What's the best, most practical deer-hunting cartridge of them all? We're joined by our friend Ron Spomer—who is consistently the show's most popular guest—to try our hand at picking one cartridge to rule them all. Because it's fun, we also take a deep dive into our personal favorite deer-hunting cartridges—practicality thrown out the window—and sh…

We’re not ready to give up the Olympics yet, which is why Rob and Patrick have convened the Sports! council to chat about what it’s been like having Olympics fever the past two weeks, and spend a bunch of time talking about women’s soccer, men and women’s basketball, and cycling. And we definitely do not overhype a handful of pre-season passes from…

A simple question: how do you best organize your digital life? Patrick, Janet, Rob, and Cado have already got it figured out, clearly. But soon enough, we’re chatting about games, with Patrick having conquered the known universe after completing The Game of Sisyphus, and both Janet and Patrick having a blast with the whimsical (but hard!) Valley Pe…

This episode covers the ABC's of flying with guns. From what type of case is best, to how to pack your firearms and ammo, to how to check in with your airline, we detail the process. We cover domestic flights compared to international travel, discuss the legality of flying with a suppressor, suggest research and prep documentation, and so forth. Fl…

The NFL approaches, which means soon enough, Patrick and Rob will grapple with the reality of the Chicago Bears actually playing football, instead of wondering about it. History has taught us the former is better. Can Caleb Williams and co. change that? We’ll see, and our first glimpse into the future comes via HBO’s documentary series Hard Knocks,…

Is failing to throw a football while streaming College Football 25 a sign of weakness, or merely an illustration of the stressors associated with public sport? Rob, Patrick, Cado, and Janet ponder this question and more, while trying to make sense of Bungie’s latest set of layoffs, SAG-AFTRA going on strike, and EA’s questionable use of the term “A…

Ever wonder which of the new PRC cartridges to pick for your new hunting rifle? The 6.5 PRC, 7mm PRC, and .300 PRC each have their strengths... and few weaknesses. So how do you know which will fit your needs best? Hornady engineer and cartridge savant Seth Swerczek guest stars on this episode, and we talk through the various characteristics of eac…

Unionization is spreading throughout Microsoft, and it’s glorious. Patrick, Janet, Rob, and Cado chat about the formation of unions at Bethesda Game Studios and Blizzard, before [deep sigh] unpacking Ubisoft’s decision to acknowledge the nontroversy with Assassin’s Creed Shadows put forth by bad faith actors. Also, Patrick and Janet have spent time…

Remember that old saying, "One Shot, One Kill?" How about eight shots, eight kills! This episode we're joined by Shaundi Campbell, senior marketing manager at Browning, who recently took her bucket-list animal in Africa (and seven others) with a single shot each using her favorite 6.8 Western. Shaundi tells a little of the 6.8 Western's back story,…

College Football is back as a surprise hit of the summer... and it appears to have awakened something in Rob. He's traveling the Midwest recruiting for Notre Dame, concealing from all those kids that their head coach doesn't know what a "hot route" is much less how to call one. Janet's got a head full of soccer as she explains EA FC 24 and how it's…

This episode explains how knowing fundamental ballistics help us make clean, ethical kills in the field. Jayden Quinlan (ballistic mastermind at Hornady) shines the light on how to compensate for steep angles, for wind, and for bullet drop in various air density and temperatures. We talk hunting bullets and the evolution of projectiles and how to c…

We begin where all good podcasts begin, of course, with Patrick, Rob, Janet, and Cado talking about Bionicle. Eventually, this all starts to make sense, as Rob has been playing a lot of Cataclismo, a strategy game with some Lego-like mechanics. We also unpack Microsoft’s recent (but unsurprising?) shifts with Xbox Game Pass, what “success” means fo…

What's the BEST elk cartridge? Or should we ask, what's your FAVORITE elk cartridge? This fun episode with Ron Spomer and Tate Bradfield takes a humorous and deep dive into most practical elk cartridges and favorite elk cartridges—and how they're rarely the same! Plus, we talk one-shot drops on elk, marginal cartridges versus marginal shots, how to…

In one of the most exciting product announcements of the year, Springfield recently brought out a long-action version of it's superb Model 2020 Waypoint precision hunting rifle. Previously only available in short-action cartridges, it's now available in 7mm PRC, 7mm Rem Mag, .300 Win Mag, .300 PRC, .270 Win, and .30-06! What a star-studded lineup o…

And now, the conclusion of Patrick’s ongoing interview series from Summer Game Fest, featuring conversations with the developers of Bounty Star (mechs!), Hello Kitty (cats!), SteamWorld Heist 2 (tactics!), and Cairn (rocks!). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-in…

It’s impossible to begin anywhere but with the ongoing, evolving, and increasingly upsetting story surrounding the popular streamer Herschel "Guy" Beahm, aka Dr. Disrespect, and what it says about applications of justice at places like YouTube and Twitch. We touch on the Elden Ring difficulty discourse, in light of Shadow of the Erdtree dropping, b…

Cape Kudu are slightly smaller, more colorful, and "better dressed" than their Southern Greater cousins—and are enchanting and addictive to hunt. This episode, we sit down by a midnight acacia-wood fire in the Eastern Cape area of South Africa with PH Ed Everton of Rosedale Safaris, to share hunting stories and discuss the incredible Cape Kudu. We …

It’s time for another round of interviews from Patrick’s time at Summer Game Fest earlier this month. Today, it’s conversations with the developers behind Sony’s tremendous-looking platformer Astro Bot, Blumhouse’s debut into video games Fear the Spotlight, and the exceptionally quirky but undeniably charming indie romance game Building Relationshi…

Rob, Patrick, and Janet discuss the Nintendo Direct, the cancellation of Life by You and the cycle of missteps at Paradox Interactive, the ups-and-downs of Eugen Systems’ RTS games, and life aboard a haunted oil rig in Still Wakes the Deep. But first, the gang show what it means to live the Good Life by discussing Selaco, the Doom-derived FEAR-like…

Is your rifle fully set up and ready for hunting season? That's a question all too many hunters don't ask until it's nearly go-time. This episide addresses rifle choice and scope selection, how to mount your scope for best performance, crucial accessories like an anti-cant scope level, rifle sling, and bipod, and how to set the complete system up p…

Patrick recently attended Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest in sunny Los Angeles, California, and came back with a whole bunch of interesting interviews with interesting developers about interesting games. You’ll hear those interviews over the next few weeks, starting with conversations featuring the developers of Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventur…

Over the past weekend, Janet and Patrick spent many hours wandering Geoff Keighley’s latest Summer Game Fest event, playing and seeing games like Astro Bot, Zoochosis, STALKER 2, While Waiting, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and many more. Elsewhere, Cado, Patrick, and Rob have been dipping their toes into Steam’s Next Fest celebration. Oh, and we’re p…

What causes some cold-bore shots to go astray? And can a good rifleman eliminate them? This episode discusses bore condition, barrel quality, clean-bore shots, and the human element, debunking myths and providing practical solutions to overcome unexplained first-shot misses. ENJOY! FRIENDS! We're at a crucial time in the growth of the show, and nee…

Folks, I've fielded a lot of questions about this rifle—so here's a 15-minute bonus rifle review for you. This is the build project I did last year to create my ultimate .280 Ackley Improved custom mountain rifle. It was built by my old friend Steve Pratt of Elk Meadow Performance, using the following components: Defiance Anti-X action Proof Resear…

We kick off by recapping Sony’s State of Play, in which Rob unfairly asks the rest of the group to restrain themselves from spending the entire hour talking about Astro Bot. But that gives Cado, Patrick, and Janet plenty of time to unpack Infinity Nikki and consider gaming’s open world dress up future. Elsewhere, we chat about Amazon making a Yakuz…

Recorded raw in the field off coastal Alaska, this episode takes place hunting from the Venturess, a fishing/hunting boat operated by Alaska Premier Sportfishing. Even though we experienced constant rain, wind, and cold, our group of 7 hunters managed to take 4 great bears, plus our limit of halibut, rockfish, king salmon, and several yelloweye. My…

How do you weave narrative into gameplay? How do you balance the two, and when should they overlap? Join a roundtable discussion with developers behind the exciting upcoming games Cryptmaster (Lee Williams), Nirvana Noir (Evan Stark), and Wander Stars (Andie Gallo) as they unpack their individual approaches to this topic. See Privacy Policy at http…

The great fear is that AI will replace tons of jobs, including journalists, which makes the decisions by Vox Media, The Atlantic, and others to actively partner with AI companies all the more puzzling to Patrick, Rob, Janet, and Cado. It neatly lines up with confusing (and wrong?) comments from Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann about AI that Sony have s…

How do you pick the right hunting mentor? And how do you distil what gear you really down to a practical setup? This episode is all about being a practical hunter with solid (but not expensive) gear, and about learning from real-deal hunters rather than popular, trendy influencers. Guest is Tate Bradfield, owner of Process Based Hunter. He's a youn…

RIFLE REVIEW! For the first time ever, Weatherby's excellent new Model 307 action is available with a carbon-fiber stock and a carbon-fiber-wrapped barrel. It's called the Alpine CT, and is a wonderful lightweight hunting rifle. I took one chambered in 7mm PRC to New Zealand this spring, and was real impressed. It's reliable, accurate, ergonomic, a…

Few things are more important to a story-driven game than the writing. This becomes even more paramount when you hand over decisions to the players. Join the developers of Citizen Sleeper, Times & Galaxy, and Slay the Princess as they provide insight into the process of writing and player choice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and …

We open in a familiar place, with Rob, Patrick, Cado, and Janet talking about the ongoing tumult in video games media, after hearing IGN has acquired a bunch of new websites. Rob also gets a chance to ruminate on what a rumored Total War: Star Wars game might look like, before he discusses the fascinating, if understandably polarizing, Hellblade II…