Backcountry Hunting Podcast

Cartridges & Bullets for Moose: Observations of an Elk Guide Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

Want to shoot, process, and pack out 5 mature bull moose in 3.5 days? Me neither, but that's what professional elk guide Tate Bradfield and his group did last month. This episode, Tate tells us about the rifles, cartridges, and bullets the five hunters choose for their special trip (which included the taking of a Boone & Crockett bull!) and shares his observations on the various results. He also has some sage advice about shooting moose in thigh-deep water, as well as useful suggestions on how to pack moose quarters on the bone. ENJOY!

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A Knife For Life: Evan Siembida and the Best Hunting Knives in the World Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

If you had to own and use just one hunting knife for the rest of your life, what would it be? This episode we go over blade characteristics, types of steel, handle shapes and material, edge geometry, field sharpening, and more. Custom knifemaker Evan Siembida lends his expertise and walks through the process of designing and building a truely capable hunting knife. ENJOY!

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Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry

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Hunt Recap: 2025 Red Stag Hunt in Scotland Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

By a crackling fireplace in a 200-year-old Victorian hunting lodge in Scotland, we sit down and record a hunt recap. Red stag, sika stag, and salmon fishing are on the topic list, and we hash out crucial gear, hunt methods, stalking and shooting expectations, and more as we tell great success stories. 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

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Rut Hunting Big Bull Elk: New Mexico Audio Journal Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

This episode was recorded in the field while hunting rut-crazed big bull elk in New Mexico's high country with the 7mm Backcountry cartridge and a super-accurate ultralight hunting rifle. The hunt was a struggle, but several big gnarly bulls hit the ground and filled our freezers. We add gear notes, seasonal tips, and what did and didn't work... ENJOY!

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Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry

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Hunting Giant Red Stags in New Zealand Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever dreamed of hunting a huge Red Stag in New Zealand? So have we... so we got a couple of experts on the phone and unpacked just how to get it done, along with chasing big fallow deer, himalayan tahr, chamois, and even Roosevelt elk on the tip of the South Island. This was one of the coolest and most informative episodes we've done in a long time. 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

We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.

It's Porter's Firearms' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details.

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Q&A: Elk Hunt Prep, Best Monometal Bullets, a Spotting Scope for Life, & More. Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

Hunting season is upon us, friends! It's time to refine our gear and our methods, and get afield to make the magic. This fun Q&A session address myriad pertinent topics submitted by our loyal listeners. 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

We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.

It's Porter's Firearms' 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:

Best Bonded Bullets in the World Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

If you had to pick just one type of lead-core bullet to hunt with for the rest of your days, for all big game species around the world, what would it be? Folks, in this episode we talk through what we consider the best bonded-core bullets made. Whether you're after big alpine-country mule deer, grizzly bear in Alaska, or kudu or cape buffalo in Africa, this line of bullets will serve you reliably, accurately, and with absolutely lethal terminal performance.

What's the bullet? You'll have to listen to find out! ENJOY!

FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!

Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus content on www.patreon.com/backcountry

We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.

It's Porter's Firearms' 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:

Pronghorn Antelope with a Flintlock Muzzleloader! Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

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 www.patreon.com/backcountry

We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.

It's Porter's Firearms' 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:

.280 Ackley Improved: All-Time Favorite Big Game Cartridge Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

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 www.patreon.com/backcountry

We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.

It's Porter's Firearms' 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: