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

Here's how the mighty 458 Winchester Magnum stacks up against the venerable 45-70 Government cartridge, especially with regards to how both perform in Africa. In this episode, we discuss the history, design characteristics, and performance specs of each round. We'll also discuss the pros and cons of each one, a few stories involving hunting with the 45-70 and 458 Win Mag, and I'll also discuss the results of some of my investigations regarding tacking myths and misconceptions involving both rounds as well.
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. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. 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!
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Get a copy of Death in the Long Grass here
376: Africa Hunting 101
264: The Logistics Of Hunting Africa (Part II)
254: The Logistics Of Hunting Africa (Part I)
458 Winchester Magnum: It Hits Hard On Both Ends! | 458 Win Mag Hunting, Gel Test, & More

We're talking about the best cartridges for hunting Africa in this episode: plains game, thick-skinned dangerous game, cats, etc. The cartridges I list in this episode are based off the results of surveys I've recently conducted of over 2,000 hunters from all over the world who have hunted Africa. In addition to breaking down those cartridges that are most popular for hunting Africa in general, I also drill down into the most popular ones used by Professional Hunters and in client rifles. I'll also provide a few recommendations for a "1 Gun" or a "2 Gun" safari based on what you're hunting.
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. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. 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!
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
408 Best Bullets For Hunting Plains Game In Africa
407: New 35 Whelen & 9.3x62mm Rifles From Ruger
375: 9.3×62 vs 375 H&H
458 Winchester Magnum: It Hits Hard On Both Ends! | 458 Win Mag Hunting, Gel Test, & More

Craig Boddington joins me on the show today as we discuss trends he has observed since his first African hunting safari nearly 49 years ago. Craig and I talk about countries that have opened and closed hunting since his first safari, dramatic changes in the populations of various animals (for better and worse) that have occurred since then, trends he has noticed in various Africa countries in terms of where he'd go to hunt different animals, differences in availability of ammunition loaded with different bullets and for different cartridges, and even how hunting safaris are conducted differently today vs the 1970s.
Sponsor: 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.
Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe for the potential opportunity to have a future podcast guest answer one of your questions on the air along with access to all my bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter 
Get copies of 50 Great Stalks, Tracks Across Africa, or one of Craig's many other books on Amazon here (affiliate link, commissions earned).
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

We're talking about the best bullets for hunting plains game in Africa in this episode. I've hunted a lot of plains game with a wide spectrum of bullets, so I'll talk about some of my noteworthy experiences with those different models and provide some recommendations for plains game hunting bullets based on those experiences.
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. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. 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!
I'll be at the Safari Club International convention in Nashville 18-21 February with 2 of my African PHs (Johan and Kobus) and we'd love to meet you if you'll be attending the show. We're hosting a get together for podcast listeners and past/future clients 6-10pm on Friday, 20 February 2026 at the house we're staying at.                    Pizza and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will be provided.
Address is: 1116 Spurgeon Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37207

Space is limited, so please RSVP at [email protected] if you plan on attending!       
Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe for the potential opportunity to have a future podcast guest answer one of your questions on the air along with access to all my bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter 
North Fork's Semi-Spitzer and Percussion Point bullets are outstanding choices for hunting plains game in Africa. You can purchase North Fork bullets directly from the North Fork web site, from MidwayUSA, or from our network of other distributors all over the world.
Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!
Ep 401: Best Cartridge For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Richard Mann
Ep 349: The Ugly Truth About Bullet Failures
2025 Army Veteran Hunting In South Africa Video
Who Tee Who South Africa Hunting Videos
2025 Big Game Hunting Podcast South Africa Safari Hunt
Black Wildebeest Hunting In South Africa With A 375 Ruger

Lipsey's and Ruger have teamed up to release a couple of new Hawkeye and No. 1 rifles in 35 Whelen and 9.3×62. Those are outstanding rifles (especially in 9.3x62mm) for hunting the whole spectrum of game ranging from whitetail adeer and feral hogs up to cape buffalo and elephant in Africa. Jason Cloessner from Lipsey's joins me on the show today to discuss these new rifles in detail.
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. We just opened bookings for 2027 and still have a few spots remaining for May, October, and November 2026. 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!
I'll be at the Safari Club International convention in Nashville 18-21 February with 2 of my African PHs (Johan and Kobus) and we'd love to meet you if you'll be attending the show. We're hosting a get together for podcast listeners and past/future clients 6-10pm on Friday, 20 February 2026 at the house we're staying at.                    Pizza and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will be provided.
Address is: 1116 Spurgeon Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37207

Space is limited, so please RSVP at [email protected] if you plan on attending!       
Resources
Learn more about what's new from Lipsey's at their web site and their YouTube channel.