Backcountry Hunting Podcast – Details, episodes &amp; analysis

Ruger M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle in .35 Whelen

www.swiftbullets.com

Ruger's New M77 Alaskan Bush Rifle in .35 Whelen and 9.3x62

Episode 345

vendredi 7 novembre 2025 • Duration 01:05:00

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 9.3x62

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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.

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www.swiftbullets.com

.280 Ackley Improved: All-Time Favorite Big Game Cartridge

Episode 366

vendredi 5 septembre 2025 • Duration 01:05:31

Could the grand old .280 Ackley Improved cartridge still be one of the best all-purpose big game cartridges ever designed? We think so, and this podcast is dedicated to explaining why.

We address:

Broad-spectrum capablity from pronghorn to bisonMild recoil and easy accuracy
Competitive modern ballistics
Available rifles and ammo
Favorite big game bullets for the .280 AI
Top rifle models chambered in .280 AI
Recommended custom .280 AI build components

Plus .280 Ackley hunting stories are generously sprinkled throughout. ENJOY!

FRIENDS, PLEASE SUPPORT THE PODCAST!

Join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus content on www.patreon.com/backcountry

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! 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.swiftbullets.com

Best Scopes for Close Range Hunting

Episode 277

vendredi 9 février 2024 • Duration 54:18

What sort of scope (or sights) will help you shoot most effectively when hunting big timber or brush country?

This episode explores the characteristics of an optic that's ideal for fast, effective shooting inside 200 yards, and details several different scope, red dot, and iron sight models that work particularly well.

ENJOY!

FRIENDS: We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can contribute a few dollars.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.gunwerks.com

Best Lever Actions for Big Game

Episode 276

mercredi 7 février 2024 • Duration 10:05

This episode showcases three terrific lever-action big game rifles. All are classic historic designs that were carried by frontiersmen; all are also still being produced!

These three are big-bore versions suitable for hunting anything from deer to grizzlies. We'll follow up soon with an episode on top-notch .30-30 models ideal for deer and hog hunting.

In order of appearance, here are links to the specific rifle models showcased here:

Winchester Model 1886 Short Rifle in .45-90 Win. Marlin Model 1895 SBL in .45-70 Gov't. Winchester Model 95 in .405 Win. If you'd like to see the rifles, join us on www.patreon.com/backcountry, where you can see the film of this episode plus all our other bonus content. ENJOY!

Best Rifles, Cartridges, & Bullets for Close-Range Hunting

Episode 275

vendredi 2 février 2024 • Duration 01:02:36

What makes a capable rifle/cartridge/bullet setup for close-range hunting? This episode takes a deep dive into the best of the type, including lever-actions, pump-actions, bolt-actions, semiautos, and even single shots, along with ideal cartridges and top-performing bullet types.

We address whether brush-busting bullets are actually a thing, and the visible on-impact effect of blunt-nose bullets up close versus pointed bullets.

From shot angles to blood trails to fast follow-up shots, this episode has it all... ENJOY!

FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need all the support we can get to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can contribute a few dollars.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.gunwerks.com

Leupold's New Mark 4HD (and another Northern Shrike)

Episode 274

mardi 30 janvier 2024 • Duration 36:35

After four decades of U.S. sniper history Leupold's legendary Mark 4 scope has been completely overhauled. The new Mark 4HD has state-of-the-art glass and cutting-edge features, and is undoubtedly the best crossover precision/tactical/hunting scope now on the market. Weight is reasonable, as is cost: $999 to $1,599.

This episode takes a deep dive into the new Mark 4HD line with optical experts John Snodgrass and Shawn Skipper. ENJOY!

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Coolest New Gear at SHOT Show 2024, with Ron Spomer and Colton Heward

Episode 273

vendredi 26 janvier 2024 • Duration 59:40

This episode I sat down with Ron Spomer and Colton Heward and swapped stories and opinions on the flood of innovative new shooting and hunting products introduced at SHOT Show 2024.

We talk about awesome new rifle designs, from Winchester's new $400 .22 rimfire lever gun to Beretta's startling new straight-pull bolt-action hunting rifle.

New riflescopes and rangefinding binoculars and premium optics of every sort abound. New cartridge introductions are few but new loads for trendy cartridges are everywhere—there are no less than seven new 7mm PRC loads from Federal, Remington, and Fusion alone.

We're also planning a meet-and-greet at the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City on Friday, February 16th at around 2pm. Hope to see you there!

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.onxmaps.com

www.gunwerks.com

22 Creedmoor: The Ultimate Predator Cartridge?

Episode 272

vendredi 19 janvier 2024 • Duration 01:01:26

Is there a predator-hunting cartridge that outperforms all others? There is, and it's called the 22 Creedmoor. It's designed for maximum performance with modern, high-BC .22-caliber centerfire bullets, and as a result is much more effective than classic favorites such as the .22-250.

Skeptical? I admit I sure was. Research showed me that the 22 Creedmoor doesn't just outperform the .22-250 and other popular predator rounds, it eclipses them. Want some numbers? The 22 Creedmoor is more effective at 800 yards than the .22-250 is at 500 yards. It has less than half the wind drift. It impacts with more than double the energy and a whole lot more velocity downrange.

Wildcatted and promoted by serious coyote competition callers in Texas, the 22 Creedmoor has just been legitimized by Hornady and is now a proper factory-loaded cartridge. Horizon Firearms has exclusive marketing priveledges for Hornady ammo, and makes the finest 22 Creedmoor factory-ready rifles I've seen anywhere—for half the cost you'd expect.

This was a unique project with a result that really surprised me. Candidly, I had no idea just how good the 22 Creedmoor would prove to be.

ENJOY!

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.gunwerks.com

Gear Prep & Hunting for Coues Deer

Episode 271

vendredi 12 janvier 2024 • Duration 01:28:21

This episode takes us to Old Mexico in pursuit of coues deer, the Gray Ghost of the Southwest. These tiny desert mountain-dwellering whitetails are incredibly challenging—and fun—to hunt.

Guides and hunters with 40 years of experience talk us through how, where and when to hunt coues deer. We take a deep dive into rifles, cartridges, and bullets for coues deer, and discuss the vital importance of a good binocular and high-powered, tripod-mounted binocular.

The second half of the podcast is story time. Fellow writer Jeff Johnston tells the tale of his near-Boone & Crockett buck, and I share the story of my massive-antlered, battle-scarred old buck. This was a fun one, folks, recorded in the field hunkered around a cast-iron wood stove on a historic ranch once frequented by Pancho Villa. ENJOY!

FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and need your support to take it to the next level. Please join the Backcountry Hunting Podcast tribe on www.patreon.com/backcountry where you'll get access to all our bonus material and can contribute a few dollars.

VISIT OUR SPONSORS HERE:

www.onxmaps.com

www.gunwerks.com