Backcountry Hunting Podcast

.35 Whelen in North Idaho's Wild Country Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

How good is the .35 Whelen for western big game hunting? This episode tells five hunting stories, all told by a veteran fighter pilot, that showcase just how wonderful this mild-kicking, wallop-packing medium-bore cartridge is. ENJOY!

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Best New Hunting Rifles on the Market, with Colton Heward Jul 10, 2026

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What are the best modern hunting rifles available today? In this episode, we sit down with Colton Heward, managing editor of Petersen's Hunting magazine, and talk through top choices in several price categories ranging from $500 up to $2,500. We compare the pros and cons of detachable box magazines versus hinged floorplates, and explore the advantages and disadvantages of chassis-type stocks compared to traditional stocks.

Naturally, the discussion is generously sprinkled with hunting stories that illustrate these recommended rifles. ENJOY!

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Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Recent brief Patreon-only audio topics include "6.5 Backcountry" (6.5 Creedmoor +P), ponderings on ".30-06 High-BC Bullet performance," a first look at a new heavy-for-caliber 270-grain Solid .35 Whelen load, a "6.8 Western Survival Forecast" and "Gear List for Hunting." Check 'em out!

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SHOT PLACEMENT on Big Game: American vs. African Jul 03, 2026

Show notes

What's the best place to aim on a big game animal? That depends on what you're hunting. Antlered game in America is built differently than most antelope species in Africa—as well as Cape Buffalo (a.k.a. Black Death).

Knowing where to aim makes for faster, more ethical kills and shorter blood trails. And in the case of dangerous game, can prevent a life-threatening situation. In this episode, we break down how the vitals are situation on various popular species, particularly antlered game such as deer, caribou, elk, and moose compared to horned game such as kudu, oryx, and aoudad. ENJOY!

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7mm SAW Cartridge: An Improved 7mm-08? Jun 26, 2026

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This episode takes a close look at the 7mm SAW — a wildcat that just might be the ultimate efficient short-action 7mm. Designed by Clayton Smith, owner of West Texas Ordnance, it's sort of an improved 7mm-08 with a better shoulder angle, faster rifling twist, and greater head height. It just might be the cartridge that the 7mm-08 always wanted to be. ENJOY!

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Is it Good or Bad to be a Long Range Deer Sniper? With Ron Spomer Jun 19, 2026

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Detractors of modern long-range hunting methods call such hunters "deer snipers." But is long-range shooting at game bad? Or good? We're joined by Ron Spomer in this episode, and we hash out the various facets—virtuous and evil alike—of shooting long on big game. Plus, of course, we regularly get off track and swap great hunting stories and tales of our favorite rifles. ENJOY!

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Hunting Forest Ghosts Across Transylvania, Spain, Macedonia, & Serbia Jun 12, 2026

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This episode follows host Joseph von Benedikt on a wild roebuck hunt across ancient terraces in Spain, to remote mountains in Transylvania, to deep forests of Serbia, and into the spectacular alpine mountains of Macedonia. We talk cartridges (we used seven different rifles chambered in seven different cartridges) and bullets (used Berger VLD Hunting, Sierra Tipped GameKing, Federal Fusion, Sellior & Bellot, and Hornady SSTs and unpack other aspects ranging from travel, to safety, to wildlife management abroad.

Some very interesting trends emerged, particularly with the .308. This was an incredible experience and super fun to record and re-live... ENJOY!

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NEW 6.5 BACKCOUNTRY! (6.5 Creedmoor +PEAK) Jun 05, 2026

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BIG NEWS! Federal has just announced the new "6.5 BACKCOUNTRY" cartridge... or put more correctly, the 6.5 Creedmoor with "+ PEAK" alloy technology. We tested the inagural 130-grain Terminal Ascent load in three different rifles with barrels of 24, 20, and 17 inches to see if the new load deserves the hype. Listen in—this is a very cool new development! ENJOY!

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Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Recent brief Patreon-only audio topics include "Bullet Peformance Across Europe," ponderings on ".30-06 High-BC Bullet performance," a first look at a new heavy-for-caliber 270-grain Solid .35 Whelen load, a "6.8 Western Survival Forecast" and "Gear List for Hunting." Check 'em out!

Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com

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Most Versatile Cartridge: 300 PRC? Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Scenario: You can choose between .280 Ackley, 7mm PRC, .300 Win Mag, and .300 PRC to hunt everything on the North American continent for the rest of you life. What's it going to be?

Folks, this brief episode will be followed in a few hours by a major new-product announcement (embargoed until 9am Mountain Time, June 6th). Check it out! It's really, really big news.

ENJOY!

FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!

Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Recent brief Patreon-only audio topics include "Bullet Peformance Across Europe," ponderings on ".30-06 High-BC Bullet performance," a "First Kill Shots with the New Swift Zephyr," video, a "6.8 Western Survival Forecast" and "Gear List for Hunting." Check 'em out!

Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.patreon.com/backcountry

Live Q&A: Hunting New Zealand. Also: Huge Announcement Coming Friday! Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

Join us TONIGHT for a LIVE Q&A with our friends in New Zealand. We'll talk all things hunting NZ. A Zoom link will be provided on the free page at www.patreon.com/backcountry so come click in and talk with us!

Also, news from Swift: The new Zephyr bullet is up on the website and Swift is taking orders! Super cool intel: Estimated arrival date of .277-diameter (6.8 Western) Zephyr bullet.

Last but not least, a HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT coming Friday morning in the standard podcast, which will drop at 9am Mountain Time. Tune in—it's a darned cool development.

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