Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!

Mike Arnold is up next in my ongoing Africa hunting mini-series to talk about bushbuck and nyala. These two species of spiral horned antelope are both magnificent creatures that, as different as they may appear at first glance, also share a few surprising similarities. In fact, they also live in some of the same areas and even compete with each other for food (to the detriment of one of them). Mike and I discuss these two species in detail: where they live, what they look like, how they behave, how they're commonly hunted, and how these antelope species are similar and different from each other, and some of the ongoing observations scientists and PHs are making regarding how one of these species is often coming out on the losing end of how they are competing with each other in certain areas.

Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true at in South Africa's Limpopo Province where we offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. Plus, we're offering our remaining hunts for October and November 2024 at a fantastic discount! Visit bestsafarihunt.com or contact me directly at [email protected] to learn more.

Email me at that same address with subject line "podcast hunt" if you're interested in joining us on our upcoming Africa podcast hunt 19-28 July 2025.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday (along with my weekly ammo supply updates).

I highly recommend purchasing a copy of Mike's book, Bringing Back The Lions. Pick up a physical copy, download the Kindle version, or get the audiobook here.

Ep 213: Africa's Most Dramatic Conservation Success Story – Mike's previous interview referenced in podcast about the lion reintroduction to Mozambique's Coutada 11.

Ep 253: Hunting In Cameroon With Mike Arnold- Mike's previous interview referenced in podcast about the lion reintroduction to Mozambique's Coutada 11.

MikeArnoldOutdoors.com – Visit Mike's web site here and read the articles he wrote about bushbuck & nyala

In this episode, Kevin Robertson and I cover the most popular really big bore safari cartridges .50 caliber and larger and discuss their history, legacy, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. We discuss almost everything from the 500 Nitro all the way up to the 700 Nitro Express in this episode (to include some real retina detaching and clavicle breaking offerings like the 577 T-Rex and the 600 Overkill).

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true at in South Africa's Limpopo Province where we offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. Plus, we're offering our remaining hunts for October and November 2024 at a fantastic discount! Visit bestsafarihunt.com or contact me directly at [email protected] to learn more.

Email me at that same address with subject line "podcast hunt" if you're interested in joining us on our upcoming Africa podcast hunt 19-28 July 2025.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday (along with my weekly ammo supply updates).

I highly recommend purchasing a copy of Kevin Robertson's books It Shouldn't Happen and The Perfect Shot II. You will not be disappointed with either book. Get copies of each one on Amazon here (affiliate link, commissions earned).

YouTube videos referenced:

Ferocious Recoil Of 577 T-Rex On Display

David Petzal & Art Alphin Interview About Hannibal Rifle in .577 T-Rex

Charging Buffalo Stopped By 500 NE Shot At Close Range

Below are links to Kevin's previous appearances on the show:

Ep 97: Africa Hunting Bullets 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 103: Africa Hunting Rifles 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 124: Cape Buffalo Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 125: Cape Buffalo Hunting 101 Part 2 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 154: Leopard Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 155: Lion Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 176: Elephant Conservation With Kevin Robertson

Ep 177: Elephant Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 178: Crocodile Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 179: Hippopotamus Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 205: Hunting Africa With A Lever Action Rifle With Kevin Robertson

Ep 206: Classic Africa Hunting Cartridges With Kevin Robertson

Ep 207: Hyena Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 250: Africa Hunting Trackers 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 252: How To Become A Professional Hunter With Kevin Robertson

Ep 300: .40 Caliber Safari Cartridges With Kevin Robertson

The "quarter bore" section of the ballistics world doesn't get a lot of love, certainly not when compared to the smaller 6mm, or larger 6.5mm, 270 cal, 7mm, or 30 cal bore diameters. Even so, the various 25 caliber cartridges have a very rich history and there some very interesting stories associated with them. In this episode, I hit the highlights of all of the 25 caliber SAAMI certified cartridges (plus a couple of other noteworthy rounds) and discuss their history, legacy, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail.

Cartridges covered: 25 ACP, 25 NAA, 256 Win Mag, 25-20 Winchester, 25-20 Single Shot, 25-35 Winchester, 25 Remington, 250 Savage, 25-45 Sharps, 257 Roberts, 25-06 Remington, 25 WSSM, 257 Weatherby Magnum

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday (along with my weekly ammo supply updates).

Episode 286: 30 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 291: 270 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

I just made it back home from a fantastic couple of days at the Bergara Academy at Queen Mountain Ranch near Evanston, Wyoming. This episode is a short "campfire style" discussion of the highlights of our time up there I did with Collin Russell from Bergara and 4 other media guys from the industry who joined me up there. All told, we talk about what we did at the Bergara Academy, the guns we shot up there, what the course was like, and what our favorite part of the week was.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.

Click here and sign up to enter the random drawing for the custom Garmin chronograph Zak May from episode 326 built. Deadline to enter is 15 August 2024.

Learn more about the Bergara Academy here

Ep 278: Collin Russell on Bergara Rifles Collin's previous appearance on the show

Follow Gavin on Instagram & subscribe to his YouTube channel Ultimate Reloader

Follow Joel on Instagram & subscribe to his YouTube channel Precision Rifle Network

Follow Ray on Instagram & subscribe to his YouTube channel X Ring

Follow Zach on Instagram & subscribe to his YouTube channel Mountains, Mullets, Merica!

Zak May from Reloading Quest is on the show with us today to talk about handloading. We talk about why people should handload, cartridges that are easy to reload for, cartridges that are difficult to reload for, common mistakes people make while handloading, and how Zak recommends getting started.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.

Click here and sign up to enter the random drawing for the custom Garmin chronograph Zak built. Deadline to enter is 15 August 2024.

Follow Zak on Instagram, subscribe to his YouTube channel, and check out his store Extruded Customs.

Cole Tanner from Ozonics Hunting joins me on the show today to talk about the ozone devices they manufacture and sell to hunters as a way to minimize the chances of game smelling them afield. I know, it sounds too good to be true, but I've used an Ozonics unit for a long time myself now and I've seen firsthand how beneficial they can be afield. In fact, I'm certain it helped me take a couple of animals under conditions where there's no way I would have been successful without an ozonics unit. Well, Cole is going to tell us all about the how and why these ozonics units work, the situations they're best suited for, how to get the most out of them afield, and a little about their current product.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.

For more information about these Ozonics units, or to purchase one for yourself, go to https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ozone

Use promo code PRESEASON for 20% off ANY order (to include their brand new HR 600). This offer expires on 29 July 2024, so you have a limited time to take advantage of that discount.

I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we discuss the 300 Blackout vs 7.62x39mm. These two cartridges are remarkably similar in performance at first glance, but if you dig deeper, you'll see there are some substantial differences in some other key areas that lurk just below the surface. We'll explore all of those things in more detail here in this episode.

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true at in South Africa's Limpopo Province where we offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. Plus, we're offering our remaining hunts for October and November 2024 at a fantastic discount! Visit bestsafarihunt.com or contact me directly at [email protected] to learn more.

Email me at that same address with subject line "podcast hunt" if you're interested in joining us on our upcoming Africa podcast hunt 19-28 July 2025.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday (along with my weekly ammo supply updates).

300 Blackout vs 7.62x39: What You Need To Know – Blog article referenced in podcast

Best 300 Blackout Ammo For Hunting - 300 Blackout hunting ammo recommendations

Best 7.62x39 Ammo For Hunting - 7.62x39 hunting ammo recommendations

Best Hunting Rifles Under $500 - Budget hunting rifle recommendations

Best Hunting Ear Protection For Sportsmen – Ear protection recommendations

Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting - Rifle scope recommendations

Best Hunting Rifle Slings - Rifle sling recommendations

It has been awhile since I've had someone on the show to talk about a truly wild and crazy hunt. To that end, I have a guest on the podcast today with me with a hair raising tale to share with you. When I first started attending church after I moved to town, people there started asking me what I do. Without exception, every single person I met told me I needed to talk to Terry Morgan about a hunt he went on up in Canada many years ago where a crazy set of circumstances resulted in him being adrift on an ice burg floating out into the open ocean one morning. Well, Terry is going to tell us the whole story of that hunt today.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.

Ep 130: Joseph von Benedikt On Caribou Hunting – Podcast referenced in episode

This episode releases on the 4th of July, so I thought it was fitting to not only do a cartridge comparison, but focus on two cartridges that have played prominent roles in US military conflicts over the past half century: the 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO on one side vs the 7.62x39mm on the other. The 5.56 vs 7.62x39mm debate kicked off right after military forces using those cartridges first met in the jungles of Vietnam during the 1960s and has never really ended as shooters continue to intensely argue the strengths and weaknesses of each cartridge in sporting goods shops, gun magazines, online forums, and shooting ranges across the country. In this episode, I do my best to sort through the 223/5.56 vs 7.62x39mm debate in an even handed manner in order to help you make an informed decision on which one is right for you.

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true at in South Africa's Limpopo Province where we offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. Plus, we're offering our remaining hunts for October and November 2024 at a fantastic discount! Visit bestsafarihunt.com or contact me directly at [email protected] to learn more.

Email me at that same address with subject line "podcast hunt" if you're interested in joining us on our upcoming Africa podcast hunt in July 2025.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday (along with my weekly ammo supply updates).

223/5.56 vs 7.62x39: Some Unexpected Pros & Cons – Blog article referenced in podcast

Best 223 Remington Ammo For Hunting - 223 Remington hunting ammo recommendations

Best 7.62×39 Ammo For Hunting Deer & Other Big Game - 223 Remington hunting ammo recommendations

Best Hunting Rifles Under $500 - Budget hunting rifle recommendations

Best Hunting Ear Protection For Sportsmen – Ear protection recommendations

Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting - Rifle scope recommendations

Best Hunting Rifle Slings - Rifle sling recommendations

Ryan Hoover of Handgun Hunters International is on the show with us today to talk about hunting with a handgun. We discuss one of his more memorable handgun hunts, reasons why people enjoy hunting with a handgun, why handgun hunting is more challenging than hunting with a rifle in some ways, popular handgun models for hunters, and of course, practical ballistics and caliber selection for handgun hunters.

Sponsor: Go to HuntingGuns101.com and Sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.

Learn more about Handgun Hunters International here, follow them on Instagram @handgunhuntersint, follow them on YouTube, and/or call/email Ryan at [email protected] or 830-456-8613