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

Tyler Freel is back on the show and we discuss a subject I know you'll enjoy: our favorite cartridges for hunting virtually any species of big game. We play little game where Tyler and I each list our favorite cartridge and bullet for hunting specific species of game ranging from coues whitetail all the way up to thick skinned species of African game like cape buffalo and elephant and almost everything in between like mule deer, elk, black bear, etc. The catch is we cannot reuse a cartridge for multiple species. Even so, our discussion provides an interesting glimpse into the thought process he and I each use for selecting cartridges and bullets for hunting different species of game.
Email me at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com with suggestions for other guests you'd like me to play this game with.
Sponsor: Get in touch with Rob at The R&K Hunting Company In Wyoming to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. I cannot recommend them highly enough: they have hardworking and friendly guides, comfortable lodging, great food, and fantastic hunting. Plus, they can also help you get a tag with little or no points for those species. Visit their web site or call Rob at (435) 979-1497 to learn more.
Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter.
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.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources
Read Tyler's article on Outdoor Life about Max Point Blank Range and subscribe to the Outdoor Life YouTube channel here
Subscribe to Tyler's Tundra Talk Podcast here.
Follow Tyler on Instagram @thetylerfreel.
Ep 430: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Jim Harmer – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 423: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Phil Massaro – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 401: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Richard Mann – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 387: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Larry Weishuhn – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 372: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With WHO_TEE_WHO – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 336: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Ron Spomer – Episode referenced in interview
Ep 315: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Joseph von Benedikt – Episode referenced in interview

Rob Massa from the R&K hunting company in Wyoming joins me on the show and we talk about the ins and outs of hunting pronghorn antelope: how big they are, what kind of country they live in, what a hunt for them is actually like day to day, how they behave, what makes a good buck, and what kind of rifles, cartridges, bullets, and other gear tend to work best for antelope hunting.
Sponsor: Get in touch with Rob at The R&K Hunting Company In Wyoming to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. I cannot recommend them highly enough: they have hardworking and friendly guides, comfortable lodging, great food, and fantastic hunting. Plus, they can also help you get a tag with little or no points for those species. Visit their web site or call Rob at (435) 979-1497 to learn more.
Email me john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com if you're interested in joining me on the Big Game Hunting Podcast antelope hunt 9-14 September 2027 in Wyoming.
Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter.
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.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources
Ep 397: An Elk Guide Shares His Favorite Elk Hunting Cartridges – Episode referenced in podcast
Ep 396: Wyoming Elk Hunt Recap – Episode referenced in podcast

In this episode, I recap the recent Big Game Hunting Podcast hosted antelope hunt in Wyoming. Four listeners—Shane, Dave, Ryan, and Joe—joined me on a fantastic trip and every hunter took a nice antelope. This was the first western hunt for all for gentlemen and they each share their thoughts on the experience and a few lessons learned.
Sponsor: Get in touch with Rob at The R&K Hunting Company In Wyoming to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. I cannot recommend them highly enough: they have hardworking and friendly guides, comfortable lodging, great food, and fantastic hunting. Plus, they can also help you get a tag with little or no points for those species. Visit their web site or call Rob at (435) 979-1497 to learn more.
Email me john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com if you're interested in joining me on the Big Game Hunting Podcast cow elk & antelope hunts 6-10 September 2027 & 9-14 September 2027 in Wyoming.
Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter.
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.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources

Ep 397: An Elk Guide Shares His Favorite Elk Hunting Cartridges – Episode referenced in podcast
Ep 396: Wyoming Elk Hunt Recap – Episode referenced in podcast

In this short bonus episode, I dig into one of the most persistent cartridge history arguments in the shooting world: is the 270 Winchester a necked-down 30-06 Springfield or a necked-down 30-03 Springfield? In this episode I walk through the historical timeline, the dimensional facts, what contemporary sources actually said, and why the lack of primary evidence matters. If you've ever wondered which claim holds up, this is the breakdown.
Sponsor: Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter.
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.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources
Ep 445: 30-06 Family 25-06, 270, 280, 280 AI, 30-06, 35 Whelen & More

Erik Cortina is a champion F-class shooter, founder of Cortina Precision, and the guy behind the Ethical Hunter Challenge: a deer silhouette with a 1 MOA kill zone at 500 yards and one cold bore shot with no sighters. Erik started hunting in Texas, had a sobering experience regarding the limitations of his skills as a shooter on a Colorado elk hunt, and got hooked on F-class shooting in an effort to improve his long range shooting skills. Today, we talk about what F-class actually teaches a hunter, why he started his so called "ethical hunter challenge", why the first-shot hit rate is so low, and some recommendations on how hunters can determine their own max range on a deer.
Sponsor: Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter.
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.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Resources
Ethical Hunter Challenge – See how these shooters perform on the Ethical Hunter Challenge
Subscribe to Erik Cortina's YouTube channel here