Backcountry Hunting Podcast
Backcountry Hunting Podcast focuses on inspiring and teaching about deep-country hunting, with emphasis on DIY techniques, gear, prep and how-to. Lifelong wilderness hunter Joseph von Benedikt shares stories and tips for success.
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Pronghorn Antelope with a Flintlock Muzzleloader!
09/12/2025
Pronghorn Antelope with a Flintlock Muzzleloader!
This episode brings you debatably the coolest pronghorn antelope hunt I've ever done... recorded in the field, while hunting solo on public land. I don't like the word "primitive" so I'll use the term "traditional" to describe my equipment: My rifle was a 1780s-style flintlock muzzleloader charged with blackpowder and a patched round ball. The stars lined up and I was blessed with a 106-yard opportunity on a great buck. Candidly, I'd planned to take any ethical shot opportunity on any mature buck. Instead, I had a shot at the second biggest antelope I've ever hunted. Sitting deep in the sagebrush, my rifle supported by Spartan Precision Equipment's marvelous quad shooting sticks, I squeezed the double-set trigger. The flash of priming powder and the report of the rifle were nearly simultaneous, and through the cloud of blackpowder smoke I saw that .50-caliber, 170-grain round ball literally flatten the buck. I love antelope meat, I love solo hunting on public land, I love God's country and cherish the privilege of hunting... and right now I really love my flintlock rifle! ENJOY! FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus content on Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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.280 Ackley Improved: All-Time Favorite Big Game Cartridge
09/05/2025
.280 Ackley Improved: All-Time Favorite Big Game Cartridge
Could the grand old .280 Ackley Improved cartridge still be one of the best all-purpose big game cartridges ever designed? We think so, and this podcast is dedicated to explaining why. We address: Broad-spectrum capablity from pronghorn to bisonMild recoil and easy accuracy Competitive modern ballistics Available rifles and ammo Favorite big game bullets for the .280 AI Top rifle models chambered in .280 AI Recommended custom .280 AI build components Plus .280 Ackley hunting stories are generously sprinkled throughout. ENJOY! FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus content on Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Family, Hunting Heritage, & the World's Best Hunting Club with Rob McCanna
08/29/2025
Family, Hunting Heritage, & the World's Best Hunting Club with Rob McCanna
Safari hunting, conservation, and family hunting traditions from squirrels to elk are key topics of this wonderful interview with Dallas Safari Club CEO Rob McCanna. We recorded this live at the recent inaugural summer DSC convention, and it was one of the most enjoyable conversations I've ever had with a top-end industry leader. Rob is a down-to-earth guy that hunts hard and appreciates time afield as much or more than most—and is dedicating years to preserving, protecting, and promoting our way of life. ENJOY! FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST! Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Origins of Spot & Stalk Hunting
08/22/2025
Origins of Spot & Stalk Hunting
Spot-and-stalk hunting—the lifeblood of open-country hunters around the world—may have it's roots in a very special place in the Scottish Highlands. This episode, we visit with Sam Thompson, Head Game Keeper of Kildermorie Estate, during a red stag hunt. Sam shares the story of Great Britain's movement from coursing big game with hounds to spotting and stalking, DIY, putting in the hard yards to earn one's success. We also dig deep into the cartridges and bullets best-suited for hunting red stag. ENJOY! Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Long-Range Hunting, Small Calibers for Big Game, & the 7mm Backcountry, with Matt Bettersworth
08/15/2025
Long-Range Hunting, Small Calibers for Big Game, & the 7mm Backcountry, with Matt Bettersworth
Buckle up, folks! Our guest on this episode is not one to mince words—he has strong opinions forged from decades of experience building custom rifles and using them on hunts around the world. Meet Matt Bettersworth, co-owner of Hill Country Rifles. Matt breaks down what he believes it takes to cleanly kill a big game animal out at 1,000 yards, gets real in his opinion about using small cartridges on big game animals, and shares a ton of experience-based insight on Federal's new 7mm Backcountry cartridge. Is it accurate? Is it safe? Will it survive? Will it kill the .280 Ackley? Listen in, folks! This was a terrific conversation. ENJOY! Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Best Deer Calibers: Whitetail vs. Mule Deer
08/08/2025
Best Deer Calibers: Whitetail vs. Mule Deer
If you got to pick just one ultimate cartridge for hunting deer, what would it be? Would it be the same for whitetails versus mule deer? Or would you choose a specialized cartridge for each? This episode we're joined by Colton Heward, managing editor of Petersen's Hunting magazine, and Scott Ergas, digital editor of Petersen's Hunting and RifleShooter magazines. And although some might say "You can kill a deer with anything," we don't take that cop-out route. We dig deep and discuss what makes a truly great deer cartridge. ENJOY! Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Preparing for an African Safari
08/01/2025
Preparing for an African Safari
You've dreamed the dream and made the plan. Now, you're about to depart for a big game safari in Africa! How do you prepare properly? This episode, we sit down with Tate Bradfield, who is about to leave for his first-ever safari—and he's after Cape Buffalo... the legendary Black Death. We talk through his choice of cartridge and rifle, how to shoot well and reload fast and sure under stress, and much more. ENJOY! Check out our new "recommended outfitters" ! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on . We have a new advertising partner! Check out , known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists. It's ' 30-year anniversary this month! Listen in for some incredible deals they're offering specifically to podcast listeners, or call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504. VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Cartridges, Bullets, & Shot Placement for Cape Buffalo
07/25/2025
Cartridges, Bullets, & Shot Placement for Cape Buffalo
Africa's Cape Buffalo, known by those that hunt them as "Black Death," are the most achievable and at the same time most compelling of all dangerous game to pursue. Hunting Black Death must be done properly, with a good rifle, chambered for a potent cartridge, that's loaded with a premium bullet. This epside we sit down with Mark Haldane, owner and operator of Zambeze Delta Safaris, who likely has more experience hunting Cape Buffalo than any other PH alive. Mark discusses adequate buffalo cartridges, good buffalo cartridges, and great buffalo cartridges. Perhaps more importantly, Mark states unequivocally what is the best bullet for hunting Cape Buffalo. Shot placement is crucial on Cape Buffalo, and Mark details exactly where to aim on broadside, quartering, and facing-on bulls, as well as how to follow up your shots... whether it's just an insurance shot as your bull staggers away or facing a charge and maximizing your chances of stopping that bull before he gets to you. Folks, this was one of my all-time favorite conversations. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're doing short bonus audio episodes two or three times a week now for our Patreon page. Please join our little Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on , where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you wish—can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Tax-Free Silencers & the HPA Bill
07/18/2025
Tax-Free Silencers & the HPA Bill
Why did the Hearing Protection Act fail? Will it ever go through? Was the abolition of the $200 tax stamp on silencers a win for gun owners? Should potential buyers wait until the sunset of the NFA $200 tax occurs at the end of 2025? We answer all these questions and more on this episode of the Backcountry Hunting Podcast. ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars to help the podcast survive and thrive. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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THIS IS AFRICA, with Andy Buchanan
07/11/2025
THIS IS AFRICA, with Andy Buchanan
This awesome episode gets below the veneer that is luxurious Africa... Deep into the gritty stories that expose the warm, friendly, but sometimes violent heart of the Dark Continent. We talk favorite areas and species to hunt in Africa, best tools for the task (rifles, cartridges, and bullets), and how to bring an attitude geared for success on safari. Plus, Andy shares his story of an incredible charge by a wounded leopard, which he killed literally as it sprung on him. ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on , where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you wish—can contribute a few dollars to help us keep the podcast rolling. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Best Western Hunting Rifles: Recommendations from a Professional Guide
07/04/2025
Best Western Hunting Rifles: Recommendations from a Professional Guide
Can the rifle you choose for western hunting make or break your hunting success? In this episode, we sit down for a fire-side chat with professional outfitter Tate Bradfield to get his take on top choices for western hunting rifles. We talk through several price tiers, including the $600 to $1,200 range; the $1,200 to $1,800 range; the $1,800 to $2,400 range, and finally, top-tier rifles without cost restraints. As a bonus, we get Tate's opinion on best bows for archery hunting the West, along with his favorite broadhead models. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're publishing short bonus episodes multiple times weekly now on Patreon. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Boat-Based DIY Bear Hunting in Alaska
06/27/2025
Boat-Based DIY Bear Hunting in Alaska
This episode was recorded live and raw in Alaska, DIY hunting big black bears in southeast Alaska off the good boat Venturess. Long days, tons of fishing, and tracking wounded bears into thick, treacherous terrain made for an unforgettable adventure! ENJOY! We're publishing brief Q&A audio episodes twice weekly on now! Join to get access, and if you'd be so kind, please contribute a few dollars to help the podcast stay alive and thrive. Much appreciated! —JvB VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Gear List for DIY Elk Hunting
06/20/2025
Gear List for DIY Elk Hunting
This episode takes a deep dive into the crucial gear you should have on a DIY elk hunt. Host Joseph and guest (outfitter Tate Bradfield) detail why each item is important, along with how to pick the right brand and model for your specific needs. This was recorded outside by an early morning campfire, so the audio isn't as good as our usually studio sound, and there are occasional wind noises. We apologize for that... but hopefully the quality of the discussion makes up for it. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you wish and can contribute a few dollars. Thanks to all those already on board! VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE: www.onxmaps.com
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How To Set Up A Rifle For Western Hunting
06/13/2025
How To Set Up A Rifle For Western Hunting
From scope to scabbard, here's how to set up a rifle that's ideal for western hunting. This episode takes a deep dive into vital accessories and parts including: Scope quality, features, and types Scope mounting systems Bipod types, construction, and crucial characteristics Anti-cant scope levels RIfle slings and what doesn't work Ammo carriers and their vital necessity Optimal suppressors—light, compact, and crucial Bonus: Iron sights, and whether your rifle should have them. Not only do we discuss what accessories a good western hunting rifle should have, we talk through why. Naturally, we wander off into hunting stories that support the points we're making. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Picking the Ultimate Hunting Rifle
06/06/2025
Picking the Ultimate Hunting Rifle
This episode takes a deep dive into how to select just the right hunting rifle. A tool that is ideal for your type of hunting, and is reliable, accurate, durable, and ergonomic. We talk through various action types, barrel types, stock types, and the crucial characteristics of each. And last but not least, we discuss the importance of finding a rifle that is trustworthy... one you can become ultimately confident with. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you feel inspired to—can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Greatest Cartridges of All Time
05/30/2025
Greatest Cartridges of All Time
These five cartridges are proven around the world. They're known and used everywhere hunters gather. Several of them have taken every big game species on earth. Each is historically significant yet currently relevant. And all five are available in a wide selection of rifles and ammunition. In this episode, my son William—AKA the "Backcountry Apprentice" —and I sat down and shared perspectives on several cartridges that we believe deserve legendary status. ENJOY!
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Grateful For Fathers
05/23/2025
Grateful For Fathers
Friends, I buried my father today. He passed away unexpectedly Tuesday morning. Today as the morning light he loved fell across the desert, we laid him to rest. Forgive me for not having a full episode for you this week... I just didn't have it in me to create one. We'll have a good one ready to go next Friday! — Joseph
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Top 5 Elk Cartridges: Choices of a Professional Guide
05/16/2025
Top 5 Elk Cartridges: Choices of a Professional Guide
Ever wondered what the best elk cartridge is? This episode we're joined by Colton Heward, long-time professional elk guide and now Managing Editor of Petersen's Hunting magazine. Colton shares the characteristics he considers crucial in an elk cartridge, and details the three cartridges he considers most capable and practical for hunting elk. Plus, Colton tells us about his three personal favorite cartridges for hunting elk—regardless of whether they're "practical" or not. Just one cartridge from each category crossed over, and it just might be the all-time best elk cartridge ever designed. ENJOY! FRIENDS! If you'd like more content... please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on . VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Ruined Hunts & Horrible Triggers
05/09/2025
Ruined Hunts & Horrible Triggers
Ever had equipment failure ruin a hunt? These folks have. This episode, we share the gnarliest stories submitted by listeners for our Timney Trigger giveaway. William (the Backcountry Apprentice) and host Joseph read and address each story, and there's a lot of great inspiration within and lessons to be learned as well. This one was a ton of fun, folks. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you like, can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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.35 Whelen vs 9.3x62: Best "Little Big Gun," with John McAdams
05/02/2025
.35 Whelen vs 9.3x62: Best "Little Big Gun," with John McAdams
Mid-bore cartridges kill nearly as profoundly as true big-bores, but recoil little more than common magnums. Of the mild big-bores, the .35 Whelen and 9.3x62 Mauser dominate. But which is best? In this episode John McAdams, host of the Big Game Hunting Podcast and a lifelong fan of the 9x3x62, joins me to discuss and debate the merits of the two. We dig deep into tech specs, tell personal buffalo and elephant hunting stories, debate best bullets for each cartridge, and generaly have a ton of fun. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join our Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you wish can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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.25 CREEDMOOR: Best Quarter-Bore Cartridge of Them All?
04/25/2025
.25 CREEDMOOR: Best Quarter-Bore Cartridge of Them All?
Big news, folks! Hornady just officially launched the .25 Creedmoor cartridge. And there's a good chance that the Quarter-Bore Creedmoor is the best Creedmoor of them all. This episode takes a deep dive into the tech specs of the .25 Creedmoor and how the cartridge was designed, and details new factory loads on the market. We discuss what long-range bullets are best in it, and what rifles makers are already spun up and making .25 Creedmoor guns. We compare the .25 Creedmoor to the 6.5 Creedmoor, discuss what attributes may make the .25 Creedmoor superior, and draw ballistic comparisons between the .25 and the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges. Then, to contrast what the .25 Creedmoor is really capable of, we compare it to the .25-06. The ballistic differences may shock you—and to our surprise profoundly favor one over the other. You'll have to listen to find out which. ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on , where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Can You Skin A Bear, Pilgrim?
04/18/2025
Can You Skin A Bear, Pilgrim?
Blood-trailing wounded bears, follow-up shots on bears, stopping charging bears, skinning bears properly, and eating bears... this awesome episode with Alaska Arms' veteran solo bear hunter Morris Melani covers it all! What a cool conversation we had... ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and fresh discount codes for Timney Triggers! VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Planning a DIY Hunt to New Zealand, with Rob Gearing
04/11/2025
Planning a DIY Hunt to New Zealand, with Rob Gearing
Ever wanted to hunt New Zealand? Better yet, hunt New Zealand DIY, on public land? It's an easy and affordable hunt to do. If Kiwi country calls to you, it's time to plan and make that hunt happen! This episode, we sit down with Spartan's Rob Gearing, one of the most experienced worldwide adventurers I know. Rob is extremely experienced at hunting New Zealand, and has some invaluable advice and some great, inspiring stories. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can—if you like—contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Solo Bear Hunting, Application Strategies, and DIY Caribou Hunting, with Dylan Dowson
04/04/2025
Solo Bear Hunting, Application Strategies, and DIY Caribou Hunting, with Dylan Dowson
This episode we sit down with Dylan Dowson, western specialist with onX Hunt, and talk application strategies, solo black bear hunting, and DIY caribou adventures in Alaska. This one was a ton of fun to record and has some wonderful insights and information. ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can contribute a few dollars if you like. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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6.8 Western vs. 7mm PRC: Which Is Best?
03/28/2025
6.8 Western vs. 7mm PRC: Which Is Best?
This episode digs deep into a comparison between the 6.8 Western and the 7mm PRC, focusing on three fundamental performance metrics: Which is the best designed cartridge? Which cartridge best lives up to its hype? Which cartridge is the most successful? We've used both cartridges, we love both, we own and will always own both... but if you had to pick just one... Which would it be? Hopefully this episode can help answer that. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and communicate with the hosts, as well as contribute a few dollars to help us keep the show rolling! VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Preparing for a Cape Buffalo Hunt
03/21/2025
Preparing for a Cape Buffalo Hunt
Hunting Africa's Cape Buffalo—known by hunters as "Black Death"—is one of the last great adventures readily available to hunters. Buffalo being legitimate dangerous game, it's crucial to have good gear, well sorted out, and to be prepared mentally and physically. This episode, we sit down with Mark Haldane of Zambeze Delta Safaris and ask questions about an upcoming dangerous-game safari we'll be taking with Mark later this year. We talk rifles, cartridges, appropriate bullets, best type of scopes, what to expect during a typical day of hunting, malaria prevention, how to plan best travel arrangements, and so forth. This conversation was raw and real and incredibly helpful. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to our bonus material, and can contribute a few dollars if you like. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Best Varmint & Predator Cartridges
03/14/2025
Best Varmint & Predator Cartridges
What's your favorite predator and varmint cartridge? Do you use one for both? Or specialize with a favorite predator rifle and a different one for varmints? In this episode, I sit down with two professional guides to discuss great predator and varminting cartridges. We talk through the differences between the two, and address the various challenges and demands placed on cartridges, such as those ideal for minimal fur damage; those for maximum authority for competition calling, and those cartridges required to cover all tasks including crossing over into deer hunting. Becuase we can't help it, this episode is filled with funny stories, tangents on parallel topics such as wolf depredation, hunting raccoons at night with thermal optics, and so on. ENJOY! Check out our upcoming . FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you like, can contribute a few dollars. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Lever-Action Hunting Stories & Trigger Work with Chris Ellis
03/07/2025
Lever-Action Hunting Stories & Trigger Work with Chris Ellis
Ever wanted a great trigger in your lever-action rifle? This episode we're joined by Chris Ellis, who has hunted from the mountains of West Virginia to the plains of South Africa with a lever-action rifle. Chris is a trigger man, and we talk through the crucial advantage that a crisp, reasonably light trigger provides in the field, along with the blessing that Timney's new lever-gun triggers are to hunters. We swap cape buffalo and American buffalo-hunting lever-action stories, and share favorite models and cartridges and bullets. Plus we discuss the new drop-in trigger models Timney recently introduced for Browning X-Bolts and Ruger American Gen II rifles, along with installation ease and processes. This episode was a ton of fun, folks, just yarning and sharing opinions and useful hacks with a good old boy from West Virginia. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you like, can contribute a few dollars. Thank you! VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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USE ENOUGH GUN, with Kiwi Terminal Ballistics Specialist Nathan Foster
02/28/2025
USE ENOUGH GUN, with Kiwi Terminal Ballistics Specialist Nathan Foster
What does "Use Enough Gun" mean? Especially when hunting elk, moose, and bison or tough game such as Tahr or feral cattle in New Zealand and Sambar Stag in Australia? A phrase originally quoined by legendary author and hunter Robert Ruark, "Use Enough Gun" means what it says. This episode, we're joined by terminal ballistics specialist Nathan Foster, who has dedicated his life to the study of how bullets kill and what cartridges and bullets are most effective for various tasks. We examine the "small-bore for big-game" trend, and Foster explains where it began and why it's so misleading, and addresses the grim reality behind using inadequate caliber and bullet weight. Foster's company specializes in hunting applications and the cartridges and bullets best suited, but has often been tasked with performing the forensics and analysis that lead to informed decisions by special military and law enforcement branches in multiple nations. You might say he knows his stuff, and has the decades worth of research and data readily available to back up the wisdom he imparts. FRIENDS! Please join our Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to our bonus material, and can contribute a few dollars if you wish. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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Ultimate Bear Gun Build, with Alaska Arms' Morris Melani
02/21/2025
Ultimate Bear Gun Build, with Alaska Arms' Morris Melani
What is the ultimate all-around bear gun? Is there a gun and cartridge that will handle all bears, in all situations? Whether hunting cross-canyon blacks in Montana or baited bruisers in Alberta, or coastal brown bears or interior grizzlies in Alaska? How about personal protection while hiking or fishing in bear-infested country? We think there is such a rifle, and it's even sorta affordable. Ruger's M77 Guide Gun has all the features a savvy bear hunter wants: controlled-feed action, compact size, powerful chamberings, backup sights, stainless construction, and so on. M77 Guide Guns are decent right from the box. With just a few upgraded parts and DIY tuning, they become outstanding. owner and proprieter Morris Melani—who is a bear-hunting fanatic and custom gunsmith—joins us this episode to discuss how to set up and DIY-tune the ultimate all-purpose bear gun. This was a wonderful conversation, sprinkled with plenty of hair-raising real-life bear stories. ENJOY! FRIENDS! Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can contribute a few dollars if you wish. VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:
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