SportsWilderness

Vortex Nation Podcast

Vortex Optics

Welcome to the Vortex Nation Podcast. Brought to you by lovers of hunting, shooting, public lands, the Second Amendment and dang good food.

Play

Open in

47 episodes
a few times a week
Avg 1 hr
English

Episodes 47

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

Tuesday · 44 min
#10MinuteTalk | Hot Takes | Hunting with First Focal Plane vs. Second Focal Plane
Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn are back with another round of Hot Takes, tackling one of the biggest debates in hunting optics: first focal plane (FFP) vs. second focal plane (SFP) rifle scopes. Which focal plane is better for hunting? Does first focal plane offer the advantage, or does second focal plane make more sense in the field?
#470
Monday · 1 hr 25 min
Ep. 470 | Dream Builds Do Come True | Ty's .338 Federal
The .338 Federal might be one of the most underrated hunting cartridges out there. For Ty Fosbenner’s Dream Build Experience, we set out to build a custom bolt-action rifle designed for Kodiak Island blacktail deer hunting and brown bear defense. The result? An insanely versatile hunting rifle that will have you reconsidering the .338 Federal.
October 27 · 1 hr 13 min
#10MinuteTalk | .308 SUPER | Your Comments Answered!
The .308 SUPER episode of Cartridge Talks sparked plenty of questions and conversation. Now, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn are back to address your comments, tackle viewer questions, and clear up the confusion surrounding the .308 SUPER. In this episode, we unpack the discussion, provide additional context, and set the record straight on .308 SUPER.
#469
October 26 · 1 hr 22 min
Ep. 469 | Ancient Archery & Modern Whitetails | Whitetail Adrenalin’s Jared Scheffler
Whitetail Adrenalin’s Jared Scheffler hunts whitetails from the ground with a bow that would have been more at home thousands of years ago. His ancient archery techniques are unorthodox by today’s standards. They also work if you put in the work! He runs us through some ancient archery history, his archery deer hunting journey, his current bow and arrow system, and more.
October 23 · 1 hr 1 min
#10MinuteTalk | Public Land Deer Tactics That Actually Work | The Hunting Public’s Aaron Warbritton
What would you do in this deer hunting situation? The Hunting Public’s Aaron Warbritton breaks down real-world public land deer hunting scenarios and explains how he’d approach each one. From reading sign and choosing setups to making decisions in the field, get practical whitetail hunting tactics, learn what works (and what doesn’t), and understand why. Whether you’re scouting new ground or trying to outsmart a pressured public land buck, these lessons can help you make smarter decisions this s
October 20 · 48 min
#10MinuteTalk | Deer Rifles of the Future
What will deer rifles look like 10, 20, or even 50 years from now? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn look into their crystal ball to predict the future of the modern deer rifle. From drones to advanced optics, emerging technology, and the enduring bolt-action rifle, they explore how innovation—and tradition—could shape the way future generations hunt deer.
#468
October 19 · 1 hr 8 min
Ep. 468 | Our Favorite Deer Cartridges - RANKED!
The guys rank their five favorite deer cartridges—or seven, depending on who’s counting—using external ballistics, terminal performance, recoil, and popularity among hunters as their criteria. Did each finalist earn its place? Were any cartridges overlooked? And does Mark’s or Ryan’s top pick match yours? Tune in to find out.
October 13 · 18 min
#10MinuteTalk | The Two Shot Zero
Zeroing your rifle can be accomplished in as few as two shots. Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn run through a few of their favorite tips to make zeroing your rifle fast, efficient, and easy.
#467
October 12 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 467 | The Deer ID App with Identical Draw
What if you could turn years of trail camera photos and deer data into a clearer plan for where and when to hunt? On this episode, Nate and Thomas Krick of Identical Draw join us to break down their new Deer ID app and how it can help hunters organize, catalog, and make sense of massive amounts of trail cam data.
October 6 · 1 hr 18 min
#10MinuteTalk | Down Insulation Explained with Argali’s Brad Brooks
Argali’s Brad Brooks takes us deep into the world of down insulation, explaining everything from fill power and feather-to-down ratios to water-resistant down, temperature ratings, baffle design, regional origin, and testing protocols.
#466
October 5 · 1 hr 1 min
Ep. 466 | Cool Guns with Ian | Historic Swiss Pistols
Vortex’s resident cool-gun expert, Ian Klemm, is back with another deep dive into some seriously fascinating Swiss pistols. This time, he’s bringing out a selection of historic Swiss firearms known for exceptional craftsmanship, innovative engineering, and some truly unique designs.
September 29 · 26 min
#10MinuteTalk | The .30 TC | The Lead Ballon that Made Other Cartridges Famous
.30-06 performance out of a highly efficient short-action case wasn’t enough to slingshot the .30 TC into cartridge glory. It should have been. That said, the engineers at Hornady saw its promise, tweaked it, and created one of the most popular cartridges of all time — along with others that make the A-list for competition, hunting, and more. Tune in to hear about the high-performing, incredibly interesting, .30 TC and the inspiration it provided.
#465
September 28 · 1 hr 46 min
Ep. 465 | Heckler & Koch Pistol x Vortex Red Dot Packages
Heckler & Koch’s James Williamson and Tommy Brooker are back to chat about their incredible VP9 pistols, CC9 pistols, pairing them with Vortex Defender Red Dots, and the purpose-built pistol packages being offered. H&K has a reputation for doing things right. The products themselves and the shared product ethos of both companies made the collaboration match as good as the performance you get from these systems.
September 22 · 1 hr 33 min
#10MinuteTalk | Modern Suppressor design and Two Paths to Suppressor Ownership | Exigent Defense
Exigent Defense suppressor manufacturer, lawyer, and Kentucky Gun Owners of America representative, Evan Wilson, stops in to talk through modern suppressor design and the current suppressor ownership landscape. The tax stamp going to $0, a lawsuit filed against the ATF, and a recent ruling have made suppressor ownership easier, but possibly more confusing than before. Different rules for different groups of people and interpretive ambiguity have left some folks scratching their heads.
#464
September 21 · 2 hr 24 min
Ep. 464 | H&K’s Most Iconic Firearms | James Williamson and Tommy Brooker
H&K’s James Williamson and Tommy Booker join Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn for an unforgettable range session featuring some of the coolest and most legendary firearms ever made by Heckler & Koch (H&K). From the HK MP7 and MP5SD to the legendary P7, MK8, and more, this episode of the Vortex Nation Podcast dives into the history, engineering, stories, and real-world performance behind these iconic H&K firearms.
September 15 · 49 min
#10MinuteTalk | Hunting Riflescope Magnification | Is Less More?
How much riflescope magnification do you really need for hunting? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn get into a “healthy discussion” about the best hunting scope magnification and whether more power actually means better performance in the field. Is there one magnification range that can handle nearly every hunting situation? Kinda. Do Mark and Ryan agree on what that range is? Absolutely not.
#463
September 14 · 1 hr 5 min
Ep. 463 | Behind the Scenes Stories of Wildcatting the 6.5 BC
The 6.5 Bitchcat (6.5 BC) is back—and this wildcat cartridge is getting a serious deep dive. In this episode of the Vortex Nation Podcast, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn have put their new custom 6.5 Bitchcat rifle through its paces, testing three custom handloads across a range of real-world scenarios.
September 8 · 59 min
#10MinuteTalk | Practical Shooting Sports for Hunters: Build Real-World Marksmanship
Want to fill your freezer more consistently? The moment of truth rarely offers a flat, stable setup. In this episode, Vortex’s Mike Tassoul and Jimmy Jordan break down how practical shooting sports translate directly to real-world big game hunting scenarios. Learn how competing under pressure trains you to manage gear, control your nerves, and make lethal shots when infinite variables are in play. Whether you are preparing for your first elk hunt or looking to tighten your groups under stress, t
#462
September 7 · 1 hr 55 min
Ep. 462 | TUSC Loadout: Tactical Urban Sustainment Course Gear & Kit
What gear do you actually need for a Tactical Urban Sustainment Course (TUSC)? Vortex Edge® instructor, in-house prepper, and survival hobbyist Mike Griffin joins Mark Boardman to break down the TUSC loadout he selected for his recent course with the Direct Action Resource Center (DARC) in Little Rock, Arkansas.
September 1 · 10 min
#10MinuteTalk | Razor® HD Gen III 6-36x56 | The NEW VMR-5 Reticle
The Razor® HD Gen III 6-36x56 adds the new VMR-5 reticle to its lineup for shooters who prioritize a clean field of view. Less can be more for some shooters when it comes to reticles. Andrew Lunde from Vortex’s product development team walks us through the VMR-5.

Showing 1–20 of 47 episodes