Vortex Nation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 138 | Riflescope Diopters – Everything you ever wanted to know Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

Christian Benson, first time guest of the podcast and also one of the optical engineers on the team here at Vortex, joins Jimmy and Mark to talk all about diopters. This was originally set to be a simple 10 Minute Talk about how diopters work, but a quick call down to the engineering team for their approval, followed by a very complicated explanation over the phone about how diopters actually work, made us realize it requires a full length episode for sure. So, what is the diopter on your riflescope, how does it work, how do you set it properly, how is it tied in with your parallax, what’s the difference in how it works with LPVO’s vs high power scopes and way, way more! The optical engineers are fun guys to talk to for sure and we hope you enjoy this one. Want to hear more from the optical engineers? Hit us up in the comments!

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

#10MinuteTalk – “Bipod Bounce” and its Effect on Accuracy Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

Reuben Aleckson joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss “bipod bounce” and its effect on accuracy. What even is “bipod bounce” in the first place? Aren’t bipods supposed to help us when it comes to accuracy? Have you ever found yourself shooting off a hard bench or slab of concrete with a bipod and for some reason your groups aren’t what you feel you and the gun are normally capable of? If so, you’ve experienced this phenomenon – here’s why!

Ep. 137 | Glassing 101 – More than Meets the Eye Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

“Glassing” is a term tossed out there by so many hunters, it almost might trick you into thinking it’s a simple concept, but there’s really so much that goes into every facet of spotting game. What techniques and specific strategies are involved? How about the gear selection behind setting up the best glassing suite of optics and related accessories? Scanning, using a grid system, where to look, which magnification to use, when to bust out the spotter vs the binoculars, etc. Ryan, Mark and Jimmy discuss these topics at length, and admittedly, there’s still much more we could cover in the future. Let us know what you’d like to hear for future glassing conversations!

Check out "10 Tip to Up Your Glassing Game": https://vortexoptics.com/blog/10-tips-to-up-your-glassing-game.html

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

#10MinuteTalk – All Things Parallax Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

We’ve mentioned it in countless episodes prior to this one, but have yet to do a dedicated episode to the optical phenomena that is “parallax”. What is it and how does it affect us when we shoot? Some riflescopes have a “parallax dial” – what does that do? How about red dots and holographic sights that claim to be “parallax free”? When does it really matter and when does it not? We try and cram in all those questions and answers into this quick episode!

Ep. 136 | Alaska archery brown bear hunting with Justin Olk Jul 27, 2020

Show notes

Justin Olk, of Game of Inches TV, joins Jimmy and Mark following a “Vortex Selects” video special around SE Alaska archery brown bear hunting. Why even try to go after a brown bear with a bow? Isn’t that dangerous? How many bears do you see in a place like that and what tactics are you employing to get in close enough for the take? How about the logistics of even getting there? If these questions are popping into your head right now, tune in and find out here because we addressed these very topics!

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

#10MinuteTalk – 7mm-08 By Popular Demand Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

You asked for it and here it is! Jimmy and Mark hang out with Ryan Muckenhirn for a good 10…ish… minutes to talk about the venerable 7mm-08 cartridge. What it is, where it came from, why it exists and what’s the deal with 7mm and why does it so often seem to be looked over? Check it out and as usual, let us know what other cartridges you want to hear about.

Ep. 135 | The Life of a Sniper Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

If you’re listening to this podcast, chances are you’ve dreamed at some point in your life of being a sniper. The stories we hear, the movies we watch, and the images depicted always seem to show a lone ranger with the uncanny ability to sneak in behind enemy lines undetected, frequently engaging targets with incredible precision at extremely long ranges. Is that really what it’s all about? Tony Palzkill is not only one of the team members of a group within Vortex we can’t talk much about, but also a well-respected former military sniper of just over two decades. He joined Jimmy and Mark to talk all about the life of a sniper and what it’s really like in reality, which may differ from what you’ve seen in the movies. PLEASE NOTE – Tony was very graciously willing to join us for this podcast – he didn’t have to. Speaking about something like this in a public format is not easy and requires a great deal of censorship on his part while speaking in order to keep any details that should remain confidential from hitting the airwaves. Tony values the safety and confidentiality of his sniper community far more than beating his own chest about his experiences or incredible stories. So, enjoy the details we do get to hear, and use your imagination based on this real life information to try and figure the rest!

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

Ep. 134 | MeatEater’s Ryan Callaghan – Carp to Covid, planning for the Unplanned Jul 16, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, Ryan Muckenhirn fills in for Jimmy, MC Ryan flawlessly navigates his complex suite of electronics and we sit down with MeatEater’s own Ryan Callaghan to chat through how we as sportsmen can navigate rapidly changing plans, shifting on the fly, silver linings of plans that get flushed down the proverbial toilet, learning new skills, taking advantage of less popular seasons, and few things he’s been up to lately. We also cover the super interesting up-tick in hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation as a whole, how that can impact your plans, as well as Ryan’s new, super-cute and spunky yellow lab he hasn’t named yet. Tune in to this fun and interesting conversation with good reminders that as a sportsperson, there’s’ nearly always something fun to do – it just might not be your plan A.

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

#10MinuteTalk - Custom Turrets Jul 14, 2020

Show notes

Nick Laufenberg joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss “custom turrets” for your riflescope – What are custom turrets, how do they work, what are their limitations, and should you get some for your riflescope? If not those, what are some other ways to get quick ballistics solutions in the field? All these questions and more get answered right here!

Ep. 133 | Remi Warren and Ryan Lampers - Early Archery Mule Deer Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

Remi Warren! Ryan Lampers! Early Season Archery Mule Deer! Pretty sure that’s all the description you need to click on this and get to learning. Mark connects with this dream team of Mule Deer hunting and Mule Deer knowledge to pick their brains clean of their lifetime of knowledge on this super cool topic! Mature Mule deer bucks don’t like to make mistakes – but these two gentlemen are masters at exploiting any edge they can get. Where do these deer live? What are they doing? Where are they going once they strip their velvet? All questions that get answered. We cover giving yourself enough time, being patient, wind considerations, stalking tactics, gear details, making your move at the right time, anticipating their next move to make the right move, when to back out, picking your hunt area based on terrain, targeting areas with low deer density, targeting areas with high deer density, finding water what to do if you blow a stalk and more!

As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast

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