Vortex Nation Podcast

Adam Maxwell and Rob Morell join Jimmy and Mark to talk all about LPVO’s (Riflescopes that go from 1x to a higher magnification) their rise to huge popularity with the shooting community these days and one very exciting new product coming out from Vortex in the category for 2020. If you like to be in the know on new and exciting stuff, you won’t want to miss this one!

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

Looking for a new “Do-All” big-game cartridge. Don’t ignore this medium-bore darling of the modern era. Modern case design took all the big pill hucking qualities of the 375 H&H and put it in a standard length cartridge sans the belt without sacrificing a thing in the performance dept! The result - an easy-to -carry, 600-yard capable bomb dropper. The smart phone is to the Rotary dial as the 375 Ruger is to the 375 H&H. Extreme – maybe? Listen and decide for yourself.

Remi Warren is an all-around badass, so when we get the chance to podcast with him following up a bizarre conversation over sushi about the time he tried eating a slug as part of a survival course he was doing “Just for fun”, we had to jump at the opportunity. When he’s not remembering last minute that slugs aren’t exactly… “Edible”… Remi is a master at surviving in the wilderness. It’s not just the gear that he carries with him (In fact, you’ll find he doesn’t carry a whole lot) but simply the know-how of how to use his surroundings to keep him alive. So hunker down and “Get bushy” with Remi here for this great episode!

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

Mark, Jimmy and Erik take 10 minutes to go over their hunting and shooting 2020 New Year’s resolutions. In typical Mark fashion, he has about 20 of them, all of which we need your help keeping him accountable for. What are your hunting and shooting New Year’s resolutions for 2020? We’d love to hear what you’ll be working on this year!

Ian Klemm, previous guest from some some of our most popular podcasts of all time in the Long Range series, joins Mark and Jimmy to talk all about barrels. Are these the most important parts of your gun? Why are there so many different kinds? Materials, fluting, twist rates, types of rifling, lengths, coatings, tuning, free floating, the list goes on and on! Ian discusses all these topics in-depth in the way only a mega-genius gun-nerd engineer could. Whether you’re looking for a barrel to complete your ultra-custom long range rifle or simply want to know what all the hubbub is around these things, this podcast is perfect for all you gun nuts!

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

“It’s the holiday’s – we’re all miserable!” OK, maybe not all of us, but the holidays certainly bring some of us a great deal of stress and time consumption doing things we, quite frankly, would rather not be doing. Jimmy, Mark and Erik discuss some of their best tips and tricks for hunters and shooters to make it through this time of year. From “Sneak hunts” to last minute squirrel sniping and showing up at the front door with a bucket of AR parts, these will make the time fly by!

If you can avoid holiday parties, schmoozing the in-laws, and consuming enough calories to comatose a sasquatch, the holiday season offers plentiful hunting opportunities. This episode is all about the seasons still in full-swing during the waning months of hunting season. Jimmy, Mark, Ryan, and Erik fill you in on big and small game species you can chase from the upper-Midwest to the southwestern desert. Even better - most of these hunts come with tags at affordable price points that are very attainable on a DIY hunter’s budget. Sit back, turn the volume up, and enjoy this articulated conversation about pursuing grey ghost, a northern rabbit the size of a housecat, and everything in between.

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

It happens more often than you’d think. Someone is right handed, for example, but not necessarily right-eyed. Everyone has an eye that their body naturally relies on as its dominant eye, and if it happens to be opposite of your dominant shooting hand, people are often left scratching their head as to how they should go about shooting. Switch to the other hand to take advantage of the better eye? Try to train the weak eye? There are different answers to this question depending on the reasoning behind your eye-dominance (Some people simply don’t have a properly functioning eye on their strong hand side) but Reuben joins Jimmy and Mark here to discuss his recommendations for the majority of people he sees with this issue.

In this episode, Ryan Muckenhirn says he feels sad for people who live and party in big cities, Mark says “Intimate” an uncomfortable amount of times, and Jimmy talks about cars more than hunting. It’s hard to sum up this interesting podcast where we go deep into the human DNA to try and figure out why it is that we hunt. Mark and Ryan are die hard hunters who want to do and think about nothing other than chasing game (Or picking berries for Ryan, too). Meanwhile, Jimmy enjoys hunting, but has his own hard-wired obsession outside the sport. Is it bad to not be a hunting fanatic? Do we live in a much more specialized society today that has weeded out all but the most fanatical hunters? Are some people, regardless of exposure, simply more predisposed to become cold blooded hunters than others? What are your thoughts after listening to this one? Plenty more left on the table that could be talked about when discussing the human mind!

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

After many requests to discuss the .220 Swift, Ryan Muckenhirn joins Jimmy and Mark to do a 10(ish) minute dive into the cartridge, its history and application. As always – it is phenomenally interesting not only to learn about the cartridge but to get a peep into the cartridge encyclopedia that is Ryan’s brain.

We didn’t expect to need two parts for this topic, but there’s just so dang much to talk about when it comes to riflescopes! Lightweight Dave joins Mark and Jimmy once again, this time not to talk about sawing his toothbrush in half, but to discuss all things riflescopes. How they’re made, how their optical systems work, how our eyes interact with the light they funnel through their many lenses, what parallax is and what parallax adjustable scopes do when you spin their dials, and so much more! Minds were blown for this one as usual and we’d love to hear from you about what further riflescope topics we can discuss in Part 2. Let us know!

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

Bullpup firearms have long been the choice of sci-fi movie heroes (or villains) and middle schoolers playing their friends in Call of Duty. They look crazy cool with all the common features of a regular rifle or shotgun, seemingly thrown into an engineering blender, coming out on the other end with parts in weird places that look nothing like their more traditional gun cousins. Adam Maxwell joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss what all the fuss is about these unique looking firearms, why they exist and their various pro’s and con’s of operation and ownership. What do you think about Bullpups? All about ‘em? Or are they just cool to look at?

You’ve seen it at the range, your local gun store, long range matches, and now you’re even seeing it in the military - it’s hard to deny 6.5’s are here in a big way. But while we all look to prom-king cartridges like the 6.5 Creedmoor as a new and totally exciting, 6.5mm rounds have actually been a part of the cartridge landscape for quite some time - and there are seemingly countless variants of cartridges all pushing 6.5 mm bullets down  barrels. Ryan Muckenhirn, the cartridge version of a beautiful mind, joins Jimmy and Mark to discuss where all the fuss of the 6.5 revolution comes from, some interesting bullet history and also gets into some proper bullet selections for hunting that may surprise some people. If you’re a cartridge nerd, want some clarity on which 6.5 is right for you, or just enjoy learning things about the shooting sports we all love while getting a bit of history, this is most certainly one you don’t want to miss!

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

People often ask us if they can paint their riflescope without causing any kind of rip in the VIP-Warranty-Time-Continuum. The answer is yes – you’re still covered even if you paint it. Unless it’s ugly… Just kidding! But what are the different methods out there for painting or “Coating” your riflescope? Whether it’s just for looks or for a specific application like camouflage for a hunting rifle, coating your scope (and gun) can be a ton of fun and give you a very unique looking package. Just make sure if it’s a Vortex scope to send us some pics when it’s all done!

What better way to ring in 100 episodes than with a series of 10 minute talks back-to-back about all our favorite things – hunting, shooting, and good food. Reuben Aleckson, Ryan Muckenhirn, and Erik Barber join Jimmy and Mark to discuss why the world needs to “Make the 30-06 great again”, “will CWD turn humans into zombies?”, what’s the ideal 3 Gun setup if there was no budget, which type of grill is best, some of the craziest VIP warranty stories we can remember, and the ultimate showdown of “Whitetail vs. Mule deer – which is best?”. There’s also an unexpected surprise at the end of this one, too. Check it out and thanks to all our listeners who have been around since the beginning! Here’s to another 100!

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

We see it all the time – New shooters come to the internet for advice on a riflescope for their first long range rifle and are instantly berated by all the gear junkies who look to the absolute top of the top competitive shooters for all their gear with super expensive and complicated options that they apparently “Have to get” to somehow avoid utter failure and frustration. Nick Laufenberg joins us for this 10 minutes (Plus a bonus at the end) to explain the differences between what a recreational target shooter might actually need at the bare minimum vs what a competitive tactical long range shooter would require for their matches. In the end, he also discusses a riflescope’s theoretical maximum capable range with any given rifle based on its available travel and subtensions in the reticle.

Taco’s may have won our debate of “Taco’s vs. Burrito’s”, but when it comes down to hosting a wild game, Mexican-inspired cookoff, burrito’s just felt like the right thing to make. Jimmy, Mark, Sawyer Briel (New guest!) and Colin Hornback each had their own idea of what the all-time best wild game burrito would be, and we had quite the variety for our returning food critic, Rebecca, but only one would be named the winner! Tune in to hear Mark’s struggles after winning the wild game burger cookoff, Jimmy’s strict burrito construction techniques, Sawyer’s unique Asian-inspired burrito and Colin’s never-ending pursuit of back-to-basics, total food freshness.

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

Why get a 25 when I can get a 30??” – Mark Boardman. What’s the deal with this “25-06” cartridge that so many of you have requested we do a 10 minute talk about and why is it so great? Could it even “Stomp the 6.5 Creedmoor” within 500 yards on deer? You’ll have to listen to find out!

Rut’s here! Make sure you’re ready to tag your buck by joining us for big rut questions and small talk with outdoor writer and all-around hunting encyclopedia Pat Durkin. We’ll touch on what makes the rut so special, all-day rut hunts, and general strategies for whitetail success.

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

You’ve heard it before –  “The best way to eat goose meat is to wrap it in bacon, cook it, throw the goose meat away and eat the bacon.” – Is the bad reputation for their meat well deserved? Could it just be that a lot of people cook it wrong? Mark and Jimmy, after our Boats and Bows adventure, where we shot down two Canada Geese, set out to decide for themselves once and for all if goose meat sucks. Armed with salt, pepper, their favorite garlic powder, a hot plate, a cast iron skillet and some oil, they cook it up live on this podcast as straight up rare/medium-rare steaks for a final verdict. What do you think about goose meat? Any other great recipes in your arsenal?

Seriously, folks, this is one you don’t want to miss. Mark and Jimmy had the unique opportunity to join Wisconsin Brewing Company Brew Master, Kirby Nelson, their director of operations, Mike McGuire and Wisconsin distributors’, Ryan Sprague, to talk about something we all hold near and dear (At least we definitely do here in Wisconsin) – Beer! WBC is located just down the highway from Vortex and has one heck of a cool culture, we just couldn’t help but get them on the podcast to learn more about our favorite adult beverage. We discuss how the beer industry works behind the scenes, why canned beer is better than bottled beer, how beer was used as water sanitation for the pilgrims on Plymouth Rock, How some monks in an Abbey in Germany are producing some of the world’s best beer, tracing beer’s roots back to the ancient world, and so much more this list could be endless! So crack a cold one, kick back and prepare to be the coolest person at the bar this coming weekend when you drop all these knowledge bombs on your friends. Want to hear more beer history? Let us know! We wouldn’t mind another trip back to WBC in the near future 😉

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

First off – Should you decide to take the plunge into reducing, stippling, or modifying your pistol frame in any other way, use the tips given in this podcast to help, but know what we’re not liable for any accidents that may occur by attempting to customize your own pistol. Also always ensure that anything you do to your own firearms is legal and doesn’t create an issue with your own state and local laws. With that said, modifying your own polymer pistol frame is relatively inexpensive, fun, not that hard to do and can result in a better feeling pistol when it comes time to head to the range or competition. Jimmy has done a few of his own and goes through his process. If you’d like a custom pistol frame that looks like all the stunning ones on Instagram, perhaps you’d consider sending it to one of the pro’s with much more experience and better tools, but this way certainly gets the job done, too!

OK so we had to start with two super cool rifles on this one, but the rest are some really awesome handguns of the early 1900’s. Nick Rowden from our previous WW2-era rifles podcast and his friend Greg join us with an impressive collection of handguns from a 1911, to a Luger, some revolvers, even a PPS-43 and much more. All these guns have impressive stories and equally impressive history behind their creation and application in conflict times in our world’s history. If you’re a gun nut, this is one you don’t want to miss. As always, if you want to see these guns we talk about, check out the podcast on Youtube, too!

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

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

Wait… Why are Mark, Jimmy, Erik and the camera guy, Nate back at HQ? Wasn’t this podcast supposed to be from the banks of the river at a remote campsite? Well… Yes… And as the guys will quickly explain – you’ll find that the boat didn’t exactly make it as far as we hoped. BUT! Was it a complete failure? In this episode we dive into the massive debacle that was our 24 hours on a river in “Up North” Wisconsin. Though we experienced many failures, (and did finally determine that, indeed, we did get the wrong boat) we experienced a few triumphs and learned a whole heck of a lot along the way. Had we sat on our butts all day dreaming of adventure and agonizing over making everything perfect, we never would have had this much fun, nor would we have learned quite this much to make for an even better river hunting trip next time. Speaking of which… “Next time” might just have to be a thing in the future! Stay tuned as always for more podventures and if you have any ideas of your own for a podventure you’d like to hear/watch, please let us know!

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

DJ Struntz of North American Rescue joins Mark, Jimmy and Erik for a reality check into the world of trauma response in the backcountry. He dives into the equipment, knowledge and mindset needed to avoid finding one’s self in a traumatic situation in the first place, but also how to keep each other alive should one occur. Cuts from broadheads, fractures from tree falls, blunt trauma from river rocks, fire burns and even eyeballs getting ripped out of their sockets from fishing hooks… Feeling queasy yet?  Hopefully this is all information that you, too, can arm yourself with for all your future adventures and, of course, that you never need to use!

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

Months of speculation, hours poring over aerial maps and a somewhat impulsive boat purchase have led Mark, Jimmy, and Erik to the office of DNR Wildlife Biologist/Area Expert Bob Hanson, to find out if their hypotheses’ about the region are overly optimistic, or on target. Is this river the mecca of fish and game – or a barren water wasteland. Spoiler alert, there is a heck of lot going on in the area if you’re willing to work for it. From bass to bucks, waterfowl to wild rice, and so much more, Northern WI is an outdoorsman’s paradise. If you’re one of those folks who consider Wisconsin a fly-over state, we would selfishly like you to keep on thinking that. Oh yeah, do we have the right boat? Bob says, “That depends”.

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

Few folks know whitetails and water access tactics like “The Hunting Public”. Jim, Mark and Erik tap into their vast knowledge and experience to aid in planning an upcoming multi-day river hunt. From low-impact speed scouting to backdooring low-pressure areas, this is a podcast worth listening to. Did we choose the right boat for the job? Well, they didn’t say it was the wrong boat.

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

Say it ain’t so!? Jimmy, Mark and Nick Laufenberg get 10 minutes to explain why, contrary to popular opinion, lightweight rifles are not always the best way to go. In this case, we’re talking specifically to precision long range rifles.

The hunter in pursuit of whitetail east of the Mississippi requires a different arsenal of optics than the elk or mule deer hunter in the American West. Likewise, both those two have different needs than the Alaskan caribou or moose hunter, and the Southwestern elk or coues deer hunter. Jimmy and Mark are joined by Paul Neess and Ryan Muckenhirn, each given a region of the country to speak to in terms of optic recommendations for the bulk of their hunts, to explain what our top recommendations are and why. Performance, budget, weight and convenience considerations are all taken into account and this conversation gives you the fully in-depth look into the mind of one of our optics experts when they make a recommendation for what is often someone else’s hunt of a lifetime.

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

After a catastrophic meat loss from freezer failure this year, Mark has been on the hunt for a freezer alarm. In an effort to help anyone else avoid the same fate, we wanted to do a quick 10 minute talk to discuss what kinds of freezer alarms are out there and how much they can save you – not only in dollar value of the meat in your freezer, but of all the non-monetary value we place on our wild game as well.

Rods, reels, line, bait, bobbers, jigs, hooks, sinkers, spinners, spoons, worms, braid, monofilament… Holy smokes! These fishin’ folks seem to be speaking in a completely different language! If you have next-to-no fishing experience like Jimmy in this podcast or have maybe done some in the past but lost touch with the hobby and want to get back into it, this is a great podcast to start with. The topic of “Fishing 101” isn’t easy because the equipment and tactics for each type of fish, water and location will vary. That said, for the beginner just looking to get some casts in and catch something, our guests Ben Schneider (30 years fishing experience) and Larry Wipperfurth (52 years of fishing experience) from the office as well as Mark (nearly 37 years fishing experience) break it down for a noob like Jimmy with a great do-most-things, reasonably priced, easy-to-understand rod, reel, line, bait and bobber setup. They also bring up some great tips for where to go, how to fish and what to expect. We plan to do plenty more fishing podcasts after this one that are more in-depth and advanced, but wanted to bring everyone up to speed before taking the plunge so stay tuned!

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

After listening to our full length episode on proper maintenance of your firearm, many of you may be wondering “Shoot… My BCG is pretty old – Does it require maintenance?”, “How the *** do I actually take this thing apart?” or “Does this mean I’m gonna have to go to a gun smith to fix it??”. Rest easy – it’s not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, Adrian was able to do it in just a smidge over 10 minutes while podcasting with us to show how it’s done. It’s simple, inexpensive, can save you the money of buying a whole new bolt carrier group and can also be integral to the reliable functionality of your AR.

We brought Jeff Sturgis of Whitetail Habitat Solutions back to pick his brain on some next-level whitetail techniques: Namely, using the weather to improve your chances on filling that whitetail tag. Jeff will cover different weather-related factors including how you can utilize weather tech to scout at home, how to use what’s happening in the sky to improve your ground game, and how to avoid pressuring deer. Many hunters follow “quantity over quality,” which Jeff debunks, saying you can harvest bigger bucks by spending more time on your couch. Although it can be hard to exercise the patience to wait for the perfect weather day, your friends, family, and career might be thankful. And who knows? You may even be rewarded with a huge buck. Get ready for another deep dive as Jeff walks us through how to find the best whitetail weather, and how to combine it with deer behavior and your scouting intel to form a weather-smart plan for your next hunt.

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

After we discussed the .243 in a previous 10 Minute Talk, many of you requested a similar episode on the venerable 22-250 round. A popular varmint, coyote and even potential deer/antelope cartridge with an incredibly cool backstory, the 22-250 is still a popular cartridge to this day, and we owe it all to some wacky wildcatters in their basements for devising this little beast. Ryan Muckenhirn joins Mark and Jimmy to discuss the who, what, where, when, why of this lean, mean, varmint-huntin’ machine!

With a seemingly endless variety of birds, questions on where to go, what to wear, what to bring, which gun to shoot, how to be in the right place at the right time, how to effectively use decoys, etc., Jimmy and Mark are joined by Ryan Muckenhirn, long time waterfowl enthusiast, Mike McDowell, resident bird expert, and Erik Barber… for relatability to discuss waterfowl hunting. We’ve wanted to do a number of different waterfowl-related podcasts, which we’ll surely get to in the future, but figured before we dive in the weeds on these topics, we should do a 101 episode for those who aren’t yet up to speed (Jimmy being a prime example). Even if you’ve been waterfowling for years, it’s a great conversation to have, and with the crew we got together here, you may still even learn something new! Tons of people get stoked out of their minds every year for this sport – now you can hear what all the fuss is about.

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

Following a heated Instagram debate as well as some internal division amongst our own team here, Jimmy, Mark, Colin and Brittani (New guest, long time behind-the-scenes coordinator) take a bit more than 10 minutes to duke it out in a 2 vs. 2 battle of Street Taco's vs Burrito's. We learn burrito's are pretty much the pinnacle of American culture according to Colin, Brittani eats bananas weird, Taco's are better because they have their own day, and Lance Armstrong claimed the moon... So what are your thoughts? Street Taco's or Burrito's? Which do you prefer?

Jimmy and Mark are joined by our very own Tom Cody for his first ever podcast to talk about, you guessed it – Beer. Tom is our in-house beer connoisseur, traveling the state of Wisconsin to try as many different beers as he possibly can and matching new brews to his favorite wild game recipes for years. To discuss the all-important topic of beer-pairings, Tom brought in a venison and a pheasant recipe from his mom’s recipe book to give us the rundown on which type of beer compliments each dish the best and why. Undoubtedly, we could go on about the topic of beer for a lot longer than 10 minutes (As you even saw in this episode) so if you like this one, let us know and tell us what else you’d like to hear about everyone’s favorite adult beverage and we may just need to do a full length episode!

2011's are sooo 2019" - Mark Boardman. In this episode, Jimmy and Mark sit down with Adam Maxwell and Reuben Aleckson to discuss the fuss about these fancy 2011 pistols and why so many competitive shooters and even other marksmen are becoming so entranced by their performance vs the classic polymer-framed options. What is the best type of pistol to start shooting with? Are 2011's unreliable compared to their polymer counterparts? At what point can someone say they're "Good enough" to get a nice custom 2011 pistol? What the heck even is a "2011"?? Just a few of the many questions we get to on this podcast!

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

With great trucks comes great responsibility. Mark, Erik and Jimmy are on the road in Jimmy's truck preparing for the next podventure and took a break to discuss important recovery gear and tools to keep on hand in the truck to be ready for any situation. Jimmy goes over his personal top 3 in each category with some real life situations that have occurred in the last few years to back each one up. What are the tools and gear you keep in your vehicle to be ready for anything? Bonus points to those carrying this kind of gear in cars that aren't trucks/SUV's, too - even a compact vehicle can come in handy in emergency situations!

Shooting fish underwater in Louisiana, finding Mil-Surp rifles in garbage cans at Sears and ultimately, becoming one of the most respected and most famous competition and world-record breaking shooters around, Jerry Miculek has had quite the interesting life. That's why it was our pleasure to host him on this special podcast where we not only attempted to scratch the surface of his life story, but also asked him what it is about that super-computer-of-a-brain of his that allows him to shoot so darn fast and how he actually goes about getting himself in the right mindset to be one of the best shooters in history. Whether you shoot competitively or not, this is one you absolutely don't want to miss.

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

Rob Morell from our Product Development team joins Jimmy and Mark once again to give us the 10 minute crash course in magnifiers for red dots. In the wake of our fresh Micro 3x Magnifier release, we ask Rob some of the technical questions behind magnifiers, what they are, how they work and what’s so special about this new Micro 3x? A few misconceptions even get debunked in this short amount of time. Want more magnifier conversation? Let us know! Maybe these deserve a full episode, too?

In typical “One, Two, Skip a few” fashion, Jimmy and Mark fast forward you back to HQ after the Vortex Extreme to give a run down on everything that happened from the moment those reloads left the press to the moment they crossed the finish line at the Vortex Extreme. How did it go? What tips/tricks would they give to the next group of newbie reloaders looking to take their new-found skills to a competition? Would they actually ever do this again? And as we answer those questions, it brings us to the conclusion of our very first podventure. What did you guys think of the series? Are you looking forward to more? Hopefully so, because, well… Whether you like it or not, we have more of these in the works! If you loved this, we’d love to hear your feedback, too, on ideas for future podventures – They could be competition-related, hunting-related, food-related, who knows!

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

Semi-Live! Jimmy and Mark are joined by Ryan Muckenhirn to actually go ahead and reload their very first cartridges on the single stage press. We take you through every step of the process, from taking a once-fired piece of brass, spent primer still in the pocket, to dropping in a fresh, red-tipped Hornady 140 grain ELD Match bullet and adding it to the “Done” bin. No practice rounds were done before this one – this is literally Mark and Jimmy’s first ever reloaded rounds. Let’s hope they shoot!

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

Jimmy and Mark are joined by Nick Laufenberg, Ryan Hey of Magnetospeed and Tony Palzkill of… Well, we can’t say what Tony does… To talk about the best way of going about reloading to find the absolute best ammo for their particular rifles. We got the stuff to physically reload a round of ammunition, but there’s a lot of strategy and testing that actually goes into making sure you’re loading the right round. Rarely does anyone toss together a perfect recipe for their exact rifle and application in reloading on the first try. Sure, you can always follow the factory recommended loads to get something that works, but that will almost surely leave room for further improvement. If you’re like us, you know you want to load the most precise, consistent and predictable rounds possible – These guys explain exactly how to get there and make that happen.

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

Jimmy, Mark, Ryan Muckenhirn and listener as well as two-time guest, Trent Brenny, go into detail on the pencil dive, the cannon ball and the full-on head-first swan dive (Good, better and best) of reloading kits, detailing literally every single piece of gear necessary for you to get the job done. This has been one of Jimmy and Mark’s classic go-to excuses for not reloading – “It’s too complicated”, “There’s too many pieces of equipment to buy and I don’t know what to get”, “Everyone we talk to says we need something different”, etc. No more excuses – You can even get the job done with a $30 Lee Classic Kit and a hammer, which we even demonstrate in this episode!

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

Jimmy and Mark express why they’re feeling cautiously optimistic going into one of their biggest challenges yet – Reloading their own ammo by hand in preparation for one of the toughest long range shooting events around in the Vortex Extreme. Both have had a loose interest in the hobby and have admired from afar for quite some time, but have yet to actually take the leap until now.

You’ve heard the full-length episodes, you’ve tuned in for #10MinuteTalks, now get yourself ready for an all-encompassing, fully-in-depth experience with Podventures. What’s a podventure? The story of a hunt, competition or anything else hunting/shooting/food-related told over the series of more than one podcast to dive deep into nearly every single detail, each adventure having its own unique twist, most likely putting Jimmy and/or Mark completely out of their comfort zone for your learning and entertainment. Each series will be released over the course of just a week, making for a truly binge-worthy listening experience.

Coming to you from just beside stage 10 of the Vortex Extreme 2019 on the Wagonhound Ranch in Wyoming, Mark, Jimmy and Nick Laufenberg take a moment to discuss changing ballistics with changing locations. Us flatlanders in Wisconsin came from around just shy of 900 feet of elevation at sight-in prior to heading out for the Extreme long range shooting competition in Wyoming, which is at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. Despite using the same guns and the same ammo controlled by the same shooters, the new location and different atmospherics gave us a significantly different ballistic solution to shoot with. Without updating, we’d have been shooting over the top of nearly every target! This is important information for every shooter, whether a competitive shooter or a hunter traveling away from home.

OK, so bow hunting has loosely been a part of some of our podcasts in the past, but never the sole focus of an entire episode. In this one, Jimmy, Mark and Erik go right at the subject, explaining the advantages, disadvantages, gear and strategies behind bow hunting and why, if you haven’t tried this form of hunting yet, you’re missing out on a HUGE portion of your potential hunting season.

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 any one of our social media platforms and using #VortexNationPodcast.

Already listened, but want the show notes for reference afterwards? You can find them here: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast

A few weeks back, Jimmy discussed the basic differences between MOA and MRAD, and what these two units of measure actually represent. In this episode, Jimmy is reunited with Mark to talk to another Jimmy (Stick with us here on the names…) from Vortex all about using MOA and MRAD for more than just holdovers and wind calls, but actually estimating the range and sometimes size of a target through your reticle as well.