Backcountry Hunting Podcast

How To Set Up A Rifle For Western Hunting Jun 13, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars.

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Picking the Ultimate Hunting Rifle Jun 06, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you feel inspired to—can contribute a few dollars.

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Greatest Cartridges of All Time May 30, 2025

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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!

Grateful For Fathers May 23, 2025

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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

Top 5 Elk Cartridges: Choices of a Professional Guide May 16, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry .

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Ruined Hunts & Horrible Triggers May 09, 2025

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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!

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.35 Whelen vs 9.3x62: Best "Little Big Gun," with John McAdams May 02, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material, and if you wish can contribute a few dollars.

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.25 CREEDMOOR: Best Quarter-Bore Cartridge of Them All? Apr 25, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry, where you'll get access to all our bonus material and—if you like—can contribute a few dollars.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

Can You Skin A Bear, Pilgrim? Apr 18, 2025

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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 www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and fresh discount codes for Timney Triggers!

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