Vortex Nation Podcast

Ep. 23 | Reloading 101: What is it and Should You do it?

October 08, 2018 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MB

Some do it for therapy, some for precision and others for mass quantity. Reloading or just regular loading ammunition is nothing new to the industry, but looking from the outside in, it can seem like an intimidating task to take on. Our two newest guests, Jimmy Jordan and Tom Leatherberry, as well as Ryan Muckenhirn have all been reloading for years and all for different reasons. We chat with them about what it is, why someone would want to do it, how you can get started and why "Saving mone...

Ep. 22 | Hunt Year ‘Round – “Hunt Scouting” South Dakota in September

October 03, 2018 11:00 - 35 minutes - 32.8 MB

From HQ, Mark and Jimmy are joined live via Skype by Ryan Muckenhirn at the tail end of his September archery hunt and "Scout Hunt" in pursuit of mule deer. The Slim Butte region of South Dakota is a difficult tag to draw for rifle and Ryan has been accumulating points for the last 7 years. Thinking he's surely due to draw any year now, he decided to get the far easier to draw September archery tag for the unit to scout things out and possibly arrow a deer while he's at it. We talk terrain, ...

Ep. 21 | Backcountry Hunting Tips From the Pros

October 01, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MB

Gathering upon… “Lots” of experience (Math is hard) combined between Mark, Ryan Muckenhirn and Paul Neess, Erik asks his last-minute questions before heading out to South Dakota and Montana in search of mule deer. Hitting the backcountry can be a daunting task. In a mess of seemingly endless gear optiions, preparation and in-the-field tactics, how can one be sure they know what they’re doing? Well, first thing’s first, it’s not like assembling an Ikea table – You probably shouldn’t just grab...

Ep. 20 | Turkey Leg Street Tacos

September 27, 2018 11:00 - 28 minutes - 25.9 MB

What do you do after raiding a crockpot full of delicious braised turkey leg meat for turkey leg street taco’s? Podcast about it so the whole world can know how good it is. Turkey legs don’t get a lot of love thanks to the myriad of ultra-tough tendons running throughout their meat, often making cooking and eating a complete nightmare. Erik and Mark braised up a few legs from their spring turkeys while Jimmy whipped up some fresh-made salsa to top it all off and gosh darnit if it didn’t turn...

Ep. 19 | Josh Froelich – World Champion IPSC Shotgun Shooter

September 24, 2018 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.3 MB

The crew sits down with Josh Froelich, Open Division competitive shooter and 2018 IPSC Shotgun World Champion, to talk open division shooting, why he runs so many red dots on his guns (Yes – more than one on each gun!) and the overall experience competing in the IPSC Shotgun World Championships in France. We learned even more about his reasoning for switching from fighting MMA for years to transitioning into the 3 Gun arena and also how his new eating habits have helped take his shooting gam...

Ep. 18 | Hunt Year ‘Round – DIY Sitka Blacktails Over the Counter

September 17, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MB

Some hunters spend summer months yearning for the crisp crunch of fall leaves and a brisk northerly breeze. Rather than counting down the days to hunting season, why not get started in August? In this month’s rendition of Hunt Year 'Round, we’re joined by Jesse Knock to get the scoop on hunting Sitka blacktail deer in Alaska’s Alpine. Chasing blacktails in arguably the most unforgiving terrain on the planet will test you mentally and physically, and will certainly reward you with an incredib...

Ep. 17 | Did Long Range 1001 and 1002 Help Erik?

September 13, 2018 14:30 - 56 minutes - 52 MB

After listening to Long Range 1001 and 1002, Erik decided it was time to really give long range a try at the Vortex Extreme 2018 in Wyoming. He sat down with Mark and Jimmy to discuss the practical application of his “Lessons” in going from a regular Wisconsin whitetail hunter to a full-blown long range precision competitor in just one weekend. If you’ve listened to our long range podcasts, but are still nervous to actually put it into action, perhaps Erik’s story will help get you ready for...

Ep. 16 | Wyoming's Connection to the Vortex Extreme

September 13, 2018 13:21 - 40 minutes - 36.8 MB

Nephi Cole, Policy adviser for Wyoming Gov. Mead and Doug Miyamoto, Director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture join Jimmy and Mark at the Vortex Extreme 2018 as they discuss the decision to make shooting sports a larger focus of their Wyoming State Fair. It seems rare these days to hear public officials voicing their support for firearms and the shooting sports industry, so to hear from these two about Wyoming’s dedication to preserving and even further igniting their state’s firearm ...

Ep. 15 | What is the Vortex Extreme?

September 12, 2018 11:00 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MB

Slightly delirious from days of preparing the Vortex Extreme competition in the Wyoming elevation and heat, the Vortex crew sits down in the Wyoming State Police Academy to explain just what the Vortex Extreme is. An event 8 years in the running, the Extreme made the move to Wyoming this year for the first time to be held on the historic Wagonhound Ranch outside of Douglas, WY. Combining the endurance of hiking your rifle and gear nearly 9 miles through the mountains with the accuracy needed...

Ep. 14 | Semi-Live: Scope Mounting – It’s Easy!

September 10, 2018 11:00 - 50 minutes - 46.7 MB

Jimmy, Mark and Erik gather round the gun bench as Ryan Muckenhirn mounts up a brand new Diamondback Tactical FFP on Erik’s rifle to compete in the Vortex Extreme 2018. Follow along in your own gun room as Ryan actually does the entire mounting procedure and explains all the steps in detail while podcasting real-time. Even though we’re mounting up one scope on one gun with one type of ring, the crew discusses the many different varieties of rings, mounts, scopes and rifles on the market and ...

Ep. 13 | Man Behind the Mic - Dave Hartman’s 3 Gun Show

September 04, 2018 11:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MB

Dave Hartman, host of the 3 Gun Show, joined us as we asked him a little about his past and how he got started in the world of 3 gunning and podcasting. From shooting guns without instagram to engine swapping rockets and even sleeping through a nearby tornado in his mobile trailer, we got all kinds of crazy awesome stories from this incredibly interesting dude. If you frequent his podcast, which now features a library of over 200 episodes, you know he doesn't often talk about himself so this...

Ep. 12 | The Hunting Public - Aggressive Whitetail Tactics

August 27, 2018 13:20 - 1 hour - 58.6 MB

Aggressive whitetail tactics can arguably yield more mature buck sightings than any other method used for hunting these elusive critters. Aaron Warbritton, Greg Clements and Jake Huebschman from The Hunting Public join Mark and Erik on an in-depth discussion that dives into tactics that can pay off for heavily pressured whitetails on public land, and even small acreage private properties when implemented at the proper time. You’ll learn about: Hunting specific buck beds – how to identify th...

Ep. 11 | Long Range Shooting 1002

August 20, 2018 13:10 - 55 minutes - 51 MB

Jimmy, Ryan Muckenhirn, Paul Ness and Scott Parks further expand upon the topic of long range shooting from our first "Long Range Shooting 1001" podcast. If you've overheard the pro's talk about BC's, G1 vs. G7, wind, mirage, the importance of leveling your riflescope or density altitude before and wondered "What the h%ll are they talking about?" - This "1002" level discussion might just answer that question. Most importantly, we can't stress enough that arguably the most important thing you...

Ep. 10 | Gould Brothers - Pursuing the Exhibition Shooting Dream

August 13, 2018 12:00 - 46 minutes - 42.8 MB

Maybe you’ve seen them throw and shoot a fistful of clays at one of their live exhibitions, or maybe you’ve watched them snipe a balloon with a crossbow at 680 yards on Youtube, but have you ever wondered who the Gould Brothers are and where they came from? Steve and Aaron Gould came up for a visit to the Vortex HQ and after putting on an impressive and… explosive exhibition in the parking lot, jumped on for a podcast about what it took to get where they are today, and some of the behind the...

Ep. 09 | FFP vs SFP

August 07, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 55 MB

From HQ - Jimmy Hamilton, Mark Boardman, Paul Ness and Ryan Muckenhirn talk First Focal Plane (FFP) Vs. Second Focal Plane (SFP) - A hot topic in riflescopes that has left many shooters, both new and experienced, wondering "What's right for me?" Tune in while we talk about what these two styles actually are, how they work, why you might want to use one or the other, and some applications in which each have come in handy in our experience - from long range hunting to target shooting at the ra...

Ep. 08 | One Giant Leap in Wisconsin CWD Research

July 31, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 56.6 MB

If you've ever hunted deer, enjoyed a fresh venison backstrap or have an appreciation for nature and its natural order, then CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) should be a topic on your radar. That topic is certainly on the Wisconsin DNR's radar as the state is plagued by the largest concentration in the country of the always-fatal disease. To combat this, WDNR has started a five-year initiative called the Southwest Wisconsin CWD, Deer and Predator Study. It is the most comprehensive deer researc...

Ep. 07 | Hunt Year 'Round - June Spring Bear

July 24, 2018 14:14 - 51 minutes - 47.2 MB

Think you can only hunt in the fall? Think again! We have a little thing around here we like to call "Hunt Year 'Round" where we search near and far for opportunities to get out and go hunting every month. This June, Mark went on a later-season Spring Black Bear Hunt in Idaho and hops on the podcast with Jimmy to give you the lowdown on how he got the tag (Surprisingly easy and affordable), the tactics used on this type of hunt, and the type of country one has to work with in Western Idaho. ...

Ep. 06 | Long Range Shooting 1001 - The Foundation

July 18, 2018 13:08 - 1 hour - 55.1 MB

Shooting a tiny bullet at a small piece of steel 1000 yards away might look easy when the pro's do it, but there's a lot that goes into each shot before the shooter even pulls the trigger. Fortunately, none of it is overly complicated. It just takes a little time, skill, patience and the right equipment for the job. Jimmy, Mark, Ryan Muckenhirn and Paul Neess dive into a "1001" level explanation of getting yourself outside the 100-yard-sight-in range and into some long range scenarios. From ...

Ep. 05 | Over the Road Turkey Hunting ft. The Hunting Public

July 09, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 65.1 MB

Jimmy, Mark and Erik join The Hunting Public's, Aaron, Jake and Zach on the tail end of their epic 2018 Spring Turkey Tour. After hunting state to state from the deep south of Mississippi and Alabama to the far North right here in Wisconsin, we got the chance to sit down and talk about the experience, their future plans for "The Hunting Public" channel this fall and the unique aspects of hunting as a group on public land. Spring might be over, but if you've still got the turkey itch, check o...

Ep. 05 | The Hunting Public

July 09, 2018 11:00 - 1 hour - 65.1 MB

Jimmy, Mark and Erik join The Hunting Public's, Aaron, Jake and Zach on the tail end of their epic 2018 Spring Turkey Tour. After hunting state to state from the deep south of Mississippi and Alabama to the far North right here in Wisconsin, we got the chance to sit down and talk about the experience, their future plans for "The Hunting Public" channel this fall and the unique aspects of hunting as a group on public land. Spring might be over, but if you've still got the turkey itch...

Ep. 04 | What is a (Vortex) UH-1 and do You Even Want One?

June 27, 2018 19:11 - 53 minutes - 48.9 MB

Dave - Man of mystery and head of product development at Vortex Optics talks the Razor® AMG™ UH-1™ with Jimmy, Mark and Reuben. The crew talks about what makes a holographic sight different from your average, ordinary red dot, and what sets this particular model apart from any other holographic sight ever made. While the UH-1 isn't a brand new product at this point, we understand many of you have had difficulty finding them in stock since their initial release not long ago. Thanks to a conti...

Ep. 03 | NRA with Anthony Amantine

June 26, 2018 21:46 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MB

Anthony Amantine (@a.amantine on Instagram) is a born and raised Texan who might just love predator and hog hunting more than anyone else we know. He joined us at the NRA Annual Meeting 2018 in Dallas, TX to talk pig hunting, firearms, 2nd Amendment and his rise in influence on Instagram. This is one cool dude you're gonna want to follow to see some awesome guns, learn pig hunting tactics, and laugh along with during his usual pranks and other antics. As always - let us know if there are any...

Ep. 02 | NRA with Cheyenne Dalton

June 26, 2018 21:43 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MB

Cheyenne Dalton (@cheyennedaltonshoots on Instagram) has been competing as a junior competitive shooter for the past 5 years and has risen to win world rimfire high limited lady 2 times as well as numerous other accolades. She joined us at the NRA Annual Meeting 2018 in Dallas, TX to talk about a recent article she was a part of with the New Yorker regarding junior competitive shooters. We also heard a little more about some of her other hobbies, thoughts on the Second Amendment and getting ...

Ep. 01 | Vortex Shooters Source 3-Gun Competition

June 26, 2018 21:36 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MB

From Cresson, TX - Reuben Aleckson, Jimmy Hamilton and Jamison Schleicher from Vortex are joined by Long-time 3-Gun competitors, Nick Miller and Ryan Reed at the 2018 Vortex Shooters Source 3 Gun Match in the great state of Texas. Between these 5, we have a wide range of shooting experience, from Jamison, fresh off his first ever shooting competition at this very match, to Reuben, now in his 8th year of 3-Gun competition and with numerous other competitive shooting disciplines under his belt...

Welcome to the Vortex Nation Podcast

June 26, 2018 21:16 - 2 minutes - 2.66 MB

Shortest Podcast Ever! In 2 minutes and 50 seconds, you get the rundown on the Vortex Nation Podcast - so you can decide if you ever want to listen to another one. Hunting, Shooting, Optics, Wild Game Cooking, Conservation and probably some things we haven’t even thought about – yet. Enjoy.