Paul's Top 5 Handguns for Deer Hunting 

You may notice some of the sequences are edited out of order. My apologies for the confusion.

In the 50's, my aunt shot a deer, got her tag on it, then the "dead deer" ran off. She was going after it when another hunter shot it. They had a bit of discussion about who shot it until they reached the deer. When the other hunter saw the tag, he said, "Lady, if you're quick enough to tag your deer before you shoot it, you can have it."

My wife's favorite deer hunting weapons are the Toyota Sienna, and the Toyota Highlander.

When Paul puts down a table, the snow moves.

As a 32 year law enforcement officer, now retired; a firearms instructor for 31 years, still active; your videos have been an excellent source for information, proper articulation and a primary reference source for my students. I thank you for your efforts and dedication.

I'm 71 and haven't hunted deer since I was 18. But I still watched your video in total as I always learn something from your video. From one retired soldier to another, you are one of the best teachers and also entertaining. Thanks for what you do.

"...and I've found that deer in the field typically do not have a target on the side of them.":) Reminded me of a The Far Side cartoon, in which a deer has concentric circles on his chest, and another deer comments: "Bummer of a birthmark, Hal."

I bagged more deer with my '81 dodge than anything else.

"Dead deer aren't always dead" is a lesson my mom had to learn the hard way, when the adrenaline kicks in a deer can run hard enough to pump blood with their leg muscles instead of their heart. She got a good center-mass hit on a buck with her M77 .308 and it went running, stumbled after a few yards, she THOUGHT it was down, but when she got there it got back up and she took another shot off-hand, breaking its back. It started coming AT her, just dragging itself way faster than front legs on a mortally wounded deer have any right to be capable of, and closed the distance before she could cycle the bolt. Ended up holding one antler and sticking her .38 snubnose in its ear, THAT finally stopped it.

The world-weariness of Paul’s sighs as he exhales, before his one-shot groups, embodies my misanthropy like nothing else can.

Paul's had all of his ammo stocked and stored in his shooting jacket since 1982... shortage? Bah!!

The only deer that have a 🎯 on the side are The Far Side deer. "Bummer of a birthmark, Hal."

I'm mainly here for the yeahbuts.

Love your choices, and the little 25 did exactly what it was designed for: to be with you all the time, and handle what needs to be done when an unexpected situation occurs.

1) S&W Model 58 in .41 Magnum 2) Ruger Super Redhawk in .44 Magnum 3) Colt Python, 6" bbl, in .357 Magnum of course 4) Ruger Blackhawk in .44 Magnum 5) Sig P229 in .357 Sig. These have all served me well. I have one ladder stand where the "primary zone" is straight out about 150 yards, but there's also a row of trees about 50 yards to the right that deer like to pop out of randomly. It's much easier to draw a pistol from a chest holster and get on target than trying to swing the rifle around, and the range is about perfect for any decent handgun and ammo. Great video, Paul! Really enjoyed it. Our snow is slowly thawing here in Texas. As big a PITA as it was, I'll miss it.

Looks like my work can wait for another 36 minutes and 36 seconds.

As long as the "meat" targets are generally consistently built, then the comparisons are reasonable.

Legend has it that Paul uses his fingers pointed like a pistol to hunt deer. Pew pew

The meat target is to me, the only indicative medium for realistic shot results. It presents the variables of live targets. Gel, it's just gel. And I've seen too many gel shots and the meat targets, not to comprehend the differences. I am grateful that Paul goes to the considerable trouble and expense to create the meat targets, which he goes through at a very high volume.

So far I have taken deer with handguns in .357 mag, 45 Colt, 454 Casull, and 45-70 (it was a BFR). Out of all of them I probably like the 45 Colt with Ruger only level loads(325grain going 1,200fps). It fits nicely in that range of not too big to carry comfortably, not too much recoil and can be a good gun for the bears we sometimes encounter when hunting here in Montana.

OK.. For those of us who are still here, let's make fun of those who aren't.

I don't even hunt deer but I'm pretty sure I'll learn something anyway.

As one of the only people I know of that use the meat target, I appreciate it and I take the information provided as very valuable.

Vegetarians : "How can you eat animals like that, you monster?" Paul Harrell : "This is the meat target"

What I like about this BB is its accuracy compared to the actual gun ru-vid.comUgkxnX9wE_Q8zvF75Y5iWzTU3Q4FlrtyGApQ . It's very heavy in weight, same as the real thing and no it didn't come with the lazer. Couple of scratches but not sure if it's bc i open it roughly or the paint cheap either way not really a bother at this point but highly recommend this.

I don't even hunt but I clicked on this as soon as I saw it. Paul, you are an awesome video creator and very informative. It's always a joy to watch.

"Who do you think is the greatest guntuber, and why is it Paul Harrell?"

Paul: "I'm putting my table here." Snow: "Ok, have a nice day."

I like all the “yeah buts” and “maybes” I tend to learn a lot when I listen to Paul kinda ramble about all the various “well except” love it keep up the good work man

Paul, I personally think that the meat target is a far superior representation of evaluating performance than ballistic gelatin could ever be. And thanks for giving us the opportunity to learn from you especially when it wasn’t perfect!

My son was just born 45 minutes ago and now I have a Paul Harrell video to look forward to when mom is resting. I've never been so happy.

Never have gone on a deer hunt in my life, but I’ll be sure to watch and pay close attention anyways! :D

I like the Meat Target Paul, every time you use them I think of Orange marinated BBQ pork ribs.

Superb "Top 5" Mr Harrell!!! If you're hungry, use what you got!!! (afraid we all might be doing this in the near future if this keeps up...) I have a Ruger super redhawk in 44 mag along with a Henry in 44 that I hunt with most of the time. Here in western NC, we don't get many shots over 100 yards anyway... I do have an 06 rifle, but don't need it around here. And we LOVE the meat target Mr Harrell, simply because it IS different, and it DOES give us an excellent idea of how our/your weapon & ammo will perform in real life! Thank you sir!!! :-)

Mr Harrell is that cool uncle you wish you had. Or if you do, you're lucky.

Paul your videos got me through the late nights and lack of sleep that comes with a newborn. Great work!!!

My cat died from a stroke a couple days ago at the young age of 7. Seeing the notification for your new video put a much needed smile on my face. :) Please keep putting out quality content!

A long, hard day at work (very rewarding), a good glass of bourbon, a good smoke, and a Paul Harrell video on a topic I love to talk about? What a wonderful day!

I have had many different hand guns that I have hunted with over the years, I have always came back to the same caliber and barrel length. I like a 6 inch 357. That is what works best for me. Great video thanks.

Entertaining and educational as usual. Great video Paul. Love your choices. Being in the UK I am not allowed to shoot those hand guns any more, however when I did I always preferred the feel of a revolver. 2 of my favourites where a Ruger Blackhawk in 45lc and Freedom Arms Casull .454. I used to get almost as much enjoyment just handling and cleaning my firearms as I did from shooting.

I've been waiting to hear the details of the 25 acp story for a long time. Glad you finally got around to expounding upon it!

Sometimes i don't care what you talk about, after a long week, it's only about your sense of humor. Thanks Paul.

The way Paul mockingly says "Poorly writ-ten!" makes me NEVER want to use that phrase for the rest of my existence. It really seems like something a jerk would say now.

Thanks so much for this video, I've been a long time handgun hunter for deer and love the challenge. Enjoy hearing others experiences and types of handguns they use. Love all the guns that you use. I started hunting in Indiana when I was younger and in IN you could only use a shotgun to hunt with in gun season. Back then there wasn't accurate shotgun like there is today so I choose to hunt with a muzzleloader which was very accurate. Not long after that they opened the law to include handguns the lowest caliber that you could use was a 357 mag. So I purchased a TC contender with 14" barrel chambered in 44 mag killed many deer with this gun. Then latter purchased a TC contender in 35 Remington with 16" barrel with a scope loved it also. Later purchased Ruger gp100 in 357 mag. Killed 3 to 4 deers every year with them loved the challenge. This year just for the challenge I'm going to use my Glock 22. Thanks again so much for sharing this video loved revolver chambered in 444 Marlin. Very cool gun.

That’s a great hat, Paul. I’m sure many have commented on it, but I recently bought one that is either the exact same, or extremely similar. Good for any outdoor activity, and in public I’ve gotten more compliments than strange looks. Thanks for introducing it to many of us.

Weather has no impact on how this man dresses, -50 or 150 (same outfit).

Can't wait for the top 5 anti-tank weapons for hunting deer

Professor Harrell at his best! Love it.

“Yes there is a flyer, and that’s just me.” On the contrary....Mr. Harrell is the only person who could tell me it was the ammo that missed, and I would totally believe him.

my deer handgun is a Taurus 66 6 shot 4 inch 357 magnum, made in 1989, its a pretty solid revolver, i usually use 158 SJHP or SJSP at 1200/1240 fps, inside 40 yards, its a VERY effective handgun for Hogs and Deers even WITH shoulder shots...

Its illegal for me to use handguns for deer in my jurisdiction, however this video was both informative and entertaining. The work you did here was excellent.

Draws his own deer targets? He's more than a hunter, he's an artist!

...I've found that deer in the field typically do not have a target....that's gold! Great video - and the meat target (in my opinion) is far more informative than gel. I've never hunted, nor been attacked by, gelatin....

Great top 5! I have used my .30 carbine blackhawk to harvest whitetails at 50 yards or less with great results. it took a long time for non fmj ammo to become available- great stopping power.

I enjoyed this video. Your experience as a hunter is obvious. Back years ago I used to travel regularly to home of a friend in South Carolina who had 4,000 acres in timber. He had a large population of deer and had his own tags and management plan. He liked to clear at least 50 does off his property each year for the health of his herd. He also had 15 or so quail coveys. There were also wild hogs and even alligators on the property. It was a pretty decent bet that as you rode the property you would run into something to shoot. My friend did not believe in eating store-bought meat when game was available. When I was down there I typically carried a Ruger Blackhawk Convertible .45 LC/.45 ACP. I found that I enjoyed shooting that revolver in .45 ACP quite a lot. It had the 4 5/8 inch barrel. I had a stash of Remington Golden Saber 185 grain +P rounds, which were not my favorite in my autopistols, but were very comfortable to fire in the Blackhawk, so that is typically what I had in the gun while on the property. The does on his property were not much bigger than Paul's homemade target, I had occasion to shoot half a dozen deer with the Blackhawk loaded with Golden Sabers. This load worked very well out to about 50 yards and always expanded. The only flaw in this round is that while it worked quickly, I almost never got an exit wound, so if the deer happened to run, tracking it was complicated by the lack of a distinct blood trail. I may have been better off with a hard cast lead SWC. I am curious because I've never shot anything living with a .38 Super. I wonder if when it expands in a deer, it expands to a larger diameter than an unexpanded .45 ACP?

I have watched, enjoyed and learned a lot over the past two years or so from Paul and his videos. I've never seen anything that he's done or heard anything he's said that would be worthy of being trashed by anyone. Even with all of the disclaimers and clarifications that Paul makes during his videos, there are obviously persons who gotta be a--wipes. Sheesh. Paul, I so appreciate your knowledge and skill, your manner of sharing it with us and you're awesome sense of humor. And thank you for being a Patriot. Carry on.

"And I found that real deer in the field, typically do NOT have a target on the side of them." Oh okay thanks for the clarification

Greetings Paul, I find your meat target far more reliable and meaningful than the ballistic gel demonstrations. I came to that conclusion the first time I saw you do it ...several years ago. Ballistic gel is interesting and worth watching, but I have more faith in your method. Thank you. R, Steve in occupied America

Paul, I have watched you for some time now and really appreciate your videos for a number of reasons. The level of knowledge and amount of education is phenomenal but the level of humility and the care taken to avoid misinformation to the inexperienced is really impressive. I wanted to point out a missed teaching moment that occurred to me in this video. I am 56 years old and have been hunting since I was 16. Like most I started out with a 22 single shot and learned to shoot understanding that there was no quick follow up and that I only had one shot on squirrels which prepared me for deer and other game. I currently live in a state that allows handguns of .30 caliber or greater with a straight case. This allows for the Thompson Center which I shoot in the 45-70 loading my own and allows for the challenge of one shot. We cannot use center fire rifles, only shotguns with slugs (although that may change this year) so I opt for the pistol and my black powder rifles. All that said, the teaching moment is this: You are an accomplished marksman who shoots possibly everyday and you still had an incident (like many of us who consider ourselves seasoned outdoorsmen) where what you thought was a kill shot at modest hunting distances was off and you made the mistake of not carrying your primary weapon to make sure that your quarry was dead. The teaching moment is that if this can and has happened to you when buck fever is probably at a much lower level at your experience level what can others with much less time in the field expect? Just a quick thought. Thank you for doing what you do for the shooting community and how your'e most definitely educating shooters new and old with your very cool brand of informative videos.

Great video ill be watching these videos for years to come paul thank you

While I have been doing this stuff for almost 60 years (yes I’m old) I still enjoy and pick up a few things here and there. Thanks for all the time and effort and great presentations. Now I gotta go and buy a 38 super.

The top five starts @10:15 for those that want to jump to it. I would suggest not skipping the intro, though. Paul lays some important groundwork

Wish Paul would do an Elmer Fudd impression every now and then for comic relief, especially in his hunting outfit: "Be vewy, vewy quiet."

I am surprised that so few viewers revisit the archive of videos available to us, that Paul has done. Am I the only person who learns something every time I watch a video? That's not a condemnation or accusation. I just don't see many recent responses to these older videos. We all know the saying, "He's forgotten more than I'll ever know." That's true. Nobody get's it all, forever, on the first hearing (or viewing). I'll admit, my favorite evening pass-time is watching Paul's new videos, and when nothing new is available, those done earlier. I can always find one (a lot) that are relevant and informative.

Dude, you have the most enjoyable videos. You are also presenting firearms in such an intelligent manner. I appreciate you.

Now that we know the context of your .25 acp kill, it makes a lot of sense. It was the most humane way to put the deer down. Thanks for sharing.

That cardboard deer is art. That’s super impressive how neatly cut it is haha!

I'll say it again this man is one of the only people on RU-vid that actually offers helpful info to both hunters and gun enthusiasts alike, on legislature and actual experience

Kind of funny, but I had an odd realization after watching a 36 minute video in the wee hours of the morning. There are a lot of RU-vidrs with a great deal of information to impart. I also follow some medieval weapon nerds who are both extremely knowledgeable about existing "period weapons," why they're built the way they are, why they went through a century of design evolution. It's an interesting topic for me, but there's this one particular guy I have trouble watching. He knows his stuff. He's enthusiastic. He tries to make things entertaining, and has enough viewers that obviously some people find him so. Unfortunately, I have trouble sitting through more than a few minutes of his videos. He deserves better, but it is what it is. Paul, on the other hand, could do a 20 minute video on how he selects replacement shoelaces and I'd probably not just watch it, but occasionally pause and rewind.

Even with my best hunting handgun, I wouldn't trust myself at a 50 yard shot on a deer. Hats off to you for your shooting skills; thanks for the video and the hard work from you and the team.

I personally like the meat target with the new and improved high tech fleece bullet stop. I think it gives a better representation of what you are shooting and it's much more fun to watch it than ballistic gel in my opinion great videos as always.

My first deer hunt ever was with a 2x scoped Taurus 608 6" 357 magnum revolver, and I claimed my kill at 147 feet away. Everyone else at the cabin pulled out scoped shotguns, and asked what I would be using. I produced the revolver, and they had questions. Ohio had just legalized the use of straight-wall cartridges that year, and I figured, if I can bust clay pigeons at 35yd reliably with iron sights, the scope wouldn't hurt. 🦅🇺🇸🥳

Calling the Meat Target a worthless test medium?!? THAT'S IWWEGAL!

Thank you Paul for the very informative and entertaining demonstration. Goes to show a .25 in the pocket is better then a rifle at the truck. Keep smiling and make a day of it.

The 25ACP episode also indicates that an effective humane dispatch tool (in the form of a pistol) might be a very useful accessory when hunting with a rifle, particularly a single-shot.

I can appreciate Paul’s willingness to share his deer lesson of when he had to shoot an injured deer with his .25 caliber handgun. I will remember that lesson anytime that I go hunting.

Paul, thanks for sharing the .25 deer shooting, it shows that you're human (I mean that in a good way). I'm glad you were able to finish the kill before the deer escaped.

paul the kind of guy to make sure the snow is not yellow before he eats it

Wow what a great #1! Never hunted deer with a handgun, but a good mention about .45 ACP and heavier bullets and their expansion velocity. Those .444 Marlin rounds were awesome! Another great vid, thanks for your time preparing it!

I have no option but to be redundant...again. I learn something every time I watch a Paul Harrell video. Even though I've watched every one at least once, very many multiple times, I still get something I missed before...or just forgot. I was amazed today when I noticed Paul has 801,000 subscribers. Think about that number. That's huge. I went and checked the only other channel that I think is comparable as far as integrity, and he has almost 7.4 million!!!!! Holy moly! I love the guy to this day, and I was watching him before I came upon Paul Harrell. But I cannot recall actually learning any vital information. I'm sure I have learned something. But the fact that I don't recall that being a common occurrence makes me think there is not a whole lot there but entertainment. And that's ok, if that's all you're watching for. Absolutely. I was certainly enjoying the videos. The fact is, that I have not run across anybody who does such a thorough job in every single video presented. It is a fact that Paul is considered an authority simply in lieu of his works. No hoopla, no braggadocio. Just what we see...useful information. What I continue to be amazed at is that there are so many shit birds out there who's only purpose in life is to be contentious. What a waste of time. They should be taking notes instead of cheap shots. Thanks Paul. !!!! Talk about redundant, I just noticed that I left earlier comments. I guess I like this video so much that I have to leave a comment every time. I really don't think I've seen this one more than three times.

Yay! discussion time with Paul... all right I'm all in..

Here super early but who in the heck would 👎 one of Paul’s videos? Crazy! Thanks for another great video

I got my Willamette Zone 600 series deer tag filled with a 1oz Federal sabot slug using my 870 with a 24" rifled slug barrel this year at 25 yards, what a wallop!

Thank you. Paul. I greatly appreciate your work, and effort at addressing the requests of your fans!

Just a suggestion about the video editing: you can mark chapters in the video so viewers can find and jump to a specific part easily. Or you can write the timestamps in the description like: 0:00 Introduction 0:54 Disclaimer 1:56 My definition of hunting handgun etc.

"I can shoot it fairly well" with a group at 50 yards as good or better than what I could do at 10...

This was nice. I have had to hunt with a handgun for the last several years. Nice to see a video on the subject. Well organized as always. Note: for the state in which I reside, the only allowable handguns are revolvers or single shot platforms like the Thompson Center you mentioned.

The meat target is 95% of why I’m here. The other 5% is your professionalism.

Paul. Keep doing what you do, the way you do it. I have never hunted, and unlikely to unless we get into a SHTF situation. That being said, I have learned a lot from you and your videos, about guns, their safe use, tactics in self defense/combat situations, and gun capabilities. Thank you sir.

Just a little late to the party but here's my top 5. 1) Ruger super Blackhawk hunter in .44 magnum. With a scope. 2) S&W 629 .44 magnum. With a scope. 3) S&W 686 .357 magnum. With a scope. 4) S&W 58 .41 magnum. 5) Ruger Blackhawk in .41 magnum. Honorable mention goes to my Glock 20.

I laughed out loud at least twice during the video. Thanks for the vid Paul! Cheering up a dreary week down here in Texas. I love your BFR! What a beast!

Let me catch my son skipping to the sign that reads "top 5".

No honorable mention for the 10mm? Come on Paul! Great video and thank you for your time and hard work gentlemen!

I liked this list. I've taken deer with 357,44 mag, a 50 cal hawkins pistol, Ruger Old Army, and 45 lc from a Colt model P. Although I recoverd all of them I would not again use the 45 lc. Also I won't shoot a deer out past 50yds with the Hawkins again. That said I enjoy deer hunting with handguns.

Paul, of the dozens of videos I've seen of yours, seldom has your much-vaunted (and loved) "meat target" been more clearly demonstrative of the points, pro, and con you're trying to illustrate. You are also single-handedly doing much to make the .38 Super known and respected. And your #1 left quite an impression; 50 grains of powder in a handgun handload! BFR indeed! Ditto your .25 Auto story at the other end of the spectrum. Multi-level edutainment! Bravo!

Another great video Paul! While I have never really thought about hunting a pistol, you gave some food for thought.

Top five handguns would be the ones you can find ammo for?

Paul, I hope you don't give a rats ass about the expert critics. Second I love the meat targets and tha boring stuff. Thanks

I live in Western NY. My top 5 : #1) .357 mag DW 15-2VH w 6" or 8" bbl. #2) .44 mag Ruger NM Blackhawk w 7.5" bbl #3) T.C> Contender 10" bbl using straight wall cartridges between .357 and .45 #4) My favorite a .45 Colt NM Blackhawk w 5.5" bbl #5) Just a reminder to thank the animal you took for what it offers.

Does anyone else find videos like these with deliberate slow fire to be oddly relaxing? Keep up the great work, Paul. You're appreciated greatly.