Maybe you had no idea you could actually even fly with your firearms checked on a flight, maybe you did but haven’t done it before, or maybe you have done it, but still feel a little uneasy about it and aren’t totally sure how best to handle it next time – Never fear! Reuben and Adam join Jimmy and Mark to discuss this very topic. These two guys work in our dealer sales and training department and do range days and competitions and hunts all over the country so they fly with firearms all the time. After all that experience, they’ve been able to boil down how you should approach the situation with no fear of getting taken to that scary dark room in the back. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

Nothing preserves memories in the field better than a well-taken photo, so we sat down with Wyatt Cole and Erik Barber to talk about all-things “getting started in photography”. Listen in for great tips and tricks on getting the perfect shot. Whether you’re shooting on a fancy mirrorless camera with a lens that costs more than your truck payment, or snapping away on your phone, this episode covers everything you need to capture a wall hanger of a different variety.

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

At one point or another, we all have to mount a scope to our rifle. Besides getting good gear and adhering to proper torque specs/sequences, leveling your riflescope is one of the most important things we do in order to set ourselves up for success at the range. The internet is full of differing opinions on how to properly do the job, but the fact remains, you can’t argue with physics, and that’s exactly what Nick Laufenberg used in this 10 minute conversation with Jimmy to explain how to properly level your long range riflescope. Spoiler alert – it may not be perfectly level to your rifle! This was Part 2 of a longer conversation between Jimmy and Nick. If you missed part 1, Nick started by explaining how rifle cant can affect your accuracy at long range and the importance of having your reticle level to the earth when you take your shot. Check it out.

Nick Laufenberg joins Jimmy to discuss the effect of rifle cant on accuracy at long range. If you’ve ever wondered why some people put bubble levels on their riflescope and whether or not it’s just to look cool with some extra range bling – here’s your answer. Spoiler alert – just a little bit of cant can absolutely cause you to miss! Nick brought charts and specific examples to show you exactly how important a level reticle (notice we didn’t say rifle) for your shot is. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this same conversation as it naturally transitioned into the question – “How should I actually go about leveling my riflescope when I mount it??”

The number one reason to wear camo: Conceal yourself from game. The number one reason to avoid wearing camo: Every non-hunter you encounter will hit you with the same unavoidable joke  - “Whoa, I didn’t see you there”  -  forcing you into the same polite laugh you’ve responded with Lord knows how many times. Regardless, there’s no doubt camouflage can have a positive impact on your hunt. In this podcast we cover the importance of camo, how it works, it’s evolution, hunt tactics you can use to enhance concealment, wearing solids, weapon and game-specific considerations and a whole lot 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

Ian Klemm joins Jimmy and Mark for 10 minutes to blow some minds. Does barrel break-in even matter?? Conventional wisdom says “Yes” and perhaps there’s some truth to that, but Ian would argue it’s not nearly as important as the internet wants you to believe and that you don’t need to waste a ton of time/ammo to get your barrel ready to shoot extremely accurately – Even with hand-made custom barrels! Tune in to hear why and let us know your thoughts on barrel break-in, too. This one was in response to a ton of feedback on our full-length Barrels podcast with Ian, so keep those suggestions, questions and ideas coming! Best spot to throw them out is on Instagram by messaging @vortexnationpodcast

Reuben and Scott Parks (Back from our Long Range series some time ago!) join Jimmy and Mark to discuss the topic of making your rifle fit you. This is a broad topic that can really go in a lot of different directions – proper stock/chassis choice and setup, proper optic setup, and probably most importantly – a good understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship and plain good shooting. Scott also talks natural point of aim and the fact that shooting a heavier recoiling rifle can often times immediately point out any shooting fundamentals you’re doing wrong or have gotten a little lazy about.

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

Just when you thought they were done, Jimmy and Mark carried on Westward to LA to meet up with Damyan Tuchenishki from Renner Racing Development, a highly specialized Subaru racing shop that helped Jimmy remotely along the way during the Forester build process. They talk even more about why Subaru’s are awesome, what goes into making their record-breaking time attack cars, the history of their shop, and a whole lot more. Stay tuned, too, because the crew at Renner is set to do a little more work on the Forester from here to make it even better for future Podventures!

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

First off – we made it to Arizona AND hunted all four days we intended to hunt, so we can already say this is a marked improvement over the last podventure. Mark and Jimmy sit down in a hotel room on an oddly rainy southern Arizona evening around midnight or so to talk about one of the most challenging but immensely fun hunts they’ve ever done. They give the rundown on how the Subaru performed going cross-country and then offroading around the AZ desert, lessons learned bowhunting coues deer in some seriously brutal terrain, glassing tips, and how effectively stalking deer is a lot like mimicking tigers on National Geographic.

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

Long rang isn’t limited to rifles. Today’s hunting bows are technologically advanced engineering marvels built to send projectiles to their intended target with astonishing precision. Mark and Jimmy sit down with Evan Williams of Hoyt, to chat through wringing out every last ounce of performance from your compound bow. This is pretty nerdy stuff - all geared toward maximizing your effective range and the capability of you and your setup. We cover everything from the anatomy of your bow, break in, tuning, paper tuning, getting optimal arrow flight/terminal performance to the color pink being cool and a whole lot 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