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

In this episode, Kevin Robertson and I cover the most popular .40 caliber safari cartridges and discuss their history, legacy, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. We discuss almost everything from the 450/400 all the way up to the 470 Nitro Express in this episode (to include some more obscure offerings like the 500/416 and the 416 Taylor as well as old standbys like the 416 Rigby and 458 Win Mag).

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).

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. Go to thebiggamehuntingblog.com/kevin to get copies of each one.

Make sure you protect your hearing during hunting season by wearing ear protection while you're afield. Visit thebiggamehuntingblog.com/earbuds to purchase a set of the new AXIL XCOR earbuds that are comfortable to wear, offer great ear protection, provide excellent hearing enhancement, and also have bluetooth connectivity. Plus, you'll also get the best pricing on them in the process through that link.

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

Show notes: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/40-caliber-safari-cartridges-kevin-robertson/

Most of these cartridges are wonderful for all sorts of hunting, to include an African safari hunt for plains game and/or for cape buffalo hunting. Get in touch with Big Game Hunting Adventures (be sure to mention you're a podcast listener) if you have a 404, a 450/400, 416, a 458, or a 470 you'd like to take on a hunt in Africa!

Next up in our ongoing Africa hunting mini-series is an interview Axel Kramer, the President of the Namibia Professional Hunting Association (or NAPHA). Axel was kind enough to take a break from his busy schedule to discuss NAPHAs new Age Related Trophy Measuring system they recently implemented in order to incentivize hunters to harvest older animals. We'll discuss why they implemented this new measuring system, the benefits they hope to see from this new system down the line, and we'll also get a little bit into the "nuts and bolts" of the new Age Related Trophy Measuring system and what it means for visiting hunters.

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).

Make sure you protect your hearing during hunting season by wearing ear protection while you're afield. Visit thebiggamehuntingblog.com/earbuds to purchase a set of the new AXIL XCOR earbuds that are comfortable to wear, offer great ear protection, provide excellent hearing enhancement, and also have bluetooth connectivity. Plus, you'll also get the best pricing on them in the process through that link.

Learn more about the Namibia Professional Hunting Association here.

Learn more about NAPHA's new Age Related Trophy Measuring System here.

Show notes: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/napha-art/

In this episode, I go over a few novel taxidermy ideas as well as some other alternatives to taxidermy that can serve some of the same purposes as traditional taxidermy without as many as the downsides of taxidermy. Taxidermy is often a big part of an African safari hunt, so I'm including this episode in my ongoing Africa mini-series. However, a lot of the stuff I talk about in this episode can also apply to hunts elsewhere in the world too.

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).

Make sure you protect your hearing during hunting season by wearing ear protection while you're afield. Visit thebiggamehuntingblog.com/earbuds to purchase a set of the new AXIL XCOR earbuds that are comfortable to wear, offer great ear protection, provide excellent hearing enhancement, and also have bluetooth connectivity. Plus, you'll also get the best pricing on them in the process through that link.

Episode 294: First African Hunting Safari With Scott Spanton

Episode 264: Logistics of Hunting Africa Part 2 (Taxidermy)

Episode 107: Taxidermy Best Practices

Podcast African Safari Hunt Video

Sample African Safari Hunt Video

Journi App

In this episode, I cover the most popular 9.3mm and 375 caliber CIP and/or SAAMI certified cartridges and discuss their history, legacy, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. Most of those cartridges are very popular for hunting Africa, but as you'll learn here shortly, that's not the case with all of them. Indeed, a couple are uniquely American or European hunting cartridges and a couple of others aren't even hunting cartridges at all!

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).

Make sure you protect your hearing during hunting season by wearing ear protection while you're afield. Visit thebiggamehuntingblog.com/earbuds to purchase a set of the new AXIL XCOR earbuds that are comfortable to wear, offer great ear protection, provide excellent hearing enhancement, and also have bluetooth connectivity. Plus, you'll also get the best pricing on them in the process through that link.

Episode 291: 270 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide

Episode 286: 30 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide

Episode 267: 9.3x62mm Mauser Profile

Episode 206: Classic Africa Hunting Cartridges With Kevin Robertson

9.3x62mm Mauser Cartridge Profile

375 H&H Magnum Cartridge Profile

375 Ruger Cartridge Profile

Show notes: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/9-3mm-amp-375-caliber/

Most of these cartridges (but especially the 9.3x62, 9.3x74R, 375 H&H, and 375 Ruger) are wonderful for all sorts of hunting, to include an African safari hunt for plains game and/or for cape buffalo hunting. Get in touch with Big Game Hunting Adventures (be sure to mention you're a podcast listener) if you have a 9.3 or a 375 you'd like to take on a hunt in Africa!

Though it is well over a century old, does not possess eye popping ballistics, the 404 Jeffery was massively popular among the most serious African big game hunters for much of the 20th Century and still maintains an almost cult-like following among a certain segments of the hunting community to this day. I'll tell you exactly why that's the case in this episode where I discuss the history as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the 404 Jeffery in detail. I also provide some information on how the 404 Jeffery compares to two other popular and capable dangerous game rifles cartridges in the 375 H&H Magnum and the 416 Rigby to give you an idea of what sort of performance you can expect from the cartridge and so you can decide if it best fits your needs as a hunter.

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

Stop by and say hello to Kobus, Christian, and I (2 of my African Professional Hunters) at the Bridge Bar in the Renaissance Nashville Hotel after the Safari Club International convention 7-9pm on Thursday, 1 February & Friday, 2 February. I have a couple of really cool pieces of Big Game Hunting Podcast swag I will give to the first 5 podcast listeners who come by! Email me at [email protected] if you'll be joining us.

Address is: 611 Commerce St, Nashville, TN 37203

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. Visit bestsafarihunt.com to learn more or contact me directly at [email protected]. Make sure you say you heard about Big Game Hunting Adventures through The Big Game Hunting Podcast for a special bonus!

The 404 Jeffery is a wonderful cartridge for all sorts of hunting, to include an African safari for plains game and especially for cape buffalo hunting. Get in touch with Big Game Hunting Adventures (be sure to mention you're a podcast listener) if you have a 404 you'd like to take on a hunt in Africa!

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).

404 Jeffery: Africa's Unsung Dangerous Game Caliber

375 H&H Magnum: Ultimate Guide

416 Rigby: A Classic African Big Game Cartridge

6.8 Western: Guide to Winchester & Browning's New Cartridge

I'm back home from a quick trip up to Las Vegas for the 2024 SHOT show and put together a quick bonus episode for you that will hit some of the highlights of the show along with some of the more notable new products as well as updates and/or expansions to existing product lines announced there. Not a lot of earth shattering news this year, but there were still a couple of pretty cool developments that came out of the show.

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

Stop by and say hello to Kobus, Christian, and I (2 of my African Professional Hunters) at the Bridge Bar in the Renaissance Nashville Hotel after the Safari Club International convention 7-9pm on Thursday, 1 February & Friday, 2 February. I have a couple of really cool pieces of Big Game Hunting Podcast swag I will give to the first 5 podcast listeners who come by! Email me at [email protected] if you'll be joining us.

Address is: 611 Commerce St, Nashville, TN 37203

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. Visit bestsafarihunt.com to learn more or contact me directly at [email protected]. Make sure you say you heard about Big Game Hunting Adventures through The Big Game Hunting Podcast for a special bonus!

Scott Spanton is a long-time podcast listener from Australia and he has hunted in South Africa Big Game Hunting Adventures twice: once in April of 2022 and once in October of 2023. For that reason, Scott has a unique perspective on what it's like hunting very early in the hunting season vs very late in the hunting season. Plus, he used rifles in 7mm Rem Mag and 300 WSM on these hunts and can share some personal experiences on how those two cartridges worked over there. We also talk about a few lessons Scott learned along the way and share some of the more memorable aspects of each hunt.

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. Visit bestsafarihunt.com to learn more or contact me directly at [email protected]. Make sure you say you heard about Big Game Hunting Adventures through The Big Game Hunting Podcast for a special bonus!

Learn more cartridges and ammunition that are best suited for hunting various species of African plains game.

How to fill out the SAPS 520 form (which you'll need to do if you're hunting or transiting South Africa and bringing a rifle)

Resources

Follow my account (@thebiggamehunter_) and the Big Game Hunting Adventures account (@biggamehuntingadventures) on Instagram to see the photo of Scott's waterbuck.

We're kicking off our 2024 Africa mini-series this week and we have the perfect guest to do just that: Phil Massaro is back on the show with us today to talk about an intense leopard hunt he did back in 2023 with Tanya Blake Safaris in Zimbabwe.

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).

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. Visit bestsafarihunt.com to learn more or contact me directly at [email protected]. Make sure you say you heard about Big Game Hunting Adventures through The Big Game Hunting Podcast for a special bonus!

Phil used a Leupold VX-3HD scope on this hunt, which is one of my best hunting scope recommendations.

Resources

Tanya Blake Safaris Instagram & Web Site

PhilMassaro.com – Phil's Web Site, Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter Pages

The American Hunter & Gun Digest

Todd Ramirez Custom Rifles

Ep 267: 9.3x62mm Mauser Profile

9.3x62mm Mauser: Your Ultimate Guide

Ep 180: Double Rifles With Phil Massaro

Ep 158: Leopard Hunting Using Hounds With Gavin Lipjes

Ep 157: Africa Hunting Expectations Part 2 With Phil Massaro

Ep 154: Leopard Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson

Ep 85: Plains Game Hunting With Phil Massaro

Ep 75: Big Bore Rifles With Phil Massaro

We have a special guest on the show with us today: Adam Wies, better known as WHO-TEE_ WHO on YouTube. Adam is back on the show to talk with us about his busy 2023 hunting season, the very unique deer he took on a hunt in Utah, the guns and ammo he used on those hunts, and what the future is looking like for him.

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).

Resources

Ep 233: Adam Wies (aka WHO_TEE_WHO) – Podcast referenced in episode

Ep 220: Pronghorn and Bison Hunting In Colorado – Podcast referenced in episode

Follow Adam (WHO TEE WHO) on YouTube and on Instagram, check out his web site, and check out the video we talked about in this episode: 430 Yard Shot On Cactus Buck

While the United States is indeed a country where 30 caliber cartridges reign supreme, the 270 bore diameter can really give the 30 caliber a run for it's money. Indeed, the 270 could even be described as a uniquely American bore diameter. In this episode, I hit the highlights of all of the 270 caliber SAAMI certified cartridges and discuss their history, legacy, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail.

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 – Blog article referenced in podcast

6.8 Western: Guide to Winchester & Browning's New Cartridge – Blog article referenced in podcast

270 vs 30-06 Comparison – Blog article referenced in podcast

6.8 Western vs 6.5 Creedmoor vs 270 WSM Comparison – Blog article referenced in podcast

6.8 SPC vs 6.5 Grendel Comparison - Blog article referenced in podcast

270 vs 308 Comparison – Blog article referenced in podcast

270 vs 7mm Rem Mag Comparison – Blog article referenced in podcast

6.8 Western vs 7mm PRC Comparison – Blog article referenced in podcast

Best 270 Ammo For Hunting -270 Winchester hunting ammo recommendations

Best 270 Rifles For Hunting - 270 Winchester hunting rifle recommendations

Best 6.8 Western Ammo – 6.8 Western Hunting Ammo 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

Show notes: https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/podcast/270-caliber-cartridges/