Big Game Hunting Podcast
The Big Game Hunting Podcast will teach you to how to prepare for the big game hunting adventures you’ve always dreamed about. Our host, John McAdams, is an experienced sportsman with decades of experience afield who has successfully hunted big game like whitetail deer, mule deer, blacktail deer, pronghorn antelope, black bear, Rocky Mountain elk, feral hogs, javelina, cape buffalo, kudu, wildebeest, and other species of African plains game in over a dozen different states and countries. In addition to hosting The Big Game Hunting Podcast, John has authored countless hunting articles in prominent hunting publications and is also the founder of The Big Game Hunting Blog. He will guide you down the path of improving your skills as a hunter, teach you how to pick the best hunting rifle for your needs, conduct caliber comparisons (like 6.5 Creedmoor vs 300 Win Mag and 30-06 vs 270 Winchester) to show you how to pick the best hunting caliber for a specific hunting situation, guide you into the world of muzzleloader hunting, share the hard earned knowledge he has earned over the years pursuing game all over the world, and conduct interviews with internationally recognized experts in the hunting community on topics like cape buffalo hunting in Africa and elk hunting in North America. Regardless of whether you’re dreaming about going plains game or cape buffalo hunting on an African hunting safari, on an elk hunting trip in the Rocky Mountains, on a pronghorn antelope hunting adventure on the windswept plains of Wyoming, on a feral hog hunting expedition in Texas, or just learning more about deer hunting in general, then you’ve found the perfect hunting podcast to learn about turning those dreams of hunting adventures into a reality!
Episodes
I have another cartridge profile for you today where we dive into the specifics of the 35 Whelen and how it stacks up against other popular centerfire rifle cartridges like the 30-06 Springfield, 9.3x62mm Mauser, and 375 H&H Magnum. In this episode I talk about the development of the 35 Whelen, how it compares to those other cartridges, the strengths and weaknesses of the 35 Whelen, and who would be best served by the advantages th...
It sounds crazy when I say it here in September of 2023, but we’re now well into year 3 of the great ammo shortage that’s been ongoing since 2020. Today, I’m going to provide an update on where things stand with regards to ammo and reloading component supply in order to address the questions I'm constantly receiving from listeners: why is ammo still so hard to find, why is stuff still so expensive, and when will things return to no...
Nosler recently added the new Nosler M21 rifle line to their rifle lineup. This rifle isn't cheap, but they make some big promises on how it performs afield. Is the M21 worth the cash? Or are you better off with something else? Well, I had the chance to evaluate a new M21 rifle chambered in 27 Nosler pretty extensively at the range and afield in 2022. Here's what I think about it.
Nosler M21 Review – Blog article referenced in podc...
We have a special guest on the show with us today: Jim Harmer, better known as Backfire on YouTube. I've followed Jim's YouTube channel for a while now and it was great to finally get a chance to talk to him. Today we talk about how he got started in this business, hunting Africa with the 6.5 Creedmoor, the pros and cons of hunting with match bullets, his favorite cartridge and bullet, what the future holds for him, etc.
Please hit...
Long-time podcast listener Austin Brown joined me on the show today to talk about his recent roe deer and chamois hunt with Joseph von Benedikt in Spain. As you’ll learn here shortly, they had an incredible adventure hunting two iconic species of European game in some absolutely stunning country. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows though and they had to deal with some unexpected challenges and adversity on that hunt.
Please hit th...
Ryan Muckenhirn from Vortex joined me on The Big Game Hunting Podcast to talk about their hunting scope and binocular lines. Specifically, we talk about the history of Vortex Optics, what makes their products special, and the details of each individual line of scopes and binoculars. We also discuss the details of the Vortex VIP warranty.
Learn more about Vortex on their web site or call 1-800-4VORTEX to speak to a representative th...
Darren Binder from Muzzle-Loaders.com joins me in episode to talk about some of the new developments in the muzzleloader world for 2023. We talk about a couple of important updates to the muzzleloader world, some of which are good, but some of which are disappointing. On one hand, supplies of certain muzzleloader components have greatly improved in recent months. On the other hand, CVA's (hopefully temporary) suspension of producti...
Aaron Minkus is back on the show today to talk about his return trip to Africa in 2023. He previously hunted Africa back in 2021 as one of the first Americans to make it back to South Africa after the country opened back up after the COVID shut downs (which we talked about in episode 209). He was bitten by the Africa hunting bug on that trip and returned for another fantastic safari this year. In this episode, we talk about how he ...
Christensen Arms recently upgraded their Ridgeline rifle line to include some new offerings utilizing what they call Flash Forged Technology (FFT). Are the new Christensen Arms Ridgeline FFT and FFT Titanium offerings worth the cash? Or are you better off with something else? Well, I took a new Ridgeline FFT chambered in 7mm PRC to Africa this year, where I got a chance to thoroughly test this new rifle out. Here's what I think abo...
I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we dive into the specifics of the 9.3x62mm Mauser and how it stacks up against other popular dangerous game cartridges like the 375 H&H Magnum. In this episode I talk about the development of the 9.3x62mm Mauser, how it compares to the 375 H&H, the 416 Rigby, and the 458 Win Mag, the strengths and weaknesses of the 9.3x62, and who would be best served by the advantages the 9.3...
I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we’ll compare the 6.5 Grendel and 300 Blackout. Both are effective and popular cartridges, especially among those who like to hunt or shoot with the AR-15 platform. Though there’s some overlap in their capabilities, you’ll learn here shortly that there’s a pretty significant divergence in what they’re best suited for. In this episode, I investigate the 6.5 Grendel vs 300 Black...
Better buckle up because today's episode is the one you've been looking for: a detailed analysis of the new 7mm Precision Rifle Cartridge from Hornady. In this episode I talk about the development of the 7mm PRC, how it stacks up against the 6.5 PRC and the 300 PRC, and who would be best served by the advantages the 7mm PRC offers.
7mm PRC: Your Ultimate Guide – Blog article referenced in podcast
I unfortunately ran out of time to really do justice to the taxidermy side of things back in episode 254 where I discussed the logistics of hunting Africa, so that’s what we’re going to talk about today: an overview of how you get my trophies home after your hunt, some common problems I hear a lot of people having, and a little bit of inside baseball about the ugly side of the taxidermy industry in Africa.
As promised, I have a more comprehensive recap of my recent African safari hunt with several podcast listeners for you today. I’ll talk about that hunt in more detail today and provide some reflections on how my equipment, especially my new 7mm PRC rifle, performed.
Watch the video of our hunt here (make sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, like that video, and leave a comment).
Email me at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com and ...
The folks at AXIL sent me a set of the new XCOR ear buds just in time for me to take them on my recent hunt in Africa. I wore them every day over there and holy cow am I impressed with their performance. I still like the GS Extreme ear buds, but I think the new XCOR ear buds are a big step up in quality and fix a lot of the issues people didn’t like about the GS Extreme. In that vein, Weston Harris is back on the show with us today...
Join me, the two podcast listeners who I hunted with in Africa, and 2 of our PHs for an informal "campfire style" discussion of the highlights of our safari!
Subscribe to my Patreon channel to see video from this hunt before I release it elsewhere. Additionally, Patreon subscribers will hear about any potential future podcast hunts before the general public and will also receive first priority on available spots.
I have another cartridge profile for you today where we’ll dive into the details of the 22 Hornet and see how it compares to the 22 Long Rifle, the 22 Magnum, and the 223 Remington. I think you’ll agree with me that, at first glance anyway, it makes a whole lot more sense to use more modern cartridges like the .223 Remington or the .220 Swift instead of the .22 Hornet for small game and varmint hunting. However, even though the car...
I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we’ll compare the 270 Winchester and the 7mm Remington Magnum. Both are effective and useful cartridges with dedicated fan bases, and there’s some overlap in their capabilities, but you’ll learn here shortly that there’s a divergence in what they’re best suited for. In this episode, I investigate the 270 vs 7mm Rem Mag debate in detail and provide some insight into which cartr...
I have another cartridge comparison for you today where we’ll compare the 25-06 Remington and the 30-06 Springfield. I think most hunters would agree the legendary 30-06 Springfield is an excellent all-around hunting cartridge. While it does indeed offer many advantages to hunters, it’s not perfect. Indeed, cartridges like the 25-06 Remington handily outperform the old 30-06 in some areas. But on the other hand, the 30-06 is a sign...
Mark Huelsing from EXO Mountain Gear is back with us on the podcast today to talk about their new K4 hunting pack. I got the chance to test that pack out on my Arizona elk hunt last year before it was released to the general public. I love it and think it’s a great pack and you’ll learn why here today.
Learn more about EXO packs on their web site or call (208) 995-4688 to speak to a representative there for help on any aspect of th...
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