EP 321 – Is Private Equity Ruining Hunting Brands? Plus: The Truth About Long-Range Hunting with Zack Boughton

Welcome back to the Mindful Hunter Podcast! In this episode, Jay sits down with Zach from Montana Wild — a guy who has been a fixture in hunting media for over a decade and played a massive role in the early creative direction of Stone Glacier. In the first half, Jay and Zach dive deep into the history of hunting media, from the early days of YouTube to the "golden era" of founder-led, design-centric companies like Stone Glacier, First Lite, and Sitka. They have a candid conversation about what happens when Private Equity buys out these beloved brands, why the culture always changes, and why companies like Exo Mountain Gear are some of the last ones doing it right. In the second half, the conversation shifts to rifles, marksmanship, and the current state of long-range hunting. They pull no punches on the marketing BS behind "1,000-yard out-of-the-box" rifles, why ultralight rifles are a terrible choice for most hunters, and why the biggest reason hunters miss isn't their gear — it's their ego. Jay also shares the brutal statistics from his recent bear guiding season: a 50% effective lethality rate on shot opportunities, and what he's doing to fix it next year. 🎁 GIVEAWAY — 3 WEEKS LEFT: Every $5 spent at Forged in the Backcountry earns one entry to win an all-expenses-paid custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting — BC Black Bear or Mule Deer, Alberta Archery Mule Deer, or Rifle Coues Deer in Mexico. 🇲🇽 MINDFUL HUNTER OUTFITTING SOUTH: Now booking fully guided Coues Deer hunts on private ranches in Old Mexico. Fly into Tucson and we handle everything else. Email j@mindfulhunter.com. 🏕️ 2026 BC OPENINGS: Jay just opened four new spots — Archery Mule Deer, Early Season Alpine Mule Deer, Alpine Black Bear, and a late September Float Bear hunt. Email j@mindfulhunter.com to book. 0:00:00 Intro, Mexico Coues Hunts & Giveaway Updates 0:01:20 Zach's Background: From Ski Bum to Montana Wild 0:06:47 The Early Days of YouTube Hunting Media 0:10:24 Working at Stone Glacier & The Sitka Gear Era 0:11:50 Did We Miss the Heyday of Founder-Led Hunting Brands? 0:16:43 How Private Equity Changes Hunting Companies 0:27:01 Leaving Corporate Hunting & Returning to Montana Wild 0:30:30 Archery vs. Rifle: Why Zach Prefers Shooting Guns 0:37:39 Rifle Philosophy: Why You Shouldn't Shoot Past 400 Yards 0:38:05 The Problem with Ultralight Hunting Rifles 0:40:51 The Brutal Truth: 50% of Hunters Miss or Wound Animals 0:44:46 Why Ego is the Biggest Reason Hunters Miss 0:51:46 The Marketing Lie of the "1,000-Yard Out-of-the-Box" Rifle 0:55:17 How to Get Better at Shooting: NRL Hunter Matches Explained 1:01:03 Caliber Selection: Why the 6.5 PRC is the Sweet Spot 1:03:10 Bullet Selection: Match Bullets vs. Hunting Bullets 1:11:10 Wind Calls & Long-Range Hit Rates: What Actually Matters 1:16:05 The Ethics of Long-Range Hunting & Accepting Risk 1:21:43 Outro & Final Thoughts Zack Boughton https://www.instagram.com/zackboughton/ https://www.instagram.com/montanawild/ Jay Nichol jay@mindfulhunter.com https://www.mindful-reviews.com/ https://www.mindfulhunter.com/ Forged In The Backcountry https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/   Merch https://www.mindfulhunter.com/shop   Newsletter https://www.mindfulhunter.com/contact   IG https://www.instagram.com/mindful_hunter/   Podcast https://www.mindfulhunter.com/podcast   Free Backcountry Nutrition Guide Free Training Guide For Mountain Hunting https://www.mindfulhunter.com/tools Forged Ultimate Guided Hunt Sweepstakes No purchase required.  Contest begins on May 17, 2026, at 12:01 a.m. PST and ends on July 17, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PST.  There is a total of 1 prize available to be won consisting of: (i) A custom guided hunt with Mindful Hunter Outfitting including travel and tip (APR) $$10,000.00 CAD); Skill testing question required.  Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States, The District of Columbia, Canada (excluding Quebec), United Kingdom, New Zealand, Finland, France and Switzerland. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received before contest closes.  No limit on entries. For full rules and entry details visit: https://forgedinthebackcountry.com/blogs/resources/the-ultimate-custom-guided-hunt-giveaway-open-until-july-17-2026