What Actually Happens Inside a Cartridge Case in the Milliseconds After You Pull the Trigger (w/ Jeff Siewert)

What Actually Happens Inside a Cartridge Case in the Milliseconds After You Pull the Trigger (w/ Jeff Siewert)

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Rich Nance sits down with Jeff Siewert, a recently retired ballistics engineer with 40 years of experience and the author of Ammunition Demystified, for one of the most genuinely educational conversations the show has produced. Jeff stumbled into his career completely by accident after returning from 18 months in Saudi Arabia training the Saudi National Guard and landing in a job at an ammunition group in Burlington Vermont that he never left — and the depth of knowledge he brings to the conversation makes it immediately clear why. Rich frames the entire discussion from the perspective of an experienced cop and gun writer who knows what he does not know, which creates the perfect dynamic for Jeff to break down concepts that most shooters think they understand but really do not. They cover the four types of ballistics — internal external intermediate and terminal — with Jeff offering remarkably clear explanations of everything from what happens inside a cartridge case in the milliseconds after the firing pin strikes the primer to the little understood phenomenon of in bore balloting and how the dynamic interaction between a vibrating barrel and a projectile in flight is responsible for far more dispersion than most shooters ever realize. The conversation moves into cartridge case materials explaining why brass remains the gold standard and what steel and polymer cases actually do to your firearm over time before getting into barrel twist rate the gyroscopic stability factor and why most handgun barrels are spinning bullets far faster than they need to be. Jeff shares some of the most fascinating projects of his career including dispersion reduction work on the M855A1 and M80A1 for the military a bizarre 22 rimfire nontoxic bullet that produced two inch groups at 50 yards and two and a half foot groups at 100 yards due to a fundamental aerodynamics problem he identified and solved through computer modeling and his classified but clearly significant work on the 6.8mm Next Generation Weapon System. The episode closes with Jeff discussing his book his ballistics classes at a local Scheels location and the Chin Award he received in 2024 for a lifetime of contributions to the advancement of small caliber weapons and ammunition — and if you have any interest in what is actually happening between the primer and the target this is the episode to save and come back to. Visit Jeff’s website at: https://bulletology.com/ [https://bulletology.com/] Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ [https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/] and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/ [https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruGgs2p3VVVy-v6YTiKuQw]https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA [https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA] Visit: https://aimpoint.us/ [https://aimpoint.us/]to learn more PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

The Bone Collector on Turkey Calling, Red Dots and Why Hunters Are the Original Self Reliant Americans (w/ Michael Waddell)

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Rich Nance sits down with Michael Waddell known widely as the Bone Collector for one of the most wide ranging and genuinely entertaining conversations the show has produced. Michael opens up about growing up in Booger Bottom, Georgia, a place so rural and so authentically country that it shaped everything about who he became: the work ethic, the humility, the storytelling and the deep reverence for hunting, faith and the simple life. The two cover an enormous amount of ground together, starting with how Michael broke into the hunting industry by winning a turkey calling contest and eventually working his way up through guiding, running camera for Realtree and ultimately creating the Bone Collector brand and television show. Michael gets surprisingly deep on the philosophy of success — talking about how most people fail not because they tried and fell short but because they never tried at all, using vivid analogies from Blake Shelton moving to Nashville at 17 to Chipper Jones starting on a tee ball field — before pivoting to some of the most practical and entertaining turkey calling advice you will hear anywhere, including the unforgettable story of buying condoms at gas station vending machines as a kid just to cut them up and build mouth calls. The conversation also covers the transferable skills between tactical and hunting disciplines, the power of red dots for turkey hunting and shotguns generally, the role of technology in the modern outdoors, what it means to Michael to bring celebrities like Kirk Cameron and Theo Von into the hunting world and introduce them to a way of life that is about far more than killing animals — it is about self reliance protection provision and a connection to something real in a world that has largely lost it. Rich and Michael close out with a genuine and moving reflection on what it means to be a man in today's society and why the hunting community has something powerful to offer people who have never held a firearm or spent a morning in the woods. Follow Michael on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbonecollector/ [https://www.instagram.com/officialbonecollector/]Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ [https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/] and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/ [https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruGgs2p3VVVy-v6YTiKuQw]https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA [https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA] Visit: https://aimpoint.us/ [https://aimpoint.us/]to learn more PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

The Karate Hottie Reveals What Nobody Sees Before She Walks Into the Octagon

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Rich Nance sits down with Michelle Waterson-Gomez, known as the Karate Hottie, for a wide ranging conversation that covers her remarkable journey from a karate-obsessed kid inspired by Mortal Kombat and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies to becoming one of the pioneering women of professional MMA. Michelle shares how martial arts gave her a voice and a sense of identity at a critical point in her life, how training at the legendary Jackson Wink gym alongside fighters like Donald Cerrone, Rashad Evans and Georges St-Pierre shaped her career, and how being the smallest fighter in every room forced her to develop speed, creativity and adaptability that would define her style. She opens up about the unique dynamic of having her husband Josh in her corner as both coach and contract negotiator, the mental challenges of fighting in front of millions of people and what she misses most about the sport. The conversation transitions into her acting career, discussing her role in the Netflix action film Havoc alongside Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, her upcoming appearance in Keith Jardine and Donald Cerrone's Western film Kill Me Again, and the surprisingly deep parallels between adapting in a fight and being present in a scene. Rich and Michelle also dig into her journey as a competitive shooter and member of Team Aim Point, how she overcame a fear of firearms to earn her concealed carry and compete in the grueling Tactical Games, and her thoughts on the upcoming Gina Carano versus Ronda Rousey fight and what it means for two women who helped build the sport she loves. Follow Michelle on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karatehottiemma/: [https://www.instagram.com/karatehottiemma/] Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ [https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/] and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/ [https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruGgs2p3VVVy-v6YTiKuQw]https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA [https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA] Visit: https://aimpoint.us/ [https://aimpoint.us/]to learn more PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

20 Years at Aimpoint With the World's Most Trusted Red Dot (w/John Enloe)

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Rich Nance sits down with John Enloe, Technical Services Manager at Aimpoint for 20 years and a lifelong competitive shooter whose journey into the shooting sports began as a retired professional snowboarder looking for a new competitive outlet. John shares how he fell into USPS competition after meeting a young BJ Norris at a gun store, and how shooting alongside legends like Todd Jarrett and Tommy Thacker shaped his philosophy of always being a student of the craft. The conversation covers a wide range of technical ground including the evolution of red dots on pistols and the resistance law enforcement agencies historically showed toward optic adoption, the advantages of direct mounting over plate systems, and the engineering brilliance behind the Aimpoint CoA and its innovative A-cut mounting system. John breaks down some of the most common questions he fields daily — from customers struggling to find the dot due to improper focus technique, to concerns about battery life, zero retention and optic durability under extreme conditions. Rich and John also discuss the importance of both-eyes-open shooting, the challenges of cross-eye dominance, proper zeroing techniques, and the growing relevance of red dots across every shooting discipline from competition to wing shooting to dangerous game hunting in Africa. The episode wraps up with John sharing some of the most remarkable examples of Aimpoint durability he has encountered in his service work, including optics that survived IED blasts, house fires and motorcycle accidents while somehow still holding zero. To learn more about John visit: https://aimpoint.us/news-updates/tip-tuesday/properly-mounting-your-sight-with-john-enloe?srsltid=AfmBOopcKneryK9Izto17Phcvcygvm6uDD9sijNQrOrMya9a9v9jUhBU [https://aimpoint.us/news-updates/tip-tuesday/properly-mounting-your-sight-with-john-enloe?srsltid=AfmBOopcKneryK9Izto17Phcvcygvm6uDD9sijNQrOrMya9a9v9jUhBU] Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ [https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/] and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/ [https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruGgs2p3VVVy-v6YTiKuQw]https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA [https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA] Visit: https://aimpoint.us/ [https://aimpoint.us/]to learn more PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD

The Truth About Long Range Hunting Nobody Wants to Admit with Outdoor Life’s Editor John Snow

In this episode of the Taking Aim podcast, host Rich Nance sits down with John Snow, the shooting editor of Outdoor Life — only the fifth person to hold that title in the magazine's history dating back to 1898. John shares his unconventional path into the outdoors, growing up in Connecticut without a hunting or shooting family background, essentially teaching himself through sheer curiosity and what he jokingly calls a "feral" childhood. The conversation covers his journalism career, which took him from the Hartford Courant to The New York Times before he eventually transitioned into the outdoor industry. The two dig deep into long range shooting, discussing the mental and technical demands of competitions like NLR Hunter and PRS matches, the importance of wind reading, shooting position flexibility, and how competition experience translates directly into becoming a better hunter in the field. John also shares his thoughts on red dot optics, cartridge selection for new shooters — strongly advocating for the 6.5 Creedmoor as a versatile starting point — and the often misunderstood world of terminal ballistics. The episode wraps up with John reflecting on some of his most memorable hunts across the globe, his belief in authentic storytelling, and the legacy of the iconic shooting editors who came before him, including Jack O'Connor and Jim Carmichael. Follow John on instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/john_b_snow/ [https://www.instagram.com/john_b_snow/]Follow Rich Nance on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/ [https://www.instagram.com/nance_training_consulting/] and https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/ [https://www.instagram.com/rnancewartac/] Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCruGgs2p3VVVy-v6YTiKuQw]https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA [https://www.youtube.com/@AimpointUSA] Visit: https://aimpoint.us/ [https://aimpoint.us/]to learn more PRODUCED BY IRONCLAD