432: The 6.5x55-The 130+ Year Old Round Delivering 6.5 PRC Performance
Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!Show Notes
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 introduction, and how modern handloads and bullets can push the 6.5×55 to near 6.5 PRC performance. If you appreciate classic cartridges that still deliver serious performance with the right loads and shot placement, you'll love this conversation. Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true on a hunt in South Africa. We offer outstanding hunting safaris, simplified hunt logistics, assistance with many of the pain points associated with a hunt, and up front pricing with no extra fees. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or email me at [email protected] to learn more. Make sure to state that you're a podcast listener and I'll give you a special bonus! Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Recommended Episodes Ep 96: Elk Hunting Bullets With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 104: Elk Hunting Rifles With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 130: Caribou Hunting In Alaska With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 162: Moose Hunting 101 With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 174: Bighorn Sheep Hunting With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 315: Best Cartridge For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Joseph von Benedikt – Previous interview with Joseph Ep 368: 300 H&H: The Original .30 Caliber Magnum With JvB – Previous interview with Joseph 1) Joseph's Personal Instagram Page 2) Check Out The Backcountry Hunting Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, & YouTube
More from Big Game Hunting Podcast - Hunting Africa, North America, & More!
Erik Cortina is a champion F-class shooter, founder of Cortina Precision, and the guy behind the Ethical Hunter Challenge: a deer silhouette with a 1 MOA kill zone at 500 yards and one cold bore shot with no sighters. Erik started hunting in Texas, had a sobering experience regarding the limitations of his skills as a shooter on a Colorado elk hunt, and got hooked on F-class shooting in an effort to improve his long range shooting skills. Today, we talk about what F-class actually teaches a hunter, why he started his so called "ethical hunter challenge", why the first-shot hit rate is so low, and some recommendations on how hunters can determine their own max range on a deer. Sponsor: Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter. Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources Ethical Hunter Challenge – See how these shooters perform on the Ethical Hunter Challenge Subscribe to Erik Cortina's YouTube channel here
Hornady's Seth Swerczek returns to break down the company's late-2026 / 2027 new product lineup, led by the long-awaited 6.8 Western Precision Hunter load with the new 176-grain ELD-X (0.680 G1 BC, ~2,825 fps). We cover how retailer shelf space and consumer demand finally got the cartridge into the Hornady catalog, the ballistic performance of the high-BC bullet, factory ammo + component bullet + brass availability, and the realistic odds of a future Outfitter CX load. Seth also walks us through the rest of their new 2027 offerings, continued 375/416 Ruger support, likelihood of a 25 PRC, and how the ongoing powder shortage continues to affect 7 PRC velocities. Sponsor: Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early. Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources Check out the Hornady YouTube channel & the Hornady Podcast to learn more about their new offerings 5 Underrated Cartridges That Deserve Respect
This episode of the Big Game Hunting Podcast covers the whole 30-06 family: 25-06 Remington, 6.5-06, 270 Winchester, 280 Remington, 280 Ackley Improved, 30-06 Springfield, 8mm-06, 338-06, and 35 Whelen. You'll learn why the 270 was a big hit, why the 280 wasn't, why two A-Square rounds got a SAAMI stamp and then vanished, and what each remaining sibling is best for in 2026. What's your favorite round of the bunch? Answer the poll on YouTube or Spotify. Want more episodes like this (like for the 308 family or the Winchester Magnums) next? Email me at [email protected]. Sponsor: Support me on Patreon receive ad-free episodes of the podcast delivered a day early (Wednesday instead of Thursday). Plus, you'll start to receive the other bonuses I deliver to supporters there. Sign up at Patreon.com/biggamehunter. Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources Best Cartridges For Hunting Africa Classic Cartridges Making A Comeback
Jeff Cooper wanted one rifle a man could carry all day, hunt big game, and defend himself with if he had to. This was supposed to be a handy, compact, & powerful general-purpose rifle, not a battle rifle or a specialized long-range gun. In this episode Richard Mann, author of The Scout Rifle Study, joins me on the show and we talk about Cooper's original Scout Rifle specs, how they changed over the years, his extensive hunting experience with Scout Rifles (to include multiple African safaris as well has hunts in the USA), the pros and cons of scout scopes vs an LPVO or red dot, and more. If you've ever wondered whether the scout rifle is outdated, overhyped, or still one of the most practical rifles you can own, this conversation is the field report. Sponsor: Join the community I'm building on Patreon to receive exclusive bonus content, like ad-free access to the podcast a day early. Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources The Scout Rifle Study & Rifle Cartridges for the Hunter – Richard Mann's books referenced in this podcast C Stories – Jeff Cooper's book referenced in this podcast Learn more about Richard by supporting him on Substack: Empty Cases Substack Other Episodes Referenced In The Podcast Ep 388: 25 Creedmoor-A Triple Threat Cartridge With Richard Mann Ep 401: Best Cartridge For Hunting Darn Neary Anything By Richard Mann Ep 419: 25 Weatherby RPM With Richard Mann
Ryan Muckenhirn of Vortex Optics is back and we discuss two very different 30-caliber hunting setups. First up is the load that might raise a few eyebrows, but is also incredibly effective: a 308 Winchester firing Barnes' 130-grain TTSX. Ryan runs it in a 4-pound-13-ounce Kimber Mountain Ascent and that combination is a flat shooting, 400 yard and in load that delivers devastating terminal performance and still carries like a mountain gun with moderate recoil. Then we jump to the other end of the spectrum: the "300 Super WSM," a SAMMI-chamber 300 WSM built around Barnes' 212-grain LRX bore-rider. G1 BC around .705, 1:8 twist, long-action magazine, advertised 2,800 fps. We discuss the purpose that unusual cartridge serves and Ryan shares a few stories of how it performed afield on Idaho black bear and on a West Texas aoudad cull hunt where he really got to wring out that cartridge at various ranges out to around 800 yards and on multiple animals. If you hunt with a 308, load copper, or just like Ryan from the Vortex Nation, this one is worth the full run. Sponsor: Join the community I'm building on Patreon to receive exclusive bonus content, like ad-free access to the podcast a day early. Go to BigGameHuntingPodcast.com/ebook and sign up for my free e-book on the best hunting calibers at to receive the entertaining and informative emails I send out about hunting, firearms, and ballistics every weekday. Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically! Resources Subscribe to the Vortex Nation Podcast here or follow the show on YouTube Ep 271: Vortex Optics With Ryan Muckinhern – Podcast referenced in episode