Backcountry Hunting Podcast

It's been six years since the Northern Shrike custom hunting knife was conceived. Incredibly, there's no corner of the (legally huntable) world remaining where it hasn't been carried by intrepid hunters. This episode takes a look at why it's so extraordinary, and gives a sneak peek at what our Spring 2026 "Blue Collar" edition is going to be like. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Friends, I'll be at the Dallas Safari Club in early February. We'll be holding meet-and-greet visits at booth 3216 Friday and Saturday 10-to-noon, and 3-5pm. Use code JOSEPH26 to get 25% off your entry tickets, and come swap hunting dreams and make plans with us!  We'll also have Rob Gearing, owner of Spartan Precision Equipment, and Neal Lane, proprietor of Lane Firearms & Appraisals, visiting and answering questions with us.  See you all there! 

What is the best cartridge for a kid or beginning hunter to start with? In this episode William (a.k.a. the Backcountry Apprentice) and host Joseph von Benedikt sit down and debate the merits of 14 different cartridge candidates for the title of "Best Kid Cartridge." By process of elimination, we boil it down to just one. Our top pick may surprise you... This episode was great fun, folks. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

SHOT Show 2026 is drawing to a close, and a ton of great new rifles, shotguns, handguns, scopes, binoculars, cartridges, bullets, and other gear has just been introduced. In this episode, we sit down with gunwriting and YouTube legend Ron Spomer and talk about the coolest new products we saw at the show. There some great stuff coming down the pipeline. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

WHICH IS BEST: .270 Winchester or .30-06 Springfield? In this episode I sit down with the William vB—the "Backcountry Apprentice" himself, and we hash out the pros and cons of each cartridge, discussing:  Cartridge versatility Bullet weight ranges Modern bullets available Best factory loads Best bullets for handloading Which is more optimal for whitetails and other deer-size game Which is better for elk and for hunting Africa This one was a ton of fun, folks... We hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed making it!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Q&A: Best Bullets for Vintage Rifles, Best Moose Cartridge, First Guns for Kids, Barrel Cleaning, Kill Kit Contents, and More! In this episode we answer great questions on a variety of topics, including:  Best bullets for classic (vintage) rifles NAS3 high-pressure cartridge cases Velocity expansion thresholds for monometal bullets Best boots for stalking in Africa Ultimate moose rifle and cartridge Best first rifle for kids Barrel cleaning and accuracy degradation Kill Kit contents: most crucial gear Best carbon-fiber rifle stocks Affordable Cape Buffalo hunts Hosted Hunts with the podcast ENJOY!      FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   Email us questions here: backcountryhuntingpodcast@gmail.com   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Rigby of London is debatably the most famous maker of fine double-barrel rifles and (bolt-action) magazine rifles in history. Jim Corbett used a .275 Rigby to hunt many of the maneating tigers and leopards he killed. Harry Selby carried a .416 Rigby while guiding Robert Ruark. The Rigby Rising Bite double rifle is considered by many savants to be the finest of its type ever made. And so forth.  In this extraordinary episode, we're joined by Rigby of London CEO Marc Newton, who walks us through the company's 250-year history, the design and manufacturing ethos behind Rigby's outstanding bolt-action and double rifles, and the future of the company. We talk about top cartridge choices for everything from red stag to elephant, and Marc shares the stories of his favorite hunts. This episode is special, folks. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

"When you don't have a pack raft, a river or body of water is a barrier. When you do have a raft, that water becomes a highway."  This episode we're joined with Alpacka Raft founder Thor Tingey. Thor grew up in Alaska, adventure-rafting, hunting, and fishing across most of the state. Alpacka packable rafts are the culmination of decades worth of experience and wisdom. Incredible though it sounds, a moose-capable raft weighs just 15 pounds and rolls up as small as a backpacking tent. These boats are game-changers, folks. Listen in and learn just how effective they are and in how many creative ways they can be used. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Lots of hunters and shooters complain about new cartridges. "My .270 will do anything that stupid new (insert cartridge name here) can do!" Is that a fact.  In this episode, we explore whether cutting-edge new cartridges actually have an advantage over proven classic cartridges. To showcase the concept, we pit the legendary .270 Winchester against the racy new 6.5 WBY RPM, but we include a ton of other classic and new cartridges in the discussion too. This was a fun one and is sure to ruffle some feathers and turn the crank on a lot of hunters and shooters. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

If you had to face a charging cape buffalo, elephant, or grizzly bear, would you want a big-bore bolt-action or a double rifle? This episode was recorded in Mozambique, where we had the opportunity to sit down with two dangerous-game professional hunters and guides who have opposing views: one prefers a double rifle; the other likes a bolt action. We swapped stories and debated the virtues and weaknesses of each rifle type. This one was a ton of fun folks. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

We're live in the tropical forests of Mozambique, in one of the most remote safari camps in the world. This episode was recorded right after hunting two magnificent old dagga boy cape buffalo bulls in the floodplains of the Zambeze River delta, while the experience was still fresh and raw.  One buffalo was taken with a 125-year-old Westley Richards double rifle in .450/400 Nitro; the other with a Winchester Model 70 .375 H&H. Early November heat combined with unseasonal rains combined to make it both humid and torrid... a proper tropical experience. We waded waist-deep through crocodile-infested swamps, bled on the head-high sawgrass, and walked miles across broken, crusted mud flats. It was an experience we'll remember for a lifetime, and here we share the stories. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Shooting skill can be crucial at the moment of truth, especially on elk. Good opportunities are often hard-earned, particularly when hunting DIY, on public land, with an over-the-counter tag.  This episode details two very special hunts, when my sons each shot their first bull. Both were in challenging scenarios, and both boys did everything right. There are a lot of proud father moments in this episode! Analyzing the rapidly evolving situations these boys encountered as well as the marksmanship demands on them as hunters reveals a lot about how to effectively kill elk—even when the odds are stacked against you. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Hunting season is in full swing, and the stories, questions, and reports are pouring in! This episode we dive deep into concerns and questions from our loyal listeners, addressing everything from how to set up a guide rifle for grizzlies to picking a whitetail cartridge to choosing a bullet for Africa. ENJOY!   FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

This just might be the coolest new rifle introduction of the year! Lipsey's and Ruger have teamed up to create this quick-handling, hard-hitting bush rifle chambered in two of history's coolest powerhouse cartridges. These rifles are available now, through your Lipsey's-associated local dealer. Links are below. ENJOY!  Ruger M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle in .35 Whelen Ruger M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle in 9.3x62   FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Want to shoot, process, and pack out 5 mature bull moose in 3.5 days? Me neither, but that's what professional elk guide Tate Bradfield and his group did last month. This episode, Tate tells us about the rifles, cartridges, and bullets the five hunters choose for their special trip (which included the taking of a Boone & Crockett bull!) and shares his observations on the various results. He also has some sage advice about shooting moose in thigh-deep water, as well as useful suggestions on how to pack moose quarters on the bone. ENJOY!   FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry Visit Tate Bradfield's guiding, learning, and tag application services. Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

If you had to own and use just one hunting knife for the rest of your life, what would it be? This episode we go over blade characteristics, types of steel, handle shapes and material, edge geometry, field sharpening, and more. Custom knifemaker Evan Siembida lends his expertise and walks through the process of designing and building a truely capable hunting knife. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

By a crackling fireplace in a 200-year-old Victorian hunting lodge in Scotland, we sit down and record a hunt recap. Red stag, sika stag, and salmon fishing are on the topic list, and we hash out crucial gear, hunt methods, stalking and shooting expectations, and more as we tell great success stories. ENJOY!   FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

This episode was recorded in the field while hunting rut-crazed big bull elk in New Mexico's high country with the 7mm Backcountry cartridge and a super-accurate ultralight hunting rifle. The hunt was a struggle, but several big gnarly bulls hit the ground and filled our freezers. We add gear notes, seasonal tips, and what did and didn't work... ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com

Have you ever dreamed of hunting a huge Red Stag in New Zealand? So have we... so we got a couple of experts on the phone and unpacked just how to get it done, along with chasing big fallow deer, himalayan tahr, chamois, and even Roosevelt elk on the tip of the South Island. This was one of the coolest and most informative episodes we've done in a long time. ENJOY!    FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!  Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material on www.patreon.com/backcountry   Check out our new "recommended outfitters" hunt booking agency! We're super excited about this venture that allows us to share our favorite destinations around the world with our loyal listeners. We'll also be doing hosted hunts each year, which will be available first to our loyal listeners on Patreon.  We have a new advertising partner! Check out Swift Bullets, known and trusted as the best of the best by most African Dangerous Game specialists.  It's Porter's Firearms' 30-year anniversary this month! They're offering some incredible deals specifically to podcast listeners. Call Shane Porter at 870-701-0504 for details.    VISIT ALL OUR SPONSORS HERE:  www.timneytriggers.com www.browning.com www.leupold.com www.siembidacustomknives.com www.onxmaps.com www.silencercentral.com https://www.portersfirearms.com/ https://javelinbipod.com www.swiftbullets.com