Who is Gundy, the Greek, and the Big Wild Radio?
The Big Wild Radio program is the midwest's top outdoors broadcast, beaming out from some twenty-five stations every weekend. A list of their affiliated stations can be found right here: http://www.thebigwild.com/Stations.html . Beyond that, their shows are available throughout the world via podcast: http://www.thebigwild.com/Podcast/Podcast.html .
As
to who is the bigger and who is the wilder of the hosts, Gundy or The
Greek, that's an open question. I dropped in around Christmas to chat
a bit about muzzleloading, probably interrupting their consumption of
egg nog and a bit of Bing Crosby in the background. Though I can speak
in gusts of several hundred words per minute, muzzleloading is a broad
enough topic that it can't really be covered properly in one brief segment.
It takes me an hour and a half to watch “60 Minutes,” sometimes.
The advantages and benefits of muzzleloading are many. It is a great way
to extend your hunting season, enjoy hunting in less crowded scenarios,
and it's a terrific way to introduce your kids and family to firearms.
When you teach your kids about muzzleloading, they quickly gain an understanding
of how firearms work in general: from ignition source to propellant to
projectile. Muzzleloading is handloading in the field, as the hunter obtains
the knowledge and assumes the responsibility of properly assembling his
caseless cartridge right in the bore of his rifle.
In
several states that don't allow the use of centerfire rifles for deer
hunting, or have “shotgun only” areas, your choice is often
between a slug throwing shotgun and a muzzleloader. A modern inline muzzleloader,
while limited to one shot, offers close to twice the range and greater
accuracy. It is “one shot and make it a good one,” a good mindset
for hunting in general.
It is also economical compared to some of the three or four dollar a pop
saboted slug rounds used in rifled bore shotguns. For example, a box of
one hundred .452 diameter 250 grain Hornady XTP bullets runs somewhere
around $22 or so, making muzzleloading economical enough to be affordable,
fun target shooting. Practice with your frontstuffer doesn't require a
second mortgage. With the latest blackpowder replacement propellants,
like Blackhorn 209, it is less hassle than ever before, with better ballistics
than ever before as well. Modern muzzleloading performance today starts
out with an approximation of the .45-70 Government, the cartridge that
drove the American Bison and the grizzly bear to extinction in a few short
years. Large diameter bullets don't shrink in flight, so it is put a good
bullet in the right place and go pick him up.
The Big Wild covers a wide spectrum of outdoors topics, from hunting and shooting to fishing, from the latest news bits to one of my favorite topics: food and wild game recipes. I enjoyed my visit to The Big Wild. Gundy and the Greek have the lights on every weekend, offering up fresh outdoor information on a wide spectrum of topics for you to enjoy. Check out the Big Wild team at http://www.thebigwild.com and tune in to the action; you'll be glad you did.
Copyright 2011 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
