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 john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com 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 john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com if you plan on attending!

Resources

Learn more about what's new from Lipsey's at their web site and their YouTube channel.

We're talking about the 405 Winchester today, which is President Theodore Roosevelt's legendary medicine gun for lions. To this day, that statement remains one of the most effective presidential endorsements of any product ever. We will discuss more details of how that cartridge performed for Theodore Roosevelt in Africa, plus I'll also cover the history and performance specs of the cartridge, it's strengths and limitations, some other hunting stories involving it, and some recommendations on the best use cases for the round.

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 john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com to learn more. Make sure to state that you're a podcast listener and I'll give you a special bonus!

North Fork produces several projectiles that are outstanding choices for the 405 Winchester that take the performance of the cartridge to the next level. You can purchase North Fork bullets in the .411 and .413 bore diameters (as well as many others: .308, .338, .375 caliber, etc.) 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!

Phil Massaro shares some insights on the 404 Jeffery in this podcast interview, focusing on the history of the cartridge, its performance specifications, and some fascinating stories about his hunts equipped with the 404 on game like black bear, water buffalo, cape buffalo, and elephant.

Sponsor: 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 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 2026. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or email me at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com 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!

Resources

Follow Phil on Instagram @philmassaro

Ep 74: Big Bore Rifles & Hunting Dangerous Game With Phil Massaro

Ep 85: Phil Massaro On Hunting Plains Game In Africa

Ep 157: Africa Hunting Expectations With Phil Massaro

Ep 180: Double Rifles With Phil Massaro

Ep 331: A Hair Raising Leopard Hunt In Zimbabwe

Ep 367: Auodad Hunting With Phil Massaro

I got the chance to sit down with Andrew Marlin from The Dove Guy podcast in this episode and he shares the story of his successful, muzzleloader self-guided elk hunt in Arizona this year.

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.

Get in touch with Grant McCune of Zona Guides to book an elk, antelope, deer, or bear hunt in Arizona. zonaguides.az@gmail.com (928) 713-3412

Get in touch with Rob Massa at The R&K Hunting Company In Wyoming to book an elk, antelope, or deer hunt. They can also help you get a tag with little or no points for those species. Visit their web site or call Rob at (435) 979-1497 to learn more.

Resources

Follow Andrew on Instagram and check out The Dove Guy Podcast on Apple and Spotify

Here are my thoughts on the entire Creedmoor family: the 22 Creedmoor, the 6mm Creedmoor, the 25 Creedmoor and the 6.5 Creedmoor. We'll discuss how they stack up next to each other on paper, how they perform afield on game, and what the ideal use cases are for each one. I'll also share my picks for the "Best Creedmoor" and the "Worst Creedmoor".

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 to see the video of the hunt in Africa I referenced in this episode where a listener took 29 animals with the 6.5 Creedmoor. Supporters also will also have the potential opportunity to suggest future episode topics and will receive access to all my other bonus material.

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Resources

Ep 395: 22 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor

Ep 390: 25 Creedmoor vs 6.5 Creedmoor

Ep 388: The 25 Creedmoor With Richard Mann

Ep 366: Modern Cartridge Design With John Snow

Richard Mann 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're play little game where Richard 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 elephant and almost everything in between like mule deer, elk, black bear, etc. The catch is we cannot reuse a cartridge for multiple species. Even so, our discussion provides an interesting glimpse into the thought process he and I each use for selecting cartridges and bullets for hunting different species of game.

Sponsor: I'm honored to be nominated for Podcast of the Year in the 2026 Gundies Awards! Voting is open from December 1–15. Cast your vote daily and help me take home the win at TheGundies.com

Please hit that "SUBSCRIBE" or "FOLLOW" button in your podcast app to receive future episodes automatically!

Resources

Rifle Cartridges for the Hunter – Richard Mann's book referenced in this podcast

Learn more about Richard by supporting him on Substack: Empty Cases Substack

Ep 388: 25 Creedmoor-A Triple Threat Cartridge With Richard Mann – Episode referenced in interview

Ep 387: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Larry Weishuhn – Episode referenced in interview

Ep 372: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With WHO_TEE_WHO – Episode referenced in interview

Ep 336: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Ron Spomer – Episode referenced in interview

Ep 315: Best Caliber For Hunting Darn Near Anything With Joseph von Benedikt – Episode referenced in interview