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

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

John McAdams 456 Episodes Sep 17, 2026

The Big Game Hunting Podcast, hosted by John McAdams, covers subjects like caliber comparisons, Africa hunting, terminal ballistics, and intense hunting stories. Featuring a wide range of guests from industry experts to listeners worldwide, the show focuses on serious big game hunting without fluff. Topics include cape buffalo hunting in Africa and deer, elk, bear, and antelope hunting in North America. New episodes are released every Thursday, and listeners can contact John via email or the show's archive website.

Episodes

441: Hunting the Roof of the World Tajikistan Argali and High Country Ibex
441: Hunting the Roof of the World Tajikistan Argali and High Country Ibex Sep 17, 2026 01:19:22 A hunt in Tajikistan that tops out over 19,000 feet. An argali at 1,200 yards. Kyrgyzstan on horseback and a Mongolia hunt that included wolves working the same animals. Rob Gearing shares stories from three very different Asian mountain hunts: the long, open, high-altitude country of Tajikistan near the Afghan border; camping and horses in Kyrgyzstan; and Toyotas in places they shouldn't go in th
440: 243 Winchester vs 6mm Remington With Ron Spomer
440: 243 Winchester vs 6mm Remington With Ron Spomer Sep 10, 2026 01:12:59 John McAdams sits down with Ron Spomer to talk about the .243 Winchester and the 6mm Remington (originally the .244 Remington). Both are light recoiling, flat shooting 6mm cartridges introduced in the 1950s and have similar performance on paper at first glance. However, the 243 Winchester remains one of the most popular dual-purpose cartridges in America while the .244/6mm Remington never achieved
439: First Big Game-4 Young Hunters Share Their First Successful Hunts
439: First Big Game-4 Young Hunters Share Their First Successful Hunts Sep 3, 2026 01:00:09 In this special episode, four young hunters sit down to share the stories of their first successful big game animals. My son James talks about preparing for and harvesting his first impala in Africa at age nine with a suppressed 25 Creedmoor. Heidi recounts the excitement (and nerves) of her first deer hunt where she took both a doe and a management buck with a Savage .243, Jake describes the long
438: 416 Rigby vs 375 H&H Big Bore Caliber Comparison
438: 416 Rigby vs 375 H&H Big Bore Caliber Comparison Aug 27, 2026 01:08:48 In this episode of the Big Game Hunting Podcast, I compare two legendary African dangerous game cartridges: the .375 H&H Magnum and the .416 Rigby. I cover the history and design of both rounds, real-world ballistics, recoil, penetration, rifle and ammunition availability, and how they stack up for buffalo, elephant, and general safari use. I also discuss some of the nuances involved in using the
437: Tiny Ten Hunting In Africa: Mike Arnold's Quest for Pygmy Antelope
437: Tiny Ten Hunting In Africa: Mike Arnold's Quest for Pygmy Antelope Aug 20, 2026 01:29:32 John sits down with Mike Arnold (author of Bringing Back the Lions and Bringing Back the Wild, biologist, and host of the Bringing Back the Wild podcast) for a deep dive into one of the more specialized pursuits in African hunting: the Tiny Ten. Mike shares the full story of how his very first African animal — a Vaal Rhebok in the Great Karoo — launched a multi-country quest that eventually produc
436: How to Prepare for an African Safari Hunt (Shooting, Fitness, & More)
436: How to Prepare for an African Safari Hunt (Shooting, Fitness, & More) Aug 13, 2026 01:45:40 Julius Fortuna returns to the podcast in this episode and we discuss how to properly prepare for an African safari hunt. We discuss range prep, boot break-in, physical fitness, gear recommendations, mental readiness, and much more. clothing, fitness, and mental readiness. This episode is packed with practical advice and hard earned lessons to help YOU avoid some of the mistakes Julius & I have eac
435: 45-70 in Africa Pros, Cons & Lessons Learned
435: 45-70 in Africa Pros, Cons & Lessons Learned Aug 6, 2026 53:15 My father and I took a father-son safari to Africa armed with classic lever-action rifles in .45-70 Government — my Marlin 1895 and his Winchester 1886. Despite being an uncommon choice on the Dark Continent, the old .45-70 delivered devastating close-range performance. Join me as I share the full story, the challenges we experienced with our set-up, and what we learned from running this American
434: The Spotted Chainsaw-Dave Fulson on Leopard Charges, Follow-Ups & Survival
434: The Spotted Chainsaw-Dave Fulson on Leopard Charges, Follow-Ups & Survival Jul 30, 2026 01:41:45 Watch this full episode on YouTube to see video of the leopard charges, good/bad shots on leopard, etc. https://youtu.be/t8a3DOHP3nQ Dave Fulson from Safari Classics TV joins me in this episode to discuss leopard hunting. He shares his thoughts on why he thinks leopard hunting is uniquely demanding compared to any other animal in Africa: the endless waiting, the mental grind, the constant second-g
433: The Enduring Romance of the British Double Rifle + The 8-Bore Buffalo Hunt
433: The Enduring Romance of the British Double Rifle + The 8-Bore Buffalo Hunt Jul 23, 2026 01:27:40 John sits down with Graeme Wright, author of the definitive Shooting the British Double Rifle, to explore why double rifles continue to captivate hunters more than a century after their golden era. Graeme shares how his lifelong fascination began and eventually grew into owning and shooting over 100 double rifles. He explains the original purpose of the double rifle, breaks down key terms (side lo
432: The 6.5x55-The 130+ Year Old Round Delivering 6.5 PRC Performance
432: The 6.5x55-The 130+ Year Old Round Delivering 6.5 PRC Performance Jul 16, 2026 01:00:52 Joseph von Benedict returns to the show for a deep dive into one of his favorite classic cartridges: the 6.5×55 Swedish Mauser (aka the 6.5 Swede). Joseph shares a few hunting stories involving the cartridge from Mozambique, New Zealand, and even a giant roe deer in Spain. They break down the cartridge's rich history and Olympic pedigree, why it's still winning fans more than 126 years after its i
431: True Cost of an Africa Hunt: Elk vs Plains Game Safari
431: True Cost of an Africa Hunt: Elk vs Plains Game Safari Jul 9, 2026 38:02 Is an African safari really as expensive as most hunters think? I break down the real, all-in costs of a guided plains game hunt in South Africa versus a guided rifle elk hunt in Wyoming — using hard numbers from actual hunts in this episode. I discuss everything: daily rates, trophy fees, licenses, tips, flights, taxidermy, meat processing, shipping trophies and meat home, and all the hidden extr
430: Best Cartridge for Hunting Darn Near Anything With Jim Harmer
430: Best Cartridge for Hunting Darn Near Anything With Jim Harmer Jul 2, 2026 01:31:51 Jim Harmer (aka Backfire on YouTube) 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 Phil 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 e

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