworthy CIP round) in this episode. As always, I’ll talk about their history, design characteristics, performance specs, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. Where appropriate, I’ll also share some personal anecdotes involving these rounds as well as some observations involving various cartridges by noteworthy gun writers as well. Cartridges covered: 44-40 WCF, 45-70 Government, 577/450 Martini-Henry, 405 Winchester, 44 Remington Magnum, 444 Marlin, 450 Marlin, 450...
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BONUS: Vote For Me For Podcast Of The Year!
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I am honored to be among those nominated for the Podcast of The Year award at the 2026 Gundies. Thank you to all of you who nominated me for this award. Voting for the Gundies begins TODAY, 1 December 2025 and I need your votes again to win it. Cast your vote at and help me take home the win! You can vote once each day from now until 15 December 2025. Thanks for your vote!
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399: 8mm & 32 Caliber Cartridges: The Ultimate Guide
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I discuss all of the 8mm and 32 caliber SAAMI standardized cartridges (plus a couple of other noteworthy CIP rounds) in this episode. As always, I’ll talk about their history, design characteristics, performance specs, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. Where appropriate, I’ll also share some personal anecdotes involving these rounds as well as some observations involving various cartridges by noteworthy gun writers as well. Cartridges covered: 8x57mmI, 8x57mmIS, 8x57mmIR, 8x57mmIRS, 8x60mm S, 8x64mm S, 8x68mm S, 8mm-06, 7.92x33mm, 32 Winchester Self...
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398: 6.5mm Cartridges: The Ultimate Guide
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I discuss all of the 6.5mm SAAMI standardized cartridges (plus a couple of other noteworthy CIP rounds) in this episode. As always, I’ll talk about their history, design characteristics, performance specs, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. Where appropriate, I’ll also share some personal anecdotes involving these rounds as well as some observations involving various cartridges by noteworthy gun writers as well. Cartridges covered: 6.5x52mm Carcano, 6.5×55 Swede, 6.5x57mm, 6.5x50mm Japanese, 6.5x54MS, 6.5-06, 264 Winchester Magnum, 6.5mm Remington...
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397: An Elk Guide Shares His Favorite Elk Hunting Cartridges
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
Today, Rob Massa from the Bergara Academy and the R&K Hunting Company in Wyoming joins me on the show to discuss some observations he has made on what cartridges and bullets work and don’t work from over 20 years outfitting elk hunts in Wyoming. I first met Rob while attending an event at the Bergara long range shooting Academy in 2024 and I was incredibly impressed both with his knowledge of shooting and hunting as well with the professionalism he ran the Bergara Academy and the R&K Hunting Company with. With that in mind, I decided to bring him on the show to discuss some...
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396: 2025 Wyoming Elk Hunt Recap
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
I just made it home from an outstanding elk hunt in Wyoming! Despite some unique struggles, I had an amazing trip and I successfully took a beautiful bull elk. Today’s episode is a detailed recap of this hunt, evaluations of some gear I used, and some of the lessons we learned along the way. I also share two exciting announcements near the end. Check out my video of the hunt here: Sponsor: Get in touch with Rob at to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. I cannot recommend them highly enough: they have hardworking and friendly guides, comfortable lodging, great food, and fantastic...
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395: 22 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor Caliber Comparison
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
John McAdams shares insights on the 22 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor informed by real world data on obtained at the range, afield, and in ballistic gel in this podcast episode. John discusses the design characteristics, performance specifications, and pros and cons of each cartridge. Plus, he also shares some details on how different 6.5 Creedmoor and 22 Creedmoor factory loads have performed on game afield. Sponsor: Go to and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and...
info_outlineArmy veteran Matt Tyree was the lucky veteran selected for the plains game safari I gave away as part of my 5 year Big Game Hunting Podcast Anniversary with my South African PH's Johan and Kobus. Matt literally just returned from the hunting safari of a lifetime and joins me on the show today to tell us how things went!
Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true on a hunt in South Africa. We offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. We have space remaining for a hunt in October 2025 and as well as March, April, May, September, October, and November 2026. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or email me at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com to learn more. Make sure to state that you’re a podcast listener and I’ll give you a special bonus!
In this episode of The Big Game Hunting Podcast, host John McAdams sits down with Matt Tyree, who we selected as the veteran to receive the plains game hunt in Africa we gave away during the 5 year Big Game Hunting Podcast anniversary celebration in 2025.
They discuss Matt's military career (to include his deployments to Iraq & Afghanistan) as well has how he prepared for the hunt, the rifle set-up he brought to Africa, how the hunt went, and what it was like sharing the experience with his 11 year old son, Marshall.
Their takeaway? This was the trip of a lifetime for both Matt and Marshall. They had an outstanding safari and are incredibly grateful for the opportunity. Matt also wanted to extend a special thanks to all of the generous listeners who provided donations above and beyond what John, Johan, and Kobus provided with the hunt itself.
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