When it comes to rifles, calibers, and cartridges for hunting, many assume that bigger and faster is always better. After all, you can't "kill something too dead", right?

But where is the point of diminishing returns? If you find what is "enough", then what are the downsides of chasing more than that? Recoil and shootability? Cost of ammunition, components, and barrel life? What else?

Mark & Steve are joined by Seth Swerczek from Hornady to discuss these topics, and more. As you will hear, sometimes the best way to think about ballistics (and caliber/cartridge choice) is to "think backwards".

Hornady's Podcast: https://www.hornady.com/podcast

LEAVE A MESSAGE: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry or podcast@exomtngear.com

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

393 | Backwards Thinking & Ballistics (with Hornady's Seth Swerczik)

Backcountry hunters talking backcountry hunting. Join us for a lively discussion on a variety of topics related to hunting big game in the mountains. We'll be talking tactics, sharing lessons learned, swapping stories, interviewing individuals from the hunting industry, hearing the hunt stories of everyday hunters (including our podcast listeners), and getting into the nitty-gritty of backpacking gear, hunting gear, and bow/rifle setups. Contact us at any time with your questions or feedback by emailing us: podcast@exomtngear.com

Thanks for listening!  — Mark & Steve

Sports

As a trained engineer and experienced outdoorsman, Rydell Reinbold often modified the gear he used for hunting. Then he started designing and producing his own gear, for his own needs. And, eventually, he founded Aziak Equipment to share his work with other hunters. Today, Rydell is the owner, designer, and sole operator at Aziak.

We speak with Rydell about the Aziak backstory, his current products, and the future of Aziak. We discuss his current ultralight tripod and head, the limitations of ultralight tripods, the balance of weight vs features, and much more.

Connect with Aziak:
- https://www.aziakequipment.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/aziakequipment/
- https://www.facebook.com/aziakequipment

Contact Us: podcast@exomtngear.com
Leave A Message: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

464 | Aziak Equipment, Ultralight Tripods, and More with Rydell Reinbold

Steve & Mark answer your listener-submitted questions on this Monday Minute episode. They discuss choosing ultralight vs choosing comfort, the best (and worst) ways to save pack weight,  how to spend money on gear upgrades, selecting a quilt, and some deeper or more philosophical thoughts on the debatable importance of gear in general.

NEWSLETTER — https://exomtngear.com/newsletter

EMAIL YOUR QUESTION — podcast@exomtngear.com

LEAVE A MESSAGE — https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 224 | Ultralight vs Comfort & Other Deep Gear Thoughts

We welcome John Barklow back to the Hunt Backcountry Podcast. This is a wide-ranging conversation that answers some of your listener questions and goes into some unexpected topics. We discuss...

- Bowhunting Cape Buffalo in Africa.
- Recovering from injury and surgery and injury as an aging mountain hunter.
- Where has innovation in technical hunting apparel slowed or stalled? And where is it advancing?
- How environmental regulation and legislation will change the performance of rain gear.
- How technology is being used to improve the performance of natural down fibers.
- How to prioritize your budget to get the most for your money on high-end hunting clothing.
- Gear vs Capabilities, and knowing how to use gear to its fullest potential.
- Why you shouldn’t believe marketing, or John Barklow, and should test gear for yourself.
- Why asking for the “best” gear recommendation isn’t the most helpful question.
- Embracing what you don’t know and enjoying the process of learning.
- John’s tentless sleep system for archery season.
- John’s upcoming course and eventual book on “Survival for the Modern Hunter”

John's Previous Podcast:  https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/395 

Connect with John:
- https://knowledgefromstorms.com 
- https://www.instagram.com/jbarklow/
- https://sitkagear.com

Contact Us: podcast@exomtngear.com
Leave A Message: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

463 | John Barklow on Innovation, Skills, Priorities, and More...

Steve & Mark answer your listener-submitted questions on this Monday Minute episode. They discuss the upcoming Experience Project, Mark's headlamp, tools to fix issues with a rifle in the backcountry, and using "clean" food to fuel performance on long hikes.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Fenix HM50R v2.0: https://amzn.to/4dJGbag
- 16340 USB-C Battery: https://www.fenixlighting.com/products/fenix-arb-l16-800up-built-in-usb-c-rechargeable-battery 
- Death Hike Food: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/article/2024-death-hike

EMAIL YOUR QUESTION — podcast@exomtngear.com

LEAVE A MESSAGE — https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry

View & Search the Podcast Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

MM 223 | Headlamps, Rifle Tools, and "Clean" Food

Ryan Jordan is a backpacker, hunter, engineer, researcher, and the Founder & Owner of Backpacking Light.

We speak with Ryan about the benefits of a lighter total pack weight for backcountry hunting, the barriers and misconceptions about "going light", the differences between gear for a lightweight backpacker and the backcountry hunter, and a whole lot more.

FREE RESOURCES FROM BACKPACKING LIGHT: https://backpackinglight.com/hunt/

Ryan and his team put together some free resources specifically for our podcast audience, which you can find at the link above. If you sign up, you will receive those free resources, a discount on BPL membership and courses, and future BPL emails with articles on gear, skills, technology, and more. Of course, you can unsubscribe from BPL at any time if you do not find their information helpful.

Contact Us: podcast@exomtngear.com
Leave A Message: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry

Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

393 | Backwards Thinking & Ballistics (with Hornady's Seth Swerczik)

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