#117 - Backcountry Mountain Rifles with Tony Smotherman of Bergara Rifles

08/12/20 • 78 min

I’ve been on the hunt for a lightweight mountain rifle for a few years now and just recently learned of Bergara Rifles USA after a friend said I should check them out. I looked them up and reached out to learn more and the next thing I knew, I was on the phone with Tony Smotherman talking about the Bergara backstory. Since this is a backpacking podcast, I think we’re due for an episode regarding a backpacking-friendly mountain rifle. That’s exactly what the Bergara Premier Series Mountain Rifle 2.0 is. It’s light, durable, and comes in a number of popular hunting calibers.

This episode might be focused on getting to know Bergara and what they do best, but I think it’s more than that. Tony shares his personal story of how he got into the outdoors and I think it’s something a lot of people can relate to.

This is what I love about this podcast. I can cover something as simple as a backcountry rifle and the company that makes it while simultaneously driving home the idea that we all have something in common, regardless of where we are from and what we do in the backcountry.

For those backcountry hunters out there listening, you’ll FOR SURE want to check out Bergara after this episode. And for those non-hunters, I think you’ll still enjoy the episode from the perspective of learning about other outdoor cultures.

Show Notes and Links

Introduction to Tony and Bergara Firearms
Backstory on Tony Smotherman
How and why Tony got into the outdoor industry
Learning to chase your dreams and goals
Getting to know Bergara Firearms and their backstory
Bergara’s decision to build custom firearms
Employing veteran gunsmiths
The team behind Bergara
Product line comparisons
The importance of the weight of a rifle
The impact of rifle weight
Benefits of carbon fiber rifle stocks (vs. wood)
Choosing the right tools for the job
Learning not to sweat the small stuff
How to follow up with Bergara Firearms
https://www.bergara.online/us/
https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/mountain-2-0-rifle/
https://www.instagram.com/bergara_rifles/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5_KVcmKS9L8VpFFCdCbO-g

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Show Notes and Links

Introduction to Tony and Bergara Firearms
Backstory on Tony Smotherman
How and why Tony got into the outdoor industry
Learning to chase your dreams and goals
Getting to know Bergara Firearms and their backstory
Bergara’s decision to build custom firearms
Employing veteran gunsmiths
The team behind Bergara
Product line comparisons
The importance of the weight of a rifle
The impact of rifle weight
Benefits of carbon fiber rifle stocks (vs. wood)
Choosing the right tools for the job
Learning not to sweat the small stuff
How to follow up with Bergara Firearms
https://www.bergara.online/us/
https://www.bergara.online/us/rifles/premier/mountain-2-0-rifle/
https://www.instagram.com/bergara_rifles/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5_KVcmKS9L8VpFFCdCbO-g

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Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.

Previous Episode

#116 - All The Cameras In The World with Chris Niccolls

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Chris Niccolls has been reviewing cameras and camera systems on YouTube for years now. If the system exits, there’s a pretty solid chance he’s not only had his hands on it but he’s been able to run it through its paces and created a video about it. This is what Chris does; he learns about the tech, the features, and the capabilities of the entire camera system as a whole so YOU, the viewer, can decide whether or not it’s going to work for you or not.

This is exactly why I wanted to talk to Chris. To hear from his perspective what is important in a camera system and how to choose one of your own for backcountry adventuring.

If you’re into photography or videography and you’re searching for a system to call your own, this episode should no doubt help you in your search.

Show Notes and Links

Introductions
Backstory with Chris
Digesting the complicated nature of photography
Pairing photography with technology
Exciting trends in the camera industry
How to navigate the available camera choices
Pros and cons of micro 4/3 systems
Dialing in on a system that works for you
Enjoyment over image quality
Learning to be specific on your use case
Camera carry
The Fuji X100V for backpacking and hiking
The thing about landscape photographers
The rise of hybrid shooting and what that means
https://www.dpreview.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/dpreviewcom
https://www.instagram.com/dpreview
https://www.instagram.com/chris.niccolls
https://amzn.to/3j1KzF7

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Next Episode

#118 - Why You Should Consider Quitting Camouflage

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Out of the blue in 2017 I realized I had been sitting on a pile of camouflage hunting gear that I only used once a year during the hunting season. For the remainder of the year, it sat in boxes gathering dust. Literally thousands of dollars worth of camo that I wasn’t using and wouldn’t use anytime outside of the hunting season.

I concluded it was time to quit camouflage and swap those items out with solids in order to optimize my purchases. Since doing so, I haven’t looked back.

This episode is a spin-off of the original article I wrote called “3 Reasons You Should Consider Quitting Camouflage.” It has since become my MOST popular article on the site so I figured I’d do a full episode going through the 3 reasons I think YOU should consider quitting camouflage as well.

Show Notes and Links

Episode introduction
Clearing the air and setting the stage
How I came to quit camouflage
Reason #1: Cost Savings
Reason #2: Camo is more about marketing than camouflage
How we got into this camo fiasco in the first place
Camouflage as a marketing tool
Reason #3: More Options
What and how deer and elk see
Ultraviolet
How to choose a camouflage pattern
Final thoughts
The original article with links: https://byland.co/blog/2017/12/11/3-reasons-you-should-consider-quitting-camouflage
Visible Light Spectrum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color

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Thanks for listening! Check out the links below to learn more, connect, and support the show.