The Nitro Express Podcast

In episode 56, Matthew and Jon want to dispel a common myth, safari rifles must cost $10,000 or more. We cover plains game and dangerous game rifle recommendations as well as ammo suggestions. We break it down into three categories: new, used, and classic. Cravat, dangerous game rifles are not overly budget friendly, but this is a life sustaining piece of kit, so keep that in mind. We hope you enjoy and we will catch you on the next one. Thanks for listening! As always, feel free to reach out to us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Shane Wolfe from Hunt the West. Shane is Ethan Hale's business partner. They offer application strategy and outfitter recommendations for hunting all species in the western United States. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact them for more information, email Shane at shane@huntthewest.com, visit their website www.huntthewest.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. Thanks for listening!

In episode 55, Jon and Matthew sit down with Dr. Brian Bilderback, a double Doctorate with degrees in both Law and Psychology. Brian dives into the brain and the neurological and psychological aspects of what makes us enjoy hunting, the positive re-enforcements, the cultural and physical health benefits of hunting and spending time in the outdoors.Thank you for listening and as always, feel free to contact us at thenitroexpressodcast@gmail.com.

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Landon Stone from Nighthawk Custom/Cooper Rifles of Arkansas. Nighthawk has long been the gold standard in 1911s and has recently acquired Cooper Rifles and is bringing new life into an iconic brand. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact Cooper Rifles for more information, visit their website at cooperrifles.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. Thanks for listening!

In episode 54, Jon and Matthew sit down with one of the best local turkey hunting experts, LE. LE has over 45 years of turkey hunting expertise. LE breaks down strategy, calls, gear, shotguns, ammunition, and general know how. We hope you enjoy and hope you considered subscribing/following and sharing us with your friends.As always, feel free to reach out to us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Van's son, Ethan, from White Mountain Trophy Outfitters/Van Hale's Trophy Outfitters. Van is who Jon, Matthew, LE, and Lucas bear hunted with from our episode "Apache Bear" and was the story "Bear Witness" in the June 2025 issue of Safari Magazine. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact them for more information, visit their social media or their website www.wm-to.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. The cover photo is from our bear hunt. Thanks for listening!

Episode 53 is a special look at a hot topic. In this episode, Jon and Matthew sit down with Christo of Mabula Pro Safaris to share some real truth and experience with you from a lion breeder and safari operation. We encourage you to listen with an open mind and focus on facts, not opinion. This is a touchy subject, but it is one worth exploring and we hope you get some fresh perspective from a man who is in the industry and was kind enough to take the time to share the truth about the current situation with us.If this interests you, check out our other lion episodes: Lion Hunting Considerations and CBL as well as Lion Hunting Technicalities. Again, a big thank you to Mr. Christo! Thank you for listening and we look forward to hearing from you. Here is a link to Christo's website if you would like to book with him. https://mabulaprosafaris.co.za/contact-us/ We'll catch you on the next one! Cover photo is from some excellent taxidermy seen on display at the SCI show.

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Keith from Jack Atcheson and Sons booking agency. Keith is who Jon has booked many, many hunts with. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact them for more information, visit their website www.atcheson.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. The cover photo is Keith and his son Andrew. Thanks for listening!

In episode 52, Jon and Matthew dive into the occult, mystical, and cryptic world of changing ammunition in double rifles. As you know, changing ammunition can cause extreme detrimental performance in the accuracy of your double rifle. However, in this episode, Matthew and Jon share the process of tailoring your hand loaded ammunition to get the most accuracy out of your double rifle. They break down the steps, their process, and valuable lessons along the way.Two reference materials you must have:Shooting the British Double Rifle by Graeme WrightWoodleigh Bullets Reloading Manual or the manual of the bullet of your choiceThank you for listening! We hope you enjoyed. Please consider following the show if you haven't, sharing us with a friend, or sharing your thoughts on social media. We really appreciate it. As always, reach out with your thoughts, comments, and questions to our email thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Tim Land from Parkwest Arms. Parkwest is the re-birth of Don Allen's Dakota Arms. You all know how Matthew feels about his Dakota 76 in 280 Remington. Parkwest is, in our opinion, making some of the finest rifles in the world. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact them for more information, visit their social media or their website www.parkwestarms.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. Thanks for listening!

In episode 51, Jon and Matthew give an overview of the convention, folks they saw, new friends they met, and overall impressions of the show. It is an amazing opportunity to see some of the best in the industry in the same place at the same time.As mentioned, THANK YOU for listening, reaching out, and sharing us with friends. As always, feel free to email us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you in the field!

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Phillip from Phillip Bronkhorst Safaris. Phillip is who Matthew's first safari was with in 2019. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact Phillip for more information, email phillip@pbsafaris.co.za or info@pbsafaris.co.za or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. He is also very active on all social media platforms. Thanks for listening!

Friends, in these new segments that will drop every Wednesday starting on February 25, 2026 we sit down with some of the best from the 2026 SCI National Convention in Nashville. Again, we are not in any way sponsored, we just wanted to share some of who we believe are the best with you.In this episode, we sit down with Ivan from Limcroma Safaris. Limcroma is who we will be hunting with in June 2026. We hope you enjoy! If you would like to contact Limcroma for more information, email office@limcroma.com or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com and we can get you in touch. Thanks for listening!

Friends, we have some red hot awesome material coming out for you. In the series starting tomorrow, Feb 21, 2026 we interview some of our favorite people in our business. We are not sponsored by any of them, but wanted to share some of the best quality folks with you. Episodes will drop regularly on Wednesday starting on February 25th. If you're interested in getting ahold of them, check the episode description for contact information or send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com.

In episode 50, Jon and Matthew walk you through their 10 step process of load development to get the most performance out of your hunting rifle. This is a more technical deep dive, but is invaluable information if you want to get serious about performance and getting the absolute most out of your rifle.Thank you for listening and we look forward to hearing from you via email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

In episode 49, Jon and Matthew compare the common bigger bolt action cartridges: 416s and 458s. We delve into the history and ballistics of the 416 Remington Magnum, 416 Rigby, 458 Winchester Magnum, and the 458 Lott. Thank you for listening and feel free to correspond with us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

In episode 48, Jon and Matthew breakdown some of the general principles of kudu hunting. Discussed is rifle cartridges, bullet choice, and general habits and general species information on one of Africa's greatest trophies. Jon and Matthew both share some hunting stories as well.Thank you for listening! If you would like a copy of the brochure for Zander Lourens Safaris or to communicate in general, send us an email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

In episode 47, Matthew and Jon share their thoughts on Matthew's new Bergara 17HMR and his Banish 22 suppressor. Topics covered include ammo prices, comparing 22LR, 22 Magnum, and 17HMR as well as some thoughts on suppressors and rimfire cartridges for small game. Matthew's Bergara shot a 3 shot group that measure .113 inches at 100 yards (cover photo).Thank you for listening and please subscribe and share us with your friends! As always, reach out to us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

In episode 46, Matthew and Jon dive deeper into the rifles, cartridges, and sighting systems. Jon also shares two more lion hunting stories and Matthew shares some of the structure of the pride and gives a chronological look at the life of male lions. Thank you for listening and we hope you enjoyed! As always, feel free to correspond with us at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com

In episode 45, Jon and Matthew dive into the hot topic of captive bred lion hunting and Jon shares two stories about hunting lions in South Africa. This is part one of a two part series. As always, the rifle, cartridge, and bullet are discussed as well as some thought on conservation and how sable became more prevalent in South Africa. Thank you for listening and we hope you have enjoyed it. As always, feel free to correspond with us via email at thenitroexpresspodcast@gmail.com.