It's been six years since the Northern Shrike custom hunting knife was conceived. Incredibly, there's no corner of the (legally huntable) world remaining where it hasn't been carried by intrepid hunters. This episode takes a look at why it's so extraordinary, and gives a sneak peek at what our Spring 2026 "Blue Collar" edition is going to be like. ENJOY!

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Friends, I'll be at the Dallas Safari Club in early February. We'll be holding meet-and-greet visits at booth 3216 Friday and Saturday 10-to-noon, and 3-5pm. Use code JOSEPH26 to get 25% off your entry tickets, and come swap hunting dreams and make plans with us!

We'll also have Rob Gearing, owner of Spartan Precision Equipment, and Neal Lane, proprietor of Lane Firearms & Appraisals, visiting and answering questions with us.

See you all there!

What is the best cartridge for a kid or beginning hunter to start with? In this episode William (a.k.a. the Backcountry Apprentice) and host Joseph von Benedikt sit down and debate the merits of 14 different cartridge candidates for the title of "Best Kid Cartridge." By process of elimination, we boil it down to just one. Our top pick may surprise you... This episode was great fun, folks. 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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SHOT Show 2026 is drawing to a close, and a ton of great new rifles, shotguns, handguns, scopes, binoculars, cartridges, bullets, and other gear has just been introduced. In this episode, we sit down with gunwriting and YouTube legend Ron Spomer and talk about the coolest new products we saw at the show. There some great stuff coming down the pipeline. 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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WHICH IS BEST: .270 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield? In this episode I sit down with the William vB—the "Backcountry Apprentice" himself, and we hash out the pros and cons of each cartridge, discussing:

• Cartridge versatility
• Bullet weight ranges
• Modern bullets available
• Best factory loads
• Best bullets for handloading
• Which is more optimal for whitetails and other deer-size game
• Which is better for elk and for hunting Africa

This one was a ton of fun, folks... We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making it!

FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!

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

Email us questions here: [email protected]

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.timneytriggers.com

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https://javelinbipod.com

www.swiftbullets.com

Q&A: Best Bullets for Vintage Rifles, Best Moose Cartridge, First Guns for Kids, Barrel Cleaning, Kill Kit Contents, and More!

In this episode we answer great questions on a variety of topics, including:

• Best bullets for classic (vintage) rifles
• NAS3 high-pressure cartridge cases
• Velocity expansion thresholds for monometal bullets
• Best boots for stalking in Africa
• Ultimate moose rifle and cartridge
• Best first rifle for kids
• Barrel cleaning and accuracy degradation
• Kill Kit contents: most crucial gear
• Best carbon-fiber rifle stocks
• Affordable Cape Buffalo hunts
• Hosted Hunts with the podcast

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

Email us questions here: [email protected]

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.timneytriggers.com

www.browning.com

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Rigby of London is debatably the most famous maker of fine double-barrel rifles and (bolt-action) magazine rifles in history. Jim Corbett used a .275 Rigby to hunt many of the maneating tigers and leopards he killed. Harry Selby carried a .416 Rigby while guiding Robert Ruark. The Rigby Rising Bite double rifle is considered by many savants to be the finest of its type ever made. And so forth.

In this extraordinary episode, we're joined by Rigby of London CEO Marc Newton, who walks us through the company's 250-year history, the design and manufacturing ethos behind Rigby's outstanding bolt-action and double rifles, and the future of the company. We talk about top cartridge choices for everything from red stag to elephant, and Marc shares the stories of his favorite hunts. This episode is special, folks. 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

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

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https://javelinbipod.com

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"When you don't have a pack raft, a river or body of water is a barrier. When you do have a raft, that water becomes a highway."

This episode we're joined with Alpacka Raft founder Thor Tingey. Thor grew up in Alaska, adventure-rafting, hunting, and fishing across most of the state. Alpacka packable rafts are the culmination of decades worth of experience and wisdom. Incredible though it sounds, a moose-capable raft weighs just 15 pounds and rolls up as small as a backpacking tent. These boats are game-changers, folks. Listen in and learn just how effective they are and in how many creative ways they can be used. 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

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

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www.browning.com

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www.siembidacustomknives.com

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https://www.portersfirearms.com/

https://javelinbipod.com

www.swiftbullets.com

Lots of hunters and shooters complain about new cartridges. "My .270 will do anything that stupid new (insert cartridge name here) can do!"

Is that a fact.

In this episode, we explore whether cutting-edge new cartridges actually have an advantage over proven classic cartridges. To showcase the concept, we pit the legendary .270 Winchester against the racy new 6.5 WBY RPM, but we include a ton of other classic and new cartridges in the discussion too. This was a fun one and is sure to ruffle some feathers and turn the crank on a lot of hunters and shooters. 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

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.timneytriggers.com

www.browning.com

www.leupold.com

www.siembidacustomknives.com

www.onxmaps.com

www.silencercentral.com

https://www.portersfirearms.com/

https://javelinbipod.com

www.swiftbullets.com