Today, we’re going to talk about bullet failures. Bullet failures are a hot topic, especially when they involve certain, very polarizing bullets and/or cartridges. I absolutely believe they do occur, but I think they get blamed unfairly for a lot of wounded and lost game. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve had tell me they made a perfect shot, but the bullet “blew up on the shoulder” and the animal ran off, never to be seen again. Like I said, bullet failures do occur though and I’ve compiled a giant list of those sorts of stories to share with you in this episode.

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

Watch the video of the Berger bullet gel test I described in this episode here.

Sponsor: Get in touch with me to make your Africa hunting dreams come true at in South Africa’s Limpopo Province where 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 have 4 openings remaining for September, October, and November 2025, plus most of 2026. Visit bestsafarihunt.com or contact me directly at john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com to learn more.

I'll be at the Dallas Safari Club convention in Atlanta 9-12 January 2025 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 at a conference room in the Hyatt House Atlanta/Downtown 6-10pm on Friday, 10 January 2025.

Address is: 431 Marietta Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30313

Pizza and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) will be provided.

Space is limited, so please RSVP by emailing me john@thebiggamehuntingblog.com if you plan on attending!

Giveaway: I’m giving away 2 boxes of Federal Fusion ammo for the 308 Winchester.

Sign up at thebiggamehuntingblog.com/ammogiveaway to be entered in a random drawing for this ammo. Be sure to confirm your email address if you’re asked to do so after you sign up. All citizens or legal permanent residents of the USA who are over the age of 21 and who are not otherwise prohibited form possessing a firearm, and who lives in a state I can ship to is eligible to enter.

You have until 11:59pm central time on 18 December to sign up. I will randomly select one lucky listener from all the submissions on 19 December to receive both boxes.

Today we’re going to talk about 2 22 caliber cartridges designed for use in America’s favorite gun in the AR-15 platform: the 223 Remington and the 22 ARC. As always, we’ll discuss the overall design characteristics and performance specs of each round, then compare how they stack up next to each other. I’ll also cover how they each perform in some ballistic gel tests and discuss some interesting aspects of how they each performed at the range.

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

Sponsor: I’m giving away 2 boxes of Barnes VOR-TX LR ammo for the 6.5 Creedmoor loaded with the 127gr Barnes LRX bullet.

Sign up at thebiggamehuntingblog.com/giveaway to be entered in a random drawing for this ammo. Be sure to confirm your email address if you’re asked to do so after you sign up. Anyone over the age of 21 who is not otherwise prohibited form possessing a firearm, and who lives in a state I can ship to is eligible to enter.

You have until 11:59pm central time on 11 December to sign up. I will randomly select one lucky listener from all the submissions on 12 December to receive both boxes.

223 vs 22 ARC: New Hot Rod? Or Old Reliable – Blog article referenced in podcast

Best 223 Remington Ammo For Hunting - 223 Remington hunting ammo recommendations

Best Hunting Ear Protection For Sportsmen – Ear protection recommendations

Best Rifle Scopes For Hunting - Rifle scope recommendations

Best Hunting Rifle Slings - Rifle sling recommendations

Today, I discuss all of the other .30 caliber cartridges I didn't cover in episode 286. None of these rounds use a .308" bullet, but all are still .30 caliber cartridges and most fill a similar niche as the .308 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield in various parts of the world. As always, I’ll talk about their history, design characteristics, performance specs, their strengths and weaknesses, and their recommended uses in detail. Where appropriate, I’ll also share some personal anecdotes involving these rounds as well as some observations involving various cartridges by noteworthy gun writers as well.

Cartridges covered: 7.5x55 Swiss, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54R, 7.62x53R, 7.65x53 Argentine Mauser, 303 British, 7.5x54mm MAS, 7.7x58mm Arisaka, 32-20 Winchester

Join me at the Dallas Safari Club Convention in Atlanta 9-12 January 2025. More details are forthcoming, but I'll be hosting an event for listeners and past, present, and future African safari clients at the show.

Sponsor: I’m giving away a set of AXIL Trackr electronic ear muffs. This is a brand new in the box set literally identical to what I use at the range and sometimes out hunting. The TRACKR muffs provide hearing protection and hearing enhancement, so you can carry on a conversation with the person next to you at the range or hear the sounds of an approaching deer without exposing your ears to damage from gunshots or other loud noises.

Sign up at thebiggamehuntingblog.com/giveaway to be entered in a random drawing for these muffs. Be sure to confirm your email address if you’re asked to do so after you sign up.

You have until 11:59pm central time on 1 December to sign up. I will randomly select one lucky listener from all the submissions on 2 December to receive those muffs.

Join the Big Game Hunting Podcast tribe and get access to all our bonus material at www.patreon.com/biggamehunter

Episode 286: 30 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 291: 270 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 297: 9.3mm and 375 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 300: 40 Caliber Safari Cartridges With Kevin Robertson – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 328: 25 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 329: 50, 60, & 70 Caliber Safari Cartridges With Kevin Robertson – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 338: 338 Caliber Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast

Episode 345: 7mm Cartridges-Your Ultimate Guide – Episode referenced in podcast