Vortex Nation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 119 | Red Dots on Turkey Guns. The answer is Yes! Apr 13, 2020

Show notes

We have red dot sights, a big old Tom has a red head. Coincidence - We think not. Today’s modern shotguns, turkey loads and choke tubes make mounting a red dot sight to your gobbler-getter more practical than ever – and just might make your rig more effective than ever! And it’s really not that hard! There’s more than one way to mount your dot, and we go through those methods. And if you have a do-all shotgun for all your hunting applications, mounting your dot and taking it off depending on your upcoming hunt, just ain’t that big a deal. Not only is a red dot sight “parallax-free,” letting shooters get their shot payload downrange to its intended recipient no madder how awkward your cheek weld or shooting position, but they provide a finer aiming point, as well as don’t obscure your target - particularly at longer ranges. Fast and easy, put the dot on the thing and pull the thing. Toward the end we chat through magnified optics on shotguns for big game and turkeys and Ryan hucks out a sighting-in Pro-Tip that will save you $$$! Outfit your turkey gun with a red dot and take a hung up gobbler – and hang his hooks on a limb.

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 – Turkey Loads For Your Shotty Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

We’ve talked all about the vast expanse of shells available for your shotgun and how you can choose what works best for your application, but being that spring is upon us and folks are looking to socially distance themselves by going turkey hunting, we want to dedicate some time to discussing turkey loads specifically. How they work, what you should look for, the advances they’ve made over time, and much more. There’s a lot packed into this short episode for your spring season so tune in!

Ep. 118 | Reloading and Tuning Competition Pistol Ammo + Season Prep Apr 06, 2020

Show notes

Dylan Easley, Garrett Grover and Reuben join Jimmy and Mark to discuss tuning pistol reloads for competition. We had no idea so much went into getting the perfect ammunition for not only a specific gun, but a specific shooter, specific competition and even a specific sighting system (Red dot or iron sights) too! These guys bring being one with your firearm to the next level by seeing and feeling the differences between very small changes in their loads to find the one that works best. We also finished up discussing how these seasoned pro’s keep fresh and stay excited for each season coming up after so many years of competition under their belts and much more around season prep.

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 - Worst Stories Flying With Guns and Ammo Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

Thus far, Reuben and Adam have talked about flying with guns and ammo in two 10 minute talks. What they haven’t covered, however, is that when you travel as much as they do, you’re bound to eventually make a mistake or encounter an awkward/shocking situation. Adam tells the story about when his lateness, a last-minute gamble and lack of planning with his NFA items almost made him miss an important flight and Reuben talks about the time his 2011 wound up skidding across the floor at an airport baggage claim. Truly spine-tingling stuff! Learn from their experiences so the same things don’t happen to you. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

Ep. 117 | Coffee – “The Staff of Life” Mar 30, 2020

Show notes

We drink it every day – if you’re a sane person. It’s part of our morning routines, it’s part of dating culture, and it just tastes damn good – particularly in the backcountry where frills and creature comforts are few. There’s a heck of lot more to coffee than meets the eye! In this podcast, we sit down with Tony Burlison, Master Roaster and owner of Dark Timber Coffee, to talk everything coffee. From the life cycle of a coffee bean, that starts out as a cherry, but is actually a pit, to the best temperature to brew, cupping (that sounds hot), best brew methods (there are many), light vs dark roasts, getting the most flavor out of your beans, the importance of good water – and oh yeah, we top it off with one of Tony’s signature Accent Packs (a compact, lightweight, single-serve pour-over that will leave thinking you brought a barista in your backpack. If you drink coffee, you’ll like Dark Timber. If you don’t drink coffee then.

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 - How to Pack Your Firearms and Ammo When Flying Mar 24, 2020

Show notes

Sure, you can legally fly with your beloved firearm and its ammo, but how should you actually pack it? What combo of hard cases, bags, locks, etc do Adam and Reuben recommend? We also briefly chat about what to do if you get pulled over in another state with firearms you’re traveling with toward the end as a bonus. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

Ep. 116 | Choosing the Right Riflescope Mar 23, 2020

Show notes

So right off the bat, we should tell you this isn’t going to be a series of “If/then” statements about “If you do _____, then you should get _____ scope”. Truth is, the possibilities there are endless and it would get pretty boring pretty fast. What Jimmy, Mark and Ryan M really wanted to get at in this episode is how do you determine exactly what it is that you’re going to be doing with your rifle and scope, and then how do you determine exactly what features, level of optical quality, and price range, to name just a few of the variables, you really and truly need to accomplish that task. We see bad advice all over the internet about choosing optics – many times putting down new comers to hunting and/or shooting or making them feel like the sport/lifestyle simply can’t be done without a huge budget or gobs of time and an optical engineering degree. Perhaps a few times we got in “Rant” mode here because of it, but just know, it’s all in the name of helping everyone figure out what’s best for them and simply being comfortable with that choice being different from what another person may want/need. As always, if you have any questions about what riflescope you should choose for your very specific application and situation, we’re more than happy to chat that over with you and you can contact us on social media, via phone, e-mail, or in person if you stop by our showroom here in Barneveld, WI.

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 – Flying with Guns Mar 17, 2020

Show notes

Maybe you had no idea you could actually even fly with your firearms checked on a flight, maybe you did but haven’t done it before, or maybe you have done it, but still feel a little uneasy about it and aren’t totally sure how best to handle it next time – Never fear! Reuben and Adam join Jimmy and Mark to discuss this very topic. These two guys work in our dealer sales and training department and do range days and competitions and hunts all over the country so they fly with firearms all the time. After all that experience, they’ve been able to boil down how you should approach the situation with no fear of getting taken to that scary dark room in the back. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

Ep. 115 | Outdoor Photography – Getting Started Mar 16, 2020

Show notes

Nothing preserves memories in the field better than a well-taken photo, so we sat down with Wyatt Cole and Erik Barber to talk about all-things “getting started in photography”. Listen in for great tips and tricks on getting the perfect shot. Whether you’re shooting on a fancy mirrorless camera with a lens that costs more than your truck payment, or snapping away on your phone, this episode covers everything you need to capture a wall hanger of a different variety.

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 – Leveling Your Long Range Riflescope Mar 10, 2020

Show notes

At one point or another, we all have to mount a scope to our rifle. Besides getting good gear and adhering to proper torque specs/sequences, leveling your riflescope is one of the most important things we do in order to set ourselves up for success at the range. The internet is full of differing opinions on how to properly do the job, but the fact remains, you can’t argue with physics, and that’s exactly what Nick Laufenberg used in this 10 minute conversation with Jimmy to explain how to properly level your long range riflescope. Spoiler alert – it may not be perfectly level to your rifle! This was Part 2 of a longer conversation between Jimmy and Nick. If you missed part 1, Nick started by explaining how rifle cant can affect your accuracy at long range and the importance of having your reticle level to the earth when you take your shot. Check it out.

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