Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!

Tyler Freel had a brush with death on a recent hunt in Idaho and he joined me on the podcast to discuss the incident, his injuries, and what his recovery has been like. We also finish with an in-depth discussion on his recent work with the 22 ARC, 22 Creedmoor, and 220 Swift and how they all stack up next to each other.
Sponsor: Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.
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Resources
Read Tyler's article on Outdoor Life about the 22 ARC & 22 Creedmoor here and watch the video on this subject on the Outdoor Life YouTube channel here
Subscribe to Tyler's Tundra Talk Podcast here.
Follow Tyler on Instagram @thetylerfreel.
Ep 282: Grizzly Bear Hunting With A 6.5 Creedmoor?!? – Podcast referenced in episode
Ep 316: Dall Sheep Hunting With Tyler Freel – Podcast referenced in episode
Ep 344: Moose Hunting With 22 ARC – Podcast referenced in episode
Ep 365: 338 Lapua Unleased With Tyler Freel – Podcast referenced in episode

Jeff Rann, one of Africa's most legendary professional hunters with nearly 50 years guiding dangerous game, joins me on the podcast to share his incredible stories of hunting elephant in Botswana. He takes us inside what it's really like to track big bulls, get in as close as 20–30 yards for precise brain shots, face down real charges, and judge trophy ivory on mature animals while navigating the country's massive and growing elephant population. We also finish with an in-depth discussion on the conservation realities in Botswana, why controlled hunting of bulls plays a vital role, and his favorite double rifles and cartridges—including why the .500 H&H and .577 Holland & Holland remain his go-to choices after decades in the African bush.
Sponsor: Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.
Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe for the potential opportunity to have a future podcast guest answer one of your questions on the air along with access to all my bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter 

Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true on a hunt in South Africa. We offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or email me at [email protected] to learn more. Make sure to state that you're a podcast listener and I'll give you a special bonus!
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources
Learn more about the Dangerous Game Symposium with Mark Sullivan and Dave Fulson in Las Vegas on 16 May 2026 that I'm attending here.
Subscribe to Jeff's YouTube channel here and his hunting operations in Africa here & at the 777 Ranch here.
Recommended Episodes
 
414: Leopard Mauling To Sudan Bongo Hunts With Robin Hurt
177: Elephant Hunting 101 With Kevin Robertson
176: Elephant Conservation With Kevin Robertson

Gunwriter Terry Wieland joins me on the show as we discuss his thoughts on the various .416 caliber cartridges: the 416 Rigby, the 416 Remington Magnum the 416 Weatherby Magnum, the 416 Ruger, and even the 416 Hoffman and the 416 Taylor. We talk about the pros and cons of those different rounds, which 416 he prefers over the others out of that bunch, how those 416s stack up against the various 375s and 458s for use on buffalo, why the 404 Jeffery was vastly more popular than the 416 Rigby for a long time, and why that eventually changed. We even discuss the development of the Ruger Safari Magnum rifle, the Trophy Bonded Bear Claw and several other things that massively changed the safari hunting industry during the 1980s and 1990s.
Sponsor: Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.
Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe for the potential opportunity to have a future podcast guest answer one of your questions on the air along with access to all my bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter 
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Get copies of Dangerous Game Rifles, Great Hunting Rifles, A View From a Tall Hill – Robert Ruark In Africa, or one of Terry's other books on Amazon here (affiliate link, commissions earned).
Other Episodes Referenced In The Podcast
Ep 381: A Cape Buffalo Hunt 30 Years In the Making With Jimmy Epperson
Ep 385: North Fork Bullets: Africa's Premier Hunting Bullets?
Ep 404: The 404 Jeffery With Phil Massaro
Ep 414: Leopard Maulings & Hunting Bongo In Sudan With Robin Hurt

Today, I'm unveiling my definitive list of what I think are the 10 greatest African hunting books ever written. This list of African safari book recommendations includes works from people like Hemingway, Roosevelt, Ruark, Capstick, and other legendary writers.
These Africa hunting books have everything you could ask for: heart-pounding adventures, adrenaline soaked drama, close calls that will make your knuckles turn white and even a few deliciously scandalous tales of betrayal, courage, cowardice, possible murder, more than one love triangle, one very good dog, and lots of talk about rifles, bullets, and cartridges.
Links to where you can get all these Africa hunting safari books are below.
Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true on a hunt in South Africa. We offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or email me at [email protected] to learn more. Make sure to state that you're a podcast listener and I'll give you a special bonus!
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
The Man Eaters of Tsavo by John Henry Patterson
African Game Trails by Theodore Roosevelt
Out of Africa by Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen)
Green Hills of Africa by Ernest Hemingway
The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway (including Snows of Kilimanjaro & The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber)
Horn of the Hunter by Robert Ruark
Death in the Long Grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick
African Rifles & Cartridges by John Taylor
Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter by W.D.M Bell
The Perfect Shot II by Kevin Robertson
Jock of the Bushveld by Percy Fitzpatrick

Legendary Professional Hunter Robin Hurt joins me on the show today as we discuss some of his adventures hunting all over Africa like Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, Zaire, Zambia, and Namibia. As you can imagine from a man who got his PH license over 60 years ago in 1963, Robin has quite a few stories to tell about some of his wild adventures over the years and that's what we discuss in this episode. 
Sponsor: Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday.
Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe for the potential opportunity to have a future podcast guest answer one of your questions on the air along with access to all my bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter 
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!