Vortex Nation Podcast

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

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942 episodes
Updated Yesterday

Episodes942

Newest first

Oct 10, 2023 · 29 min
#10MinuteTalk - Zero Your Riflescope in 3 Shots or Less?
A solid riflescope zero doesn’t have to burn tons of ammo, bruise your shoulder, and take up your entire day. It can be a simple, clean, and efficient process. With a little prework, the right tools, and confident shooting, a great zero can be accomplished in just a few shots. Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn walk through techniques and equipment to help you get your rifle sighted in with ammo and time to spare.
Oct 9, 2023 · 1 hr 10 min
Ep. 308 | I Waterboarded My Rangefinder – Ft. MeatEater’s Clay Newcomb
Host of MeatEater’s Bear Grease Podcast, Clay Newcomb joins Mark Boardman to recount an unorthodox but effective coastal bear hunt, bear hunting in general, owning Bear Hunting Magazine, how he ended up at MeatEater as part of their all-star cast (our words not his) and more. Clay is a hell of a woodsman, super interesting, inciteful, and all-around great guy. Tune in for a fantastic conversation and to hear how his rangefinder took a salty licking and kept on ticking.
Oct 3, 2023 · 1 hr 20 min
#10MinuteTalk - 2023 Budget Rifle Roundup – Sub $700 Rifles You Can Bank On
Accurate, reliable, and economical hunting rifles are produced by nearly every major rifle manufacturer these days. Consumers are reaping the benefits of modern materials and production techniques. Mark Boardman, Ryan Muckenhirn, and Jimmy Hamilton talk through 7 sub $700 models built to fill freezers and wall space — with money left over for your next tag.
Oct 2, 2023 · 55 min
Ep. 307 | Pro Picks: Build the Ultimate Long-Range Kit
Professional military sniper, private sector Vortex Edge® instructor, and long-range shooting competition enthusiast, Corey Eliasson, has the experience to build a sleek long-range system that flat out works. His kit is no frills, all business, and meticulously thought out. He’s refined it over the years and continues to refine it. Mark Boardman and Jimmy Hamilton sit down with Corey to run through his long-range kit piece by piece to help you build yours.
Sep 29, 2023 · 22 min
If Texas was a Firearm? | Spaghetti Shootout Ep. 12
Mark comes out of the gate hot, Ryan desperately resorts to “your mom jokes”, we turn Texas into a firearm, Jimmy gets a mohawk, and more. Will Mark break his tradition-like losing streak or burn up like a star entering earth’s atmosphere? Watch to find out.
Sep 26, 2023 · 47 min
#10MinuteTalk - Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays – What’s the Diff?
Insanely fun, accessible, low recoil, all ages welcome, and as casual or competitive as you want to make it — the shotgun shooting sports are king for these reasons and more. But what’s the difference between trap, skeet, and sporting clays? Mark Boardman, Jimmy Hamilton and resident clays expert, Ryan Muckenhirn, break down the big three, so you can head to your local club and start breaking targets.
Sep 25, 2023 · 1 hr 34 min
Ep. 306 | Making Sense of Broadheads with the Ranch Fairy
Mark Boardman sits down with Troy Fowler (The Ranch Fairy) to make sense of broadheads, how they work, things to consider, how to tune your arrows to shoot with broadheads, and more. They navigate a windy conversational path to get your broadheads shooting straight…. And cutting deep! Tune in for the educational and always entertaining, Ranch Fairy.
Sep 19, 2023 · 37 min
#10MinuteTalk - Lead Balloon: The .338 Federal
It’s time for another of Ryan Muckenhirn’s “Lead Balloon’s.” On paper the .338 Federal checks a lot of boxes hunters look for in a cartridge. Alas, it didn’t make a lot of paper for rifle and ammunition manufactures. As with many cartridges, success or failure can be difficult to make sense of. The .338 Federal certainly outperforms its popularity. Was it timing? Was it not different enough from established offerings? Was there not a need? Did the masses get it wrong by not bringing this cartrid
Sep 18, 2023 · 59 min
Ep. 305 | .300 Win Mag vs .308 – Do You Need One or Both?
Will the .308 do everything you need? Do you need the raw horsepower of a .300 Win Mag to get the job done? Or do you need both? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn chat through their gel-shooting results, extract, examine, measure, and not only weigh the projectiles themselves, but where each cartridge makes the most sense. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us on Instagram @vortexnationpodcast
Sep 12, 2023 · 23 min
#10MinuteTalk - How to Choose a Spotting Scope
Your style of hunting, terrain, hunt goals, the critters you chase, and more can affect your spotting scope selection. Size, weight, magnification, angled vs. straight configuration, optical quality — Mark Boardman and Paul Neess sit down to give you spot-on information on spotting scopes.
Sep 11, 2023 · 42 min
Ep. 304 | Barrel Burnout – Does it Exist?
Barrel burnout is often a big consideration for folks when selecting a cartridge. But is it as big a deal as it’s made out to be? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn discuss barrel burnout, who should it matter to, how it occurs, and what you can do if it happens.
Sep 5, 2023 · 12 min
#10MinuteTalk - Remi’s Favorite Spotter Just Got Updated
The Razor® HD 13-39x56 spotting scope is the perfect example of, “Big things come in small packages.” It’s also Remi Warren’s favorite spotting scope. Listen to Mark Boardman and Remi talk about his extensive use of its predecessor, the incredible increase in performance of the new iteration, and what he loves about it.
Sep 4, 2023 · 39 min
Ep. 303 | Remi Warren’s Secrets to Finding Elk
Finding elk is the most critical component of the elk hunting equation. Nothing else really matters if you can’t locate these dang things. Renowned elk hunter, guide, content creator, and all-around great guy, Remi Warren, runs through his secret tips to finding where elk hide — so you can seek.
Aug 29, 2023 · 23 min
#10MinuteTalk - The Ruger Precision Rifle – How Good Can It Be?
Modestly priced, the Ruger RPR’s performance is anything but. In fact, it’s a standout. There was a time at Vortex when it seemed a new RPR would show up daily. The accuracy, performance and price were simply too good not to own one. Mark Boardman, Jimmy Hamilton, and Ryan Muckenhirn chat through this anomaly in the firearm space and why it’s so dang good. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcast by asking us
Aug 28, 2023 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 302 | Choosing the Right Reticle
Life can be complex. Choosing a reticle shouldn’t be. Mark Boardman, Jimmy Hamilton, and Nick Laufenberg dive into hunting reticles. From simple plex, to more detailed first focal plane reticles with mrad or moa hashmarks and a windage tree in the lower hemisphere – they cover the who, what, where, when, why to get you on target.
Aug 25, 2023 · 23 min
Rifle vs. Bow — Who’s the better hunter? | Spaghetti Shootout Ep. 11
Spaghetti Shootout is back for season two and better than ever. With Jimmy Hamilton at the helm of this meatball-packed episode, Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn debate audience submitted topics — most of which are frankly, a little weird. Can Mark break his losing streak? Tune in to find out.
Aug 22, 2023 · 1 hr 28 min
Ep. 301 | Alaska Hunt Planning – Layered as Your Clothing System
Hunting Alaska is logistically complex. Its location, remoteness, varied terrain, modes of transportation and bears add extra layers to the hunt planning process. Mark Boardman, Erik Barber, and Sawer Briel from Vortex, along with Brad Brooks from Argali, use their Sitka blacktail hunt as the framework to cover valuable Alaska hunt planning tips. The goal? To help you line out your AK adventure.
Aug 21, 2023 · 1 hr 58 min
Ep. 300 | Untold: Alders to Alpine — The Rest of the Story
Crazy terrain, giant bears, extreme weather, lots of shooting, big bucks, bonking out, and a little barf — this hunt had it all. Listen to the Vortex crew to get the behind-the-scenes story of their epic Kodiak Island Sitka blacktail hunt.
Aug 15, 2023 · 19 min
#10MinuteTalk - Archery and Hunter Education Under Federal Attack
Federal funding for school-based archery and hunter education programs has been eliminated. Why? Good question. Mark grabs the Archery Trade Association’s Dan Forester to give us the backstory, along with steps you can take to help. These programs are profoundly important and enrich the lives of youths who participate. They build and promote life skills, friendships, self-esteem, firearm safety and more. Take action. You can make a difference.
Aug 14, 2023 · 49 min
Ep. 299 | 30-06 Springfield vs .270 Winchester — The Superior Deer Cartridge Is?
For years there was one cartridge question a deer hunter had to ask themselves. .270 or 30-06? Both have strong merits. Is there a right answer? Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn sent rounds down range into gel to tackle this highly debated cartridge comparison. The results might surprise you. Frankly, neither of them like the outcome. And that’s where this podcast begins.