Vortex Nation Podcast

After nearly being threatened by one particular listener (You know who you are) for our lack of a 10 Minute Talk around the Weatherby cartridges, Jimmy, Mark and Ryan Muckenhirn finally discuss these unmistakable, round-shouldered magnums, with the 300 Weatherby being our specific focus. We also learn why Ryan calls his 300 Weatherby “Evil Roy”!

Jimmy and Mark chat with cartridge man Ryan Muckenhirn about a series of cartridges with one of the most iconic silhouettes - the sharp-shouldered Ackley Improved cartridges. In this case, we speak most specifically to the .280 AI, being one of P.O. Ackley’s earliest mainstream wildcats, and its long journey to becoming an increasingly popular SAAMI spec’d round.

By overwhelming demand, we bring you a 10 Minute Talk on the ol’ standby – the .270 Winchester… How have we not done this one yet?? Jimmy and Mark chat with Mr. Ryan Muckenhirn all about what is certainly one of America’s most classic deer cartridges. We address not only where it came from and what made it so special to begin with, but also what it’s future might be as the round seems to be gaining in popularity with the long range community with the development of some new, high-stepping projectiles and loadings!

Why the hell would a person need to range 5000 yards or beyond anyway?...We’ll tell ya. Jimmy and Mark sit down with Paul Neess (AKA “The Neess”) and Ryan Muckenhirn to dissect this interesting question. In some ways the extreme ranging horsepower of  an optic like our Fury HD 5000 is akin to when we practice shooting at long range – the fact the unit can hit 5000 well, makes closer work like 2500 yards a chip shot in regard to speed, pinpoint-precision and distance reading accuracy. A person can also route plan, estimate time of travel to get to a specific point and surprise themselves with how close or far a target/object really is. Things can get deceiving out there in regard to distance perception and a good rangefinder can give you the answers you need. Lest we forget, responsibly shooting targets at extreme long rage is damn fun and knowing the range is pivotal. All this, and as per usual, Paul says some other smart stuff…So Neess!

Jimmy and Mark are joined by Ryan Muckenhirn to discuss staying warm in the dead of the late season winter hunts. We discuss everything from clothing to shelter, understanding of course that everyone has their own personal preference for how they like to stay warm, but it never hurts to get a few new ideas now and then. Mark obviously brings up the incredible merits of the puffy jacket (Which we all agree on here), Ryan discusses his extremely well-thought-out cold weather shelter setup, and we toss out a few other tips and tricks based on personal experience for not freezing your you-know-what’s off out there!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

Incredibly, the crew has developed a load that not only functions but does so well enough to be worthy of taking on an antelope hunt in Wyoming. In true dirtbag fashion, Mark, Jimmy and our video man Cooper loaded up the Subaru for a turn and burn trip to a unit with limited public land in hopes to shoot at least one doe antelope each. As the title implies, the cartridge worked as intended, but to hear just how it all went down you’ll have to tune in! What do you guys want to see in the future with the 6.5 BC? How about other calibers? We’re hoping to continue to tune it for accuracy and really get it coming out like the rocket we think it can be in the future!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

In our last episode, Ryan Muckenhirn walked us through the process of getting into wildcatting your own cartridge and also unveiled our concept for the 6.5 BC. This is all fine and dandy on paper, but when the powder starts pouring, how are we going to go about making sure we loading something that works, is remotely effective, and, perhaps most importantly, safe!? In typical Vortex Nation Podcast form, we’re going into this with a good idea, but not a ton of experience, to give you a relatable look at how some regular enthusiasts might go about the process. Ryan tells us how he arrived at the baseline powder charge and seating depth we’ll be starting with, What our testing regimen for developing an initial load will look like, and of course, how we’ll avoid blowing ourselves up… In theory… 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 

Remember that time after our first podventure when Jimmy and Mark said they’d never reload again? Well, technically we’re not reloading just yet… We’re wildcatting! Wildcatting is essentially the process of throwing caution to the wind, along with all other familiar territory and off-the-shelf parts for loading your own ammunition and attempting to develop your own cartridge. Of course, Mark and Jimmy aren’t going to do this by themselves, so they’ve enlisted our local cartridge expert, Ryan Muckenhirn, to basically do all the work of making a kick butt cartridge. In this episode, we go through what wildcatting is, why you might want to do it, and how one would even go about beginning such a process. We also unveil our concept for the “6.5 BC” (And you know what “B.C.” stands for!) 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

You don’t need to be a cyclops to enjoy all the benefits a Monocular offers. We grab resident optics expert and coinsure Michael McDowell to break down these handy optics and all the great performance they offer. Light, fast, and mechanically simple, monoculars are easy to carry and always at the ready when you need them!

Jeremiah Doughty from @fromfieldtoplate joins Jimmy and Sawyer (Mark was out on a Blacktail hunt) to talk all things wild game cooking. Jeremiah himself is a self-proclaimed wild game chef and spends his time traveling the world hunting and preparing amazing meals with the meat he harvests. While we can all agree that pretty much anything wild game is going to taste great, you may be feeling stuck in a rut with steaks and jerky time after time following the hunting season and want to venture out into some more culinary masterpieces. Jeremiah not only has the ideas and recipes to get you going, but also the motivation you need to get a little wilder in the kitchen. We also talk great stories from Jeremiah’s experience of hunter recruitment and winning over minds through people’s taste buds and some fun cooking – even a Panda-Express-orange-chicken-inspired pheasant recipe! 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

What’s in a name? We’ll, lots of things – and possibly even some misconceptions. Safari Club International (SCI) has been fighting for hunters, rights, traditions, culture, and essentially our way of life for years. They are all about domestic and international hunting, but make no mistake, it isn’t all lions and zebras. Tune in to this super interesting conversation with Ben Cassidy from SCI as we chat about, what SCI is doing for you, how they are doing it and some serious battles they are fighting right now. Bear hunting, Tahr hunting in New Zealand, and simply hunting on Sunday in some states - which if you do the math is 50% of your weekend - are just a few things they are taking head-on. Even if a threat isn’t in your back yard, it’s important we support our fellow hunters and organizations like SCI. Together we are strong – and eventually it might be you and your traditions that need a helping hand.As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the V

Reuben Aleckson joins Jimmy and Mark to talk about spotting scope eyepieces and when it might make sense to swap your included variable zoom eyepiece for a long eye relief, wide angle, and/or reticle eyepiece. The ability with certain spotting scopes to change the eyepiece allows for the opportunity to specialize your optic to specific applications, making it much more effective for searching, spotting, calling shots or seeing more clearly at different times of day or different distances. We hope to do a more in-depth episode in the future more specifically on spotting scopes as a whole and how they work – if you have any ideas before we record that episode for what you’d like to hear – hit us up in the comments!

Map and compass: Archaic tools of hunters past or essential kit for anyone navigating the wilderness. We sit down with Greg McHale (Greg McHale’s Wild Yukon TV) to discuss traditional land navigation, all it’s advantages, and get lost in conversation. Bad pun intended. Tune in or get lost. Bad pun number two! Promise no more, but give this one a listen.  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

Ryan Muckenhirn joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss a cartridge that came up in one of our many “Podcasts after the podcast” conversations, the 8mm-06. While the cartridge itself is intriguing, it’s the history behind why it was made and the people who requested its creation that is so awesome. We’d love to know if any of you out there are using or loading for the 8mm-06. If so – let us know in the comments on YouTube or on Instagram!

As the temperatures drop, there’s no mistaking the fact that we feel colder and time spent in the woods or on the mountain gets a bit more uncomfortable. Sure, the right gear and a healthy dose of mental toughness can simply get you through the cold temps, but how about your gear? What affects does the cold weather have on your optics, electronics, firearm, bullet, etc? Also, even if you “Feel” fine, what sorts of things can be happening to your body in extreme cold that you should be aware of? Ryan Muckenhirn joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss all these things 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

One of our long-time listeners and fellow gun enthusiast, William Elliot, joined us for an episode talking all about the 7.62x54R cartridge and the most famous gun in history to shoot the cartridge, The Mosin Nagant. He even brought some of his own for show and tell! Ryan Muckenhirn was also in attendance to drop his historical knowledge on the platforms and the cartridge. We discuss how Mosin’s went from dirt cheap to expensive in relatively short order, how accurate they really can be, the many merits of the 7.62x54R and the differences between the various rifles that shot the round. William’s collection on the table included a classic 91/30, an M44 carbine with folding stock, and a totally legit sniper model.  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

Do you suffer from sloppy pack syndrome? Maybe you don’t even know you have it? There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to properly packing your backpack for a hunt – on the way in with gear and on the way out when you’re hopefully loaded down heavy with meat! There’s an order of operations, spots weight carries best, tricks for utilizing straps and more. We sit down with Joey Pyburn, Outdoor Line Radio Host and frequent packer-outer of big game, as he details the tricks of the trade.

Terminal ballistics, how your bullet performs once it hits a game animal. We talk a lot about velocity, BC’s, etc., but if your bullet doesn’t work how you want it to upon impact, well, F. Mark and Jim connect up with Jason Nash from Federal ammunition to get the rundown on this more than interesting topic. Bonded bullets, polymer tips, bullets that retain weight, bullets that “dump energy” - We cover a lot of ground and ultimately feel like there may be more meat on the bone with this one, so stay tuned for a part two. 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

We sit down with Sam Soholt to chat through his super unique and impactful “Stamp it Forward” program and all the cool stuff 98% of every duck stamp purchase has done for wild things in wild places. The Federal Duck Stamp  -  It isn’t just another license. It’s a conservation win for the ages! And one thing is certain, it gets our “Stamp of Approval”.

Jimmy and Mark are once again joined by one of the optical engineers here on the team at Vortex, Christian Benson. Christian schools us on all the questions we could muster around the topic of “Light Transmission” in the optics we use. What is “Light transmission”, how is it measured, what makes an optic better/worse in low light scenarios and all the common misconceptions about light transmission. He also walks us through an optical glass chart and discusses lens design, coatings, size and how all these things play into the systems he and his team engineer. Light is the reason all of our optics work in the first place and it’s a fascinating thing that, as usual, blows our minds every time we talk about it!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