A big pill, a badass name, and…maybe that’s it? Why do we have this cartridge? What was/is it used for? Should it receive the dreaded “lead balloon” status? Decide for yourself as we chat about this curious cartridge born from serious talk yet saw little action. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd lik…

Testing complete, Mark Boardman, Ryan Muckenhirn and special guest Reuben Aleckson break down their 6mm ARC terminal test. One factory offering is contrasted with handloads intended to maximize the performance of this petite cartridge in the bolt rifle platform. Listen as they dissect the project, the gel blocks, and Reuben’s field experience shoot…

In this exciting new episode of the SCHEELS Outdoor Podcast, we interview Reuben Aleckson and his experience competing in the 2023 IPSC Shotgun World Shoot in Pattaya, Thailand, his personal Vortex Optics picks, and what it takes to shoot competitively.

Many people have been awaiting the release of Intermezzo, the latest book by Irish writer Sally Rooney, which explores love, grief, growing up, playing chess, understanding and misunderstanding family...Kate and Cassie begin the show with this one, with additional input from millennial author Madeleine Gray. Also, under the sea with Richard Powers …

Rock — Paper — Scissors — Spaghetti Shootout. Your favorite series is back for its third and final season! Can Mark Boardman turn the tide against his good friend/Spaghetti Shootout arch enemy Ryan Muckenhirn to pull out a winning season, or will he, in classic form, blow a trivia question he’s known the answer to his entire life due to a deep-seat…

Silencers live their suppressing lives subjected to extreme conditions to say the least. Like most things, a little maintenance is required for optimal performance. Chase Glenn from SilencerCo joins Mark Boardman and Scott Parks to chat suppressor care and cleaning. It may be simpler than you think. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us …

You get five guns. What are they? One of our listeners asked this very question – so we sat down to answer it. Tune in for four different takes on the perfect five-gun repertoire. 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 @vortexnationpodc…

Novels from France, Poland and India – with politics, sanatoriums, automata and horror in the mix too. Kate and Cassie read French writer (and provocateur) Michel Houellebecq’s Annihilation (but can they get to the end of the book? There’s the question); while Polish reader and publicist Anna O’Grady joins them to discuss Nobel Prize winning writer…

Vortex Edge® Hunter Marksmanship Class of 2024 Valedictorian, Erik Barber, drops by to recap the course. Experienced hunter and crack shot, Erik proves once again there is always something to learn when it comes to hunting and shooting. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Na…

In this episode of the Scheels Outdoor Podcast, we sat down with Keagan Keddell of WildLifePhotogMedia. Keagan travels the country capturing incredible wildlife photos and videos. He posts regularly to his instagram of 66,000 followers, sharing his story across the country. We sat down to ask him about his experience of being a guide in Alaska, and…

The 1911 Stood up for America and its soldiers as a service pistol for nearly 80 years — and still stands today as one of the most capable pistol designs in existence. 1911 enthusiast, expert competitive shooter, amateur historian, and Vortex Mil/LE account manager, Adam Maxwell, joins the crew to chat all about this more than iconic pistol. As alw…

Sex parties, corruption and dark dark deeds in not-quite-Nigeria, in Akwaeke Emezi’s Little Rot; aspiration, real estate and misguided philanthropists in New York, in Rumaan Alam’s Entitlement, and ordinary people living extraordinary lives, and all those untold stories, in Elizabeth Strout’s Tell Me Everything. GUESTS Gretchen Shirm, critic and wr…

Vortex’s Travis Jones is at it again with his 33 Nosler. This thing is an absolute long-range bomber. Lisen to hear about the rifle, cartridge, and impressive ballistics he’s getting out of it! 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 @vo…

Riflescopes are often wrongly accused suspects when it comes to accuracy issues. A complete rifle with mounted optic is a system. It must be set up correctly with all the right components working in harmony. If one variable is out, you’ll likely see it rear its ugly head in the form of inconsistent impacts down range. Tune in for troubleshooting ti…

A peripatetic hotel, a paddle steamer of dreams and a dastardly law firm, in Jock Serong’s Cherrywood; one of the 20th century’s top 10 all-star ‘leading’ murderers, and what it might mean to be close to him, in Malcolm Knox’s The First Friend; and spies, caves, lies and Neanderthals in Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake. BOOKS Malcolm Knox, The First …

ElkShape’s Dan Staton works hard at everything bowhunting and is never satisfied. This includes his arrow setups. Dan’s “Always be Tinkering” (ABT) attitude is fueled by passion and a perpetual search for optimal bow performance. Tune in to hear about his elk and whitetail arrows at the time of this recording. It’s more than 24 hours later, so they…

Thomas Mlsna from Untamed Ambition Joins Mark Boardman and Josh Diederich to talk habitat management and early-season whitetail tactics. Thomas plants high-grade seeds of information throughout the conversation guaranteed to yield results – for you and the critters who call your land home. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if th…

In episode 151 we of the SCHEELS Outdoors Podcast we are joined by Mankato SCHEELS Expert Dougray Siebenahler to talk optics, reloading, guns, hunting experiences and what it means to be a SCHEELS Expert.

An overview of the books of the year so far, what’s coming up for the rest of the year, and the 'to be read' book pile of regret as Kate and Cassie confess all with bookseller Jon Page and literary interviewer and editor of The Monthly Michael Williams. BOOKS MENTIONED BY CASSIEPercival Everett, JamesCeridwen Dovey, Only the AstronautsIain Ryan, Th…

Light transmission isn’t one dimensional. Multiple factors play into this important, but often misunderstood attribute of an optic. Rob Morell (Vortex® New Product Development) joins Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn to shed some light on this subject. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered …

Backcountry hunting expert, Ryan Lampers, talks all about water treatment methods and best practices. From what he used back in the day to the system he uses today; he provides important tips to keep you healthy and hunting. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'd like covered on the Vortex Nation™ podcas…

Stories of Northern Soul, pigs trotters in performance art and politics in the subtropical 1950s come to life in three new works of fiction including Vortex, the new novel from 88 year old Rodney Hall, twice winner of the Miles Franklin Award; Woo Woo, by another Australian writer, Ella Baxter; and Rare Singles, the latest from English writer and j…

High-end eyewear that fits your face and the demands of your active hunting, shooting, outdoors, and daily life. Polarized, ballistic-rated, shatter-resistant lenses are at home on the range, on the water, and at your kid’s soccer game. Lenses also cover your tears when at some less-than-ideal obligatory function not doing what you really wish you …

Adam Kraut from the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) joins Mark Boardman and Sawyer Briel to chat SAF, current 2A battles, where the money goes, and the Vortex®/SAF Crafted Impact T-shirt collaboration. When you purchase one these special-edition, limited run, cool-as-heck shirts, you support the Second Amendment Foundation in their mission to fos…

In episode 150 we are joined by SCHEELS Archery Expert Brian Klatt, who has been managing our Sioux Falls archery shop for over 20 years. We discuss how archery has changed over the years, what drives his passion for archery, and what's new in the archery world. Archery: https://www.scheels.com/c/archery…

Kate and Cassie read Rita Bullwinkle's Headshot, a luminous debut that follows eight teenage girl boxers in Reno, Nevada. Crime writer Michael Robotham discusses Chris Whitaker’s All the Colours of the Dark – a story with a one-eyed boy, missing children, and a character who may or may not be an hallucination, and a nod to True Crime and Australia’…

Remi Warren is one of the most experienced hunters in the world. That experience has led him to develop several hunting mantras that if followed, deliver time and again. Choosing the right approach, to finding your knife when the dirty work is done, Remi gives us hunting words to live by. As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if the…

Elk Shape’s Dan Staton joins Mark to chat backcountry food and nutrition. They cover stuff they like, their food strategies, and break down Mark’s daily ration. They even find a nutritional hole in Mark’s food game he will want to fill with additional items. The best part about a week of food in the field — the greasy burger you get at the local di…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

What does the 2024 Miles Franklin shortlist tell us about our shared imagination? Bernadette Brennan and Geordie Williamson join Kate and Cassie to examine the winner, Alexis Wright's epic novel Praiseworthy, and all the finalists for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize. BOOKS WINNER: Alexis Wright, Praiseworthy (Giramondo) REST OF SHORTLIS…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Early season critters taken with antlers shrouded in velvet require special care if the hunter desires to preserve them in their fuzzy form. No easy task considering their delicate nature and often warm daily temps that may accelerate the decomposition process. Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn talk through what worked with a nice Sitka blacktail a…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Since 1989, Barnes has been leading the charge in the all-copper bullet arena. Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn sit down with Mike Painter and Gregg Sloan in their home state of Utah to chat through their bullets, how they work and more. Is Ryan completely biased toward these projectiles? Yes. For good reason? You decide. As always, we want to hea…

In episode 149 we are joined by Sam Ubl of Chase Nation. We discuss his journey in the hunting film industry, unique perspective on filming as an art form, experience with SCHEELS Outfitters clothing, and stories such as his near-death experience with Vertigo in the hunting blind. Vertigo Buck: https://youtu.be/2IPX1qb5olk?si=1U3Je7UDt6Jank-L https…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Bruce Isaacs on weird fiction novelist China Mievelle's The Book of Elsewhere, a genre-bending epic written in collaboration with Hollywood star Keanu Reeves. Plus, guest critic Ailsa Piper on The Echoes by Miles Franklin winning author Evie Wyld...set between London and rural Australia it's part love story, part ghost story, and Kate and Cassie di…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Kaylee McKeown wins the right type of gold medal, the come-over-the-top-late type, to continue Australia's gold medal flow. May that tap doth flow forevermore (until week two)! We JAG Bronze in the "four by two", which of course is the correct way to attain this medal, and unfortunately Winnington misuses his carrots. Elsewhere, the Women's Sevens …

Fast, simple, and effective, using a Vortex® custom yardage-marked turret may be your ticket to extending your effective hunting/shooting distance. Range in yards, dial in yards, and execute the shot. Listen and learn about this great tool. Get one FREE with select riflescopes! As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any …

“One-two”, bathe in the words Australia!. Another golden, dominant day for the nation, at least in the events we were encouraged to watch. We cover it thoroughly, investigate the Woke Village, catch up with Melbourne comedian Tim Hewitt with his segment, “VibeWatch”, before going around the global grounds and your corrections via Boys Actually. Bit…

Compact optics are the definition of, “Big things come in small packages.” Mark Boardman and Ryan Muckenhirn highlight these optical powerhouses and where they will enhance your hunting/observation game! Don’t be fooled by appearances. Compact optics may provide all the optical performance you need while saving space and weight in the field. As alw…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…

Get 25% off your Smith Optics sunglasses and helmets using the code FAST at smithopticsaustralia.com.au INTRODUCING MORNING AFTER PARIS, with Pez and Higgos. 17 straight days of prestige Olympic narration covering the biggest stories from Paris, featuring athletes, journalists, comedians and punters, with a focus on the true tonic of our national s…