Should You Be a Shoulder Shooter? | Pros, Cons & Bullet Tech Explained

Why do hunters miss shots at deer, elk, and other big game? Is it buck fever, bad shooting fundamentals, wind, or something much more complicated? In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, we're breaking down the REAL reasons hunters miss and why your rifle might not be the problem. You spent all summer shooting tight groups from a bench at 100 yards. But hunting season doesn't happen on a perfectly level shooting range, with ideal temperatures and a rock-solid rest. When you're trying to make a shot on a bull elk across a steep canyon, with freezing temperatures, shifting winds, an elevated heart rate, and seconds to react, everything changes. We're diving into the shooting mistakes, ballistic variables, and real-world hunting conditions that can turn an easy shot into a costly miss.

Is there really one "perfect" deer cartridge, or does your zip code dictate the ultimate setup?In this episode of the Barnes Bullets podcast, Dale and Gregg are joined by a new face to the show, Chris Crosby, for a comprehensive breakdown of the Top Deer Cartridges by Region.Whitetail in the thick woods of the Southeast require a vastly different ballistic approach than a Coues deer across a glassing basin in the Southwest, a ghost-like Blacktail in the Pacific Northwest, or a big-bodied Mule Deer on a windy high-plains ridge. The crew takes a strategic look at how terrain, habitat, deer size, and average shot distance dictate the ultimate setup for each corner of the country.In this episode, we cover:Southeast & Northeast: Navigating tight woods, short shot distances, and fast-handling setups for dense brush.Midwest: Balancing open ag fields, timber edges, and heavy-bodied northern Whitetails.Rocky Mountain West & Southwest: Tackling steep country, high winds, extended shot distances, and high-BC requirements for big Mule Deer, Whittails and Coues deer.Pacific Northwest: Purpose-built setups for Blacktail in rain, timber, and coastal ranges.The Ultimate All-American Setup: The guys wrap up by answering the ultimate question—if you could only pick ONE cartridge to hunt every deer species in every region across the entire country, what would it be?Whether you're prepping for a local Whitetail hunt or planning a dream out-of-state trip, this episode breaks down the exact logic and bullet selection needed for every region.

Should you aim for the front shoulder or stick to the classic behind-the-crease heart/lung shot? As November rifle seasons open across the country, making the right shot-placement decision is the difference between an instant drop and a long night of tracking.In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, we break down the ultimate hunter’s debate: High-Shoulder Shots vs. Traditional Behind-the-Shoulder Placement. We analyze the physical ballistics, terminal mechanics, and bullet performance required to anchor big game in their tracks—whether you’re hunting Eastern whitetails in dense timber, big mule deer out West, or heavy-boned elk.

The 30 Cal Deep Dive continues — and this time, we’re getting into the heavy hitters.In Part 2, Dale, Gregg, and Alan are back to break down some of the most popular and capable .30-caliber magnum and short-magnum hunting cartridges, including where they shine, where they overlap, and whether all that extra speed, recoil, and powder is actually worth it.This episode is all about the bigger .30s: short-action magnums, full-size magnums, long-range hunting cartridges, high-velocity loads, recoil, ballistic efficiency, bullet weight, and real-world hunting performance.

Think your rifle barrel will last forever? Think again.Every round you fire puts wear on your barrel—but how quickly can you actually burn one out? And are some cartridges destroying barrels significantly faster than others?In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, Dale sits down with Gregg to tackle one of the most argued-about topics in shooting: rifle barrel life, throat erosion, barrel burners, and what it really means to “shoot out” a barrel.And this isn’t just internet theory.Gregg brings nearly two decades of ballistics-lab experience to the conversation, including real-world photos and video of barrel erosion, throat damage, rifling wear, and barrels that lost performance much faster than many shooters would expect.

What are the best .30 caliber hunting cartridges ever made? In Part 1 of our .30 Cal Deep Dive, Dale and Gregg is joined by Alan from Customer Service to break down some of the most proven short-action and standard hunting cartridges, including the .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, and other classic .30-cal options hunters have trusted for decades. We look at real-world hunting performance, velocity, recoil, bullet selection, effective range, rifle setup, and why some cartridges continue to dominate even as newer options hit the market. Is the .30-06 still one of the best all-around hunting cartridges ever designed? Does the .308 Winchester give up more than people think? And do hunters really need a magnum for most North American big game? We break it all down from a practical hunting standpoint. Part 2 takes things up another level as we move into short magnums and full-size magnum .30-cal cartridges.

Is the 7mm-08 quietly the best-performing short-action hunting cartridge available?The .308 Winchester gets the reputation. The 6.5 Creedmoor gets the hype. But sitting right between them is a cartridge that combines excellent velocity, efficient 7mm bullets, manageable recoil, and proven big-game performance—the 7mm-08 Remington.In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, Dale and Gregg make the case for why the 7mm-08 might deserve the crown as the Short Action King.The 7mm-08 has been around for decades, but with today’s bullets and modern rifles, has this cartridge actually gotten better with age?

The team from Q, LLC joins the podcast at our Mona, Utah facility for a deep dive into 8.6 Blackout. We break down the radical engineering behind 1:3 and 1:6 fast-twist rates, the rotational physics that turn subsonics into lethal energy, and the push to get 8.6 BLK SAAMI standardized. Plus, we explore why solid copper monolithic bullets are custom-built for high-RPM stability and officially unveil the new line of Barnes Factory 8.6 BLK Ammunition.

In this episode of the Barnes Bullets podcast, Dale sits down with Gregg and Mitchell for an unfiltered breakdown of their Top 5 Elk Hunting Cartridges. With decades of western hunting experience between them, the crew steps away from keyboard-warrior theories to discuss what actually works when heavy bone, thick muscle, and extended distances are on the line. Whether you lean toward classic, time-tested calibers or modern, fast-twist magnums, the guys break down the real-world terminal physics, bullet weight selection, and shot-placement realities required to bring down North America's toughest big game. In this episode, we cover: The Non-Negotiables: Minimum downrange energy thresholds, terminal expansion requirements, and sectional density for elk-sized game. The Top 5 Breakdown: The crew reveals their individual top cartridge selections and why they made the cut. Versatility vs. Magnum Punch: Balancing recoil management and shot placement against outright kinetic horsepower. Monolithic Performance: Why running solid copper projectiles (like the Barnes LRX and TTSX) changes the game for medium-and-large caliber elk setups. Distance & Velocity Realities: Knowing the true effective terminal range of your favorite load before heading into the backcountry. If you’re prepping for an upcoming western elk hunt or looking to fine-tune your rifle setup for this fall, this is an episode you can't afford to miss.

How small is too small for big game? The trend is everywhere right now—hunters taking increasingly smaller cartridges after increasingly larger animals. .22 Creedmoor for moose. .22 ARC and other small-caliber cartridges for elk, bears, and big game. And depending on who you ask, the answer is either: “Shot placement is everything.” …or… “There’s no replacement for bullet weight, diameter, and horsepower.” In this episode of Ballistics Briefs by Barnes, Dale and Gregg jump directly into one of the hottest debates in modern hunting: small cartridges vs. big game animals. Can a .22-caliber hunting bullet kill a moose? Absolutely. But that isn’t really the question. The better question is: How much margin for error are you willing to give up—and what happens when the shot isn’t absolutely perfect? Gregg breaks down the ballistics behind using smaller cartridges on large animals and if you are going to intentionally give up bullet diameter and projectile weight, bullet construction becomes more important than ever.