The Barnes Bullets Podcast

Is there really one "perfect" deer cartridge, or does your zip code dictate the ultimate setup?In this episode of the Barnes Bullets podcast, Dale and Gregg are joined by a new face to the show, Chris Crosby, for a comprehensive breakdown of the Top Deer Cartridges by Region.Whitetail in the thick woods of the Southeast require a vastly different ballistic approach than a Coues deer across a glassing basin in the Southwest, a ghost-like Blacktail in the Pacific Northwest, or a big-bodied Mule Deer on a windy high-plains ridge. The crew takes a strategic look at how terrain, habitat, deer size, and average shot distance dictate the ultimate setup for each corner of the country.In this episode, we cover:Southeast & Northeast: Navigating tight woods, short shot distances, and fast-handling setups for dense brush.Midwest: Balancing open ag fields, timber edges, and heavy-bodied northern Whitetails.Rocky Mountain West & Southwest: Tackling steep country, high winds, extended shot distances, and high-BC requirements for big Mule Deer, Whittails and Coues deer.Pacific Northwest: Purpose-built setups for Blacktail in rain, timber, and coastal ranges.The Ultimate All-American Setup: The guys wrap up by answering the ultimate question—if you could only pick ONE cartridge to hunt every deer species in every region across the entire country, what would it be?Whether you're prepping for a local Whitetail hunt or planning a dream out-of-state trip, this episode breaks down the exact logic and bullet selection needed for every region.

Should you aim for the front shoulder or stick to the classic behind-the-crease heart/lung shot? As November rifle seasons open across the country, making the right shot-placement decision is the difference between an instant drop and a long night of tracking.In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, we break down the ultimate hunter’s debate: High-Shoulder Shots vs. Traditional Behind-the-Shoulder Placement. We analyze the physical ballistics, terminal mechanics, and bullet performance required to anchor big game in their tracks—whether you’re hunting Eastern whitetails in dense timber, big mule deer out West, or heavy-boned elk.

The 30 Cal Deep Dive continues — and this time, we’re getting into the heavy hitters.In Part 2, Dale, Gregg, and Alan are back to break down some of the most popular and capable .30-caliber magnum and short-magnum hunting cartridges, including where they shine, where they overlap, and whether all that extra speed, recoil, and powder is actually worth it.This episode is all about the bigger .30s: short-action magnums, full-size magnums, long-range hunting cartridges, high-velocity loads, recoil, ballistic efficiency, bullet weight, and real-world hunting performance.

Think your rifle barrel will last forever? Think again.Every round you fire puts wear on your barrel—but how quickly can you actually burn one out? And are some cartridges destroying barrels significantly faster than others?In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, Dale sits down with Gregg to tackle one of the most argued-about topics in shooting: rifle barrel life, throat erosion, barrel burners, and what it really means to “shoot out” a barrel.And this isn’t just internet theory.Gregg brings nearly two decades of ballistics-lab experience to the conversation, including real-world photos and video of barrel erosion, throat damage, rifling wear, and barrels that lost performance much faster than many shooters would expect.

What are the best .30 caliber hunting cartridges ever made? In Part 1 of our .30 Cal Deep Dive, Dale and Gregg is joined by Alan from Customer Service to break down some of the most proven short-action and standard hunting cartridges, including the .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and other classic .30-cal options hunters have trusted for decades. We look at real-world hunting performance, velocity, recoil, bullet selection, effective range, rifle setup, and why some cartridges continue to dominate even as newer options hit the market. Is the .30-06 still one of the best all-around hunting cartridges ever designed? Does the .308 Winchester give up more than people think? And do hunters really need a magnum for most North American big game? We break it all down from a practical hunting standpoint. Part 2 takes things up another level as we move into short magnums and full-size magnum .30-cal cartridges.