Vortex Nation Podcast

By now it’s no secret we love shotguns around here at Vortex, so we’re going to keep the shotgun conversations rolling with this choke-specific full-lengther with Ryan Muckenhirn. If you’ve ever wondered what types of shotgun chokes are available, what they all do, and when you would want to use one over another, this is the podcast for you. Everything from the rare “Spreader choke” to full-on turkey chokes, fixed chokes, rifled chokes and shooting slugs out of a shotgun with a choke in it. Check it out and let us know what your go-to choke is!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

NFA items in and of themselves can be complicated things to own, but how about what it’s like actually traveling with them out of state? Adam and Reuben join Jimmy and Mark once again for one last “Traveling with” 10 minute talk to discuss some of the considerations you should keep in mind when traveling with your NFA items. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

Could the .22LR actually be considered “America’s cartridge”? Ryan Muckenhirn and new guest Seth Toy (From our engineering department) join Jimmy and Mark to talk all about rimfire cartridges, NRL precision .22 LR matches and a brand new scope from Vortex that might just so happen to have the perfect set of features for precision rimfire shooters. If you’ve always been the kind of person to take a fun game and get really competitive about it in a quest to beat literally everyone else on the planet, you’d make a great competitive rimfire guy/gal and should totally listen to this one. Also, if you watch on YouTube, stick around after the podcast to hear Ryan and Seth go on a completely interesting and nerdy tangent about making their own ELR .22 cartridge. Truly revolutionary.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’re going to try and throw out a couple bonus episodes during this pandemic, so here’s a short one all about bore sighting your rifle. Whether that’s a bolt action rifle or an AR-15, this is an easy step that takes minimal time and zero ammo to help you get closer on your first shots out of a new rifle and optic setup. We also discuss what to do if you find yourself trying to sight in a rifle that has no way of being bore sighted like AK’s, Ruger 10/22’s, etc.For a printable bore sighting target - check out the show notes: https://vortexoptics.com/vortex-nation-podcast-show-notes

Did you know you can fly with your firearm checked on the plane and even ammo, too? To some that may seem crazy, but to Reuben and Adam on this podcast, it’s what they’ve done all the time over their career in our dealer sales and training department and their own hunts/competitions they’ve traveled to. In this podcast we learn about approved containers and methods of packing your ammo, alternatives to traveling with ammo if the amount of ammo you need exceeds the airline limit, and even the fact that magazines can be an approved storage container on planes! Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

We have red dot sights, a big old Tom has a red head. Coincidence  - We think not. Today’s modern shotguns, turkey loads and choke tubes make mounting a red dot sight to your gobbler-getter more practical than ever – and just might make your rig more effective than ever! And it’s really not that hard! There’s more than one way to mount your dot, and we go through those methods. And if you have a do-all shotgun for all your hunting applications, mounting your dot and taking it off depending on your upcoming hunt, just ain’t that big a deal. Not only is a red dot sight “parallax-free,” letting shooters get their shot payload downrange to its intended recipient no madder how awkward your cheek weld or shooting position, but they provide a finer aiming point, as well as don’t obscure your target  - particularly at  longer ranges. Fast and easy, put the dot on the thing and pull the thing. Toward the end we chat through magnified optics on shotguns for big game and turkeys and Ryan hucks out a sighting-in Pro-Tip

We’ve talked all about the vast expanse of shells available for your shotgun and how you can choose what works best for your application, but being that spring is upon us and folks are looking to socially distance themselves by going turkey hunting, we want to dedicate some time to discussing turkey loads specifically. How they work, what you should look for, the advances they’ve made over time, and much more. There’s a lot packed into this short episode for your spring season so tune in!

Dylan Easley, Garrett Grover and Reuben join Jimmy and Mark to discuss tuning pistol reloads for competition. We had no idea so much went into getting the perfect ammunition for not only a specific gun, but a specific shooter, specific competition and even a specific sighting system (Red dot or iron sights) too! These guys bring being one with your firearm to the next level by seeing and feeling the differences between very small changes in their loads to find the one that works best. We also finished up discussing how these seasoned pro’s keep fresh and stay excited for each season coming up after so many years of competition under their belts and much more around season prep.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

Thus far, Reuben and Adam have talked about flying with guns and ammo in two 10 minute talks. What they haven’t covered, however, is that when you travel as much as they do, you’re bound to eventually make a mistake or encounter an awkward/shocking situation. Adam tells the story about when his lateness, a last-minute gamble and lack of planning with his NFA items almost made him miss an important flight and Reuben talks about the time his 2011 wound up skidding across the floor at an airport baggage claim. Truly spine-tingling stuff! Learn from their experiences so the same things don’t happen to you. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of o

We drink it every day – if you’re a sane person. It’s part of our morning routines, it’s part of dating culture, and it just tastes damn good – particularly in the backcountry where frills and creature comforts are few. There’s a heck of lot more to coffee than meets the eye! In this podcast, we sit down with Tony Burlison, Master Roaster and owner of Dark Timber Coffee, to talk everything coffee. From the life cycle of a coffee bean, that starts out as a cherry, but is actually a pit, to the best temperature to brew, cupping (that sounds hot), best brew methods (there are many), light vs dark roasts, getting the most flavor out of your beans, the importance of good water – and oh yeah, we top it off with one of Tony’s signature Accent Packs (a compact, lightweight, single-serve pour-over that will leave thinking you brought a barista in your backpack. If you drink coffee, you’ll like Dark Timber. If you don’t drink coffee then.As always, we want to hear your feedback! Let us know if there are any topics you'

Sure, you can legally fly with your beloved firearm and its ammo, but how should you actually pack it? What combo of hard cases, bags, locks, etc do Adam and Reuben recommend? We also briefly chat about what to do if you get pulled over in another state with firearms you’re traveling with toward the end as a bonus. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests of this podcast are not responsible for the actions of our viewers and listeners.

So right off the bat, we should tell you this isn’t going to be a series of “If/then” statements about “If you do _____, then you should get _____ scope”. Truth is, the possibilities there are endless and it would get pretty boring pretty fast. What Jimmy, Mark and Ryan M really wanted to get at in this episode is how do you determine exactly what it is that you’re going to be doing with your rifle and scope, and then how do you determine exactly what features, level of optical quality, and price range, to name just a few of the variables, you really and truly need to accomplish that task. We see bad advice all over the internet about choosing optics – many times putting down new comers to hunting and/or shooting or making them feel like the sport/lifestyle simply can’t be done without a huge budget or gobs of time and an optical engineering degree. Perhaps a few times we got in “Rant” mode here because of it, but just know, it’s all in the name of helping everyone figure out what’s best for them and simply b

Maybe you had no idea you could actually even fly with your firearms checked on a flight, maybe you did but haven’t done it before, or maybe you have done it, but still feel a little uneasy about it and aren’t totally sure how best to handle it next time – Never fear! Reuben and Adam join Jimmy and Mark to discuss this very topic. These two guys work in our dealer sales and training department and do range days and competitions and hunts all over the country so they fly with firearms all the time. After all that experience, they’ve been able to boil down how you should approach the situation with no fear of getting taken to that scary dark room in the back. Disclaimer – we are not lawyers, nor are we always going to be perfect in our interpretation or verbiage behind every federal law, state law, or in this case, individual airline regulation. You should always do your own research about your own situation at the given time given the complexity and changing nature of these things. Vortex and the hosts/guests

Nothing preserves memories in the field better than a well-taken photo, so we sat down with Wyatt Cole and Erik Barber to talk about all-things “getting started in photography”. Listen in for great tips and tricks on getting the perfect shot. Whether you’re shooting on a fancy mirrorless camera with a lens that costs more than your truck payment, or snapping away on your phone, this episode covers everything you need to capture a wall hanger of a different variety.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

At one point or another, we all have to mount a scope to our rifle. Besides getting good gear and adhering to proper torque specs/sequences, leveling your riflescope is one of the most important things we do in order to set ourselves up for success at the range. The internet is full of differing opinions on how to properly do the job, but the fact remains, you can’t argue with physics, and that’s exactly what Nick Laufenberg used in this 10 minute conversation with Jimmy to explain how to properly level your long range riflescope. Spoiler alert – it may not be perfectly level to your rifle! This was Part 2 of a longer conversation between Jimmy and Nick. If you missed part 1, Nick started by explaining how rifle cant can affect your accuracy at long range and the importance of having your reticle level to the earth when you take your shot. Check it out.

Nick Laufenberg joins Jimmy to discuss the effect of rifle cant on accuracy at long range. If you’ve ever wondered why some people put bubble levels on their riflescope and whether or not it’s just to look cool with some extra range bling – here’s your answer. Spoiler alert – just a little bit of cant can absolutely cause you to miss! Nick brought charts and specific examples to show you exactly how important a level reticle (notice we didn’t say rifle) for your shot is. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this same conversation as it naturally transitioned into the question – “How should I actually go about leveling my riflescope when I mount it??”

The number one reason to wear camo: Conceal yourself from game. The number one reason to avoid wearing camo: Every non-hunter you encounter will hit you with the same unavoidable joke  - “Whoa, I didn’t see you there”  -  forcing you into the same polite laugh you’ve responded with Lord knows how many times. Regardless, there’s no doubt camouflage can have a positive impact on your hunt. In this podcast we cover the importance of camo, how it works, it’s evolution, hunt tactics you can use to enhance concealment, wearing solids, weapon and game-specific considerations and a whole lot more.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

Ian Klemm joins Jimmy and Mark for 10 minutes to blow some minds. Does barrel break-in even matter?? Conventional wisdom says “Yes” and perhaps there’s some truth to that, but Ian would argue it’s not nearly as important as the internet wants you to believe and that you don’t need to waste a ton of time/ammo to get your barrel ready to shoot extremely accurately – Even with hand-made custom barrels! Tune in to hear why and let us know your thoughts on barrel break-in, too. This one was in response to a ton of feedback on our full-length Barrels podcast with Ian, so keep those suggestions, questions and ideas coming! Best spot to throw them out is on Instagram by messaging @vortexnationpodcast

Reuben and Scott Parks (Back from our Long Range series some time ago!) join Jimmy and Mark to discuss the topic of making your rifle fit you. This is a broad topic that can really go in a lot of different directions – proper stock/chassis choice and setup, proper optic setup, and probably most importantly – a good understanding of the fundamentals of marksmanship and plain good shooting. Scott also talks natural point of aim and the fact that shooting a heavier recoiling rifle can often times immediately point out any shooting fundamentals you’re doing wrong or have gotten a little lazy about.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

Just when you thought they were done, Jimmy and Mark carried on Westward to LA to meet up with Damyan Tuchenishki from Renner Racing Development, a highly specialized Subaru racing shop that helped Jimmy remotely along the way during the Forester build process. They talk even more about why Subaru’s are awesome, what goes into making their record-breaking time attack cars, the history of their shop, and a whole lot more. Stay tuned, too, because the crew at Renner is set to do a little more work on the Forester from here to make it even better for future Podventures!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