Red, White and Moose

In this July episode of Red, White, & Moose, Mike dives into the critical prep work you should be doing right now to guarantee success when rifle season hits. Moving past the outdated "shoot once a year from a bench" mentality, Mike breaks down how simulated hunting events like the Ultimate Hunting Experience (UHE) and the new PRS PRSuit offer the absolute best proving grounds to test your system before it counts.
Mike also tackles current industry gear trends, pushing back against the ultra-lightweight magnum craze. Instead, he advocates for the sweet spot of 10-14 pound setups and fast cartridges (3,000+ fps) to maximize stability, recoil management, and energy transfer on target. Packed with insights for the ultimate gear junkie, this episode covers the evolution of rangefinding binos (Vortex Talons vs. Swarovski ELs), the tactical advantages of inverted tripods from Really Right Stuff, and how to run efficient "one-shot drills" right in your garage to get your pack-to-shot time under a minute. Finally, Mike touches on the physical side of the hunt, sharing his ongoing fitness journey, recent running milestones, and why being physically conditioned is just as vital as having your ballistics dialed in.

In this departure from standard gear and shooting talk, Mike opens up about a lifelong, deeply personal battle: his weight. Peaking at well over 300 pounds, the former lineman and powerlifter realized his relentless dedication to building his business had completely sidelined his physical health. Down 90 pounds, Mike gets vulnerable about the mental hurdles of long-term weight loss. He discusses the confusing reality of feeling strangely unaccomplished simply because the transformation took years of eating less and making slow, sustainable choices, rather than relying on a dramatic, agonizing 30-day sprint.
From cutting out alcohol and relearning how to run post-knee surgery, to the shock of knocking out his first continuous 3-mile run, Mike explores the shift from raw lifting strength to functional endurance. He also reveals the sadistic 10-mile, 100-pound ruck challenge waiting for him at the 100-pound weight-loss milestone, thanks to Ryan Garner. This episode is a call to action to find your "why," embrace doing hard things, and trust the long, slow process of changing your life.

Welcome back to another episode of Red, White, and Moose! This week, we kick things off with a major update for the Ultimate Hunting Experience—the rest of the year's schedule is officially live! We highlight the upcoming events in Rose (OK), Preston (ID), and Brownfield (TX). Spots are limited, so head over to theultimatehuntingexperience.com to lock in your expedition before they sell out.
Then, we are diving deep into the archery rabbit hole. With rifle hunters making the crossover to the bow world, it’s time to talk about taking total control of the tuning process. We are taking the same mindset used to excel in precision rifle matches and applying it to compound bows.
Listen in as we break down the current state of the Mathews ARC 34 setup and walk through the list of equipment and tools going into the new home bow shop. From the ATC Spike Press and Quick Bow Draw (QBD) to the BAP Pro Shop Vise, Mod Saw Pro, and the OMP fletching jig, we cover exactly what professional-grade gear was chosen and the "why" behind it all.
Plus, we discuss the deep science of arrow ballistics, upcoming broadhead testing (including Beast, Toulou, and Iron Will), and an upcoming Axis deer hunt where I need your help deciding: do I bring the bow or the rifle? Tune in and let me know!

In this episode of Red, White, and Moose, we are breaking down an absolute rollercoaster of a weekend at the PRS Punisher Positional. From battling heavy, switchy tailwinds and 94-degree heat on Day 1 to surviving a gnarly Texas thunderstorm in a fifth-wheel, the elements were out in full force. I walk through the highs of climbing into the top 10 early on, the brutal reality of dropping down to 35th after a disastrous final stage, and the hard-fought grind back up to finish 13th overall.
Beyond the match recap, we dive deep into the technical and mental aspects of precision rifle competition. I’m answering listener questions on how to keep your head in the game after a bombed stage, why relying on a strict pre-stage checklist is your best safety net, and what it takes to shift your stage prep into your subconscious to hit that elusive flow state on the clock. We also get into the weeds on evaluating complex props like rocks and tractor tires, running the 7 SAW, and my initial thoughts on the new Vortex Ace I pulled off the prize table.

Mike is back on the mic and back on the firing line. After a wild year of building Phalanx Arms, getting the Ultimate Hunting Experience (UHE) off the ground, and just surviving the chaos of entrepreneurship, Mike finally got back to his roots at the Thunder Beast King of Coal Canyon PRS match.
In this episode, Mike breaks down the mental friction of returning to competition after a hiatus and how relying on a strict mental checklist helped ground him through some of the most brutal, 180-degree wind shifts the Whittington Center could throw at him. He takes a deep dive into the gear that ran flawlessly for him, explaining exactly why he chooses to run a 7 SAW with a Botnia Maxi for the ultimate blend of recoil management and impact visibility.
Key Takeaways:
The King of Coal Canyon Breakdown: Navigating the mentally exhausting, constantly switching valley winds in Raton.

The Power of the Checklist: How leaning on standard operating procedures can save a stage when the wheels start to fall off.

Gear Talk: Why the 7 SAW is a cheat code for spotting trace and impacts, and a breakdown of Mike's Lone Peak/Foundation/Kahles setup.

PRS Updates: Thoughts on the influx of suppressors on the line and the new 50/50 PRS scoring system.

Data Management: A Kestrel sector hack to manage extreme wind angle changes on the clock.

Archery Updates: Fixing a stubborn shoulder alignment issue in the draw cycle and teasing the new professional-grade at-home bow shop build.