My wife's great aunt once successfully defended herself against would be attackers at her home in East Texas with a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. It was all she had, but she knew how to use it, and it saved her life.
The Good Lord saved her life but she used her God given skills in the appropriate manner. Kudos! Personally, even IF all I had was a bolt gun, in my darkened home, I’d rather use one of my knives than a bolt gun unless it was one of the WW1 military guns and had an attached bayonet. I’d rather use that than the firearm itself.
I'm glad you shared...that's a good story..good for her.. hope it didn't spoiled her too much .. depending on the situation that can still stay with ya..even if knobody got hurt..thanx again
RIP Paul. This is the sort of firearm content that I enjoy and will miss: actual practical knowledge and wisdom and not some guy in his midlife crisis trying to sell you a bunch of tactifool gear while serving up some stupid power fantasy about being in the apocalypse getting ambushed by 12 superpowered ninjas who can only be stopped by 100 rounds in 2 seconds from an AR decked in 5 different ACOGs and flashlights. A gun is a gun and people have to be flexible and Paul understood that better than anyone.
Paul really felt like your decent, everyday American. Nothing fancy or "jacked up miltary larp" like you mentioned. Nope. Just a great down-to-earth neighbor and educator in all things firearms.
His lessons transcend their subject matter. Even someone who doesnt intend on using a bolt action rifle can learn plenty from this video, and the same is true for many of his videos
I'll give the tactifools some credit for cutting all the SDI ads after finding out they basically scam junior enlisted for their GI bill money And of course, RIP Paul H, probably the best instructor on YT anyone can understand and learn from
Then you do your best to have the army you want. You get the army you want. The solution to recruits with a lesser physical fitness is not to lower the fitness standard because "you fight with what you have, not what you want" because that will just decrease combat efficiency.
@@Briselance That's not even what the phrase is about. When you're in an immediate pinch, you make do with what you have. If you can't get your hands on a better weapon in that instance, you can't and don't try to get a better weapon. You use what you have nearby or on hand.
14 minutes in and I'm watching deer learn about home defence with bolt-action's. Next hunting season if the deer start shooting back we know who to blame!
Back when my old Dad was farming sheep in the middle of nowhere, a bolt action was what he had (an old Lee Enfield). He kept us and the dogs fed with it, kept feral animals in check, and on a couple of occasions, indeed used it to defend the property (the bad guys took off). We had no spare money at all but did have enough. Best time of our lives, looking back.
Those old Enfields were great! I used to (back about 1992-3) buy them from Roses Dept store for $49.99! (Mosin Nagants were $39.99) About once a month, they'd run a coupon for $10 off of $50, so I'd buy the L-E with a box of ammo ($4.99) totalling $54.98, less the $10! They paid me $5 to take the ammo! Oh, the good old days...
@@arthurchadwell9267 Back in the 90’s you could buy a gun for less than $100, nowadays you can’t… 😥 Sucks for me, I am a broke college kid so my max firearm budget is 100$… So no firearm for me...
@@crazysilly2914 -- yes, most of the dept. stores had ffls for long arms back then( circa early 1990s)... Roses, Woolworths ($200 M1 carbines and Hakim autoloaders), Boscovs, Sears, Kmart... probably more. They began to give it up under Clinton. Woolworth's when they went out of biz in 1997, Kmart about '99, etc. Real shame, but they all got scared of anti-gun activists, politicians and, of course, lawsuits.
The bare minimum standard for home defense would be: 1. A gapless perimiter of claymore and (not or - and) anti-tank mines 2. At least one radar-guided CIWS on the roof - preferably one autocannon and one missile-based system 3. A battery of 17th-19th century smoothbore cannon loaded with canister shot, covering all angles of your property from a central position (riot control) 4. Stainless steel fantasy sword bought for 15 bucks at a faire
This channel is indeed a treasure of gun related information. For some reason, though, I get a 1980ies retro feeling when watching Mr. Harrell's videos. Maybe it's the camera he is using, or his clothing, or both.
I was given a bolt action rifle from my father years ago. While he was in the Korean war, he picked up 7.7mm Arisaka for $15.00. Not the most high quality but it worked great with Norma soft nose 180 grain boat tail bullets. Finally gave it to my youngest son several years ago. It is still working just fine.
My grandfather brought home an Arisaka chambered in 30-06 that was used by the South Korean gendarmerie, it's definitely one of my favorite family relics and she still gets plenty of time plinking, sadly he tore down and threw away his smuggled m1 carbines after the FOPA was passed in the 80's so I never got to experience those
I own a very early war 7.7x58 T99 Arisaka, I load my own ammo for it using .303 speer-hotcor spitzer projectile and cast round nose 180 grain (a little extreme). This rifle at 100 yards with only iron sights is very accurate; I load the rounds pretty hot so it kicks pretty good but this is one of the best rifles you can fire. Even the late war ones are not bad, you just have to be careful and inspect them!
14:15 nobodys mentioning how chill the deer in the background are, they want to learn this stuff too! Everyone and everything loves your presentations, Paul- keep up the great work!
Had someone break into my house and my Mosin M44 got them to leave. It was the only gun I owned at the time. I had sold the rest during hard times. The only reason I had it was because It wasn't worth much. I'm extremely thankful I had it.
Yea bro its a good idea to keep something for home protection. I got into some financial trouble a couple years ago and sold everything but somehow i managed to hang onto my glock19 because i live in a bad neighborhood.
one of the things i appreciate about professor harrell which is somewhat a trademark of the channel now is how he isn't instantly dismissive of old or "outdated" guns for use in self defense and he always has valuable experience to offer. i get where he's coming from, he's saying if you only have access to these tools, you might as well be proficient and learn how to be as effective as possible with it. but i almost wish he'd for once come out and just say "for pete's sakes, just buy an m&p 2.0, your [insert boomer device here] has way too many disadvantages in the modern environment". what's next? your black powder rifle for home defense, your musket for home defense? there needs to be a line drawn where we stop entertaining these weirdo oddball people's illusions and self delusions. your bolt action rifle is almost worthless in a cqb fight with multiple opponents using glocks and the like. it's only useful as a deterrent against unarmed criminals
So I was recently a "witness" to a home defense shooting. The kid had utilized a bolt-action .22 rifle and shot an intruder in the neck, killing him. I say "witness" because all myself and a few friends saw was the kid running out of the house flailing his arms holding a rifle and calling for help. Still, this was quite insane as it is not the cliché home defense story everyone hypothesizes or talks about.
It's almost like Paul makes videos with consideration for international viewers. Thanks Paul, you're a legend, in Australia here it's really easy for us to purchase bolt, pump and lever rifles but semi auto requires a commercial licence.
In the wake of Paul's death, I've been rewatching his videos and realizing just how much he taught me. This video came out when I was purchasing my first pistol and semi-auto rifle at 21. To this day, I remember 26:24 constantly without realizing it. When I teach my friends how to shoot, say, an AR, they often are quite ginger with it. I remind them the gun was designed to be operated by 18 year olds with anger issues or some variant of "It is meant to be used." Don't be scared to be rough with it. Thank you so much, Paul. You taught me so much about firearms. I am sad to see you go, but I am happy that you were able to do so much.
Paul Harrell "The Joy of Firearms". He is definitely the Bob Ross of Firearms and that makes his videos soothing and a joy to watch! Keep up the awesome work Paul!
I don't know he kind of reminds Wilson from Home Improvement. He's just that old chill dude who's always up to something and has good advice to go along with it. Even some of the deer behind him when he's firing off the Mosin are like "wait I want to hear what he has to say".
@@mattbrown5511 Thats a total awesome skill! Props to you folks who can pull that off👍👍👍 I'de practice that, but the ranges around my part of Canada have been closed for the past couple of years due to... You guessed it... COVID-19!!!!😡
Paul is a natural instructor, I have been working as a technical instructor for almost 20 years, trained by some big names in the training industry, and I am here learning how to demonstrate and keep the audience engaged.
I love that at around 14 minutes, he is just casually surrounded by deer while holding an M-44 Mosin and giving a breakdown of top off loading. The best.
@@edwardphillips8460 Deer really do not move much when a gun goes off. My cabin in Michigan, we are doing mag dumps and the deer in the field by our back stop will just watch us and eat. So funny
@@KarlGustov76 Folks/deer must be friendlier down there. Most deer around here understand if they hang around when the shooting starts they’ll be on the menu!
@@edwardphillips8460 I suppose the ones that heard a gun go off and still lived passed down a lack of fear in some areas Thank the village idiot 10 generations of deer ago for giving some of us an easy time
When I was a broke college student I actually had a Mosin Nagant as my home defense gun because it was the only gun I could afford at the time. Thankfully I never had to use it for that purpose.
Garbage rod for the strobe light psycho, all your have to do is cycle that horrid bolt and the intruder will just leave from the terrible gravely noise
@@bluefalconssuck5881 hey it could just be an unfortunate set of circumstances, maybe the dude with the rifle is going to shoot your knee caps out and then let you bleed to death and the chainsaw guy could make a real effort to kill you as fast as possible, I mean I don't think its possible to cleanly take someone's head off with a chainsaw but you could probably do it within 5 seconds so only 2-3 seconds of pain.
I remember going shooting back in the 70's with a couple of my great-uncles, both of whom were WW II vets, and being amazed with the rate of fire they could achieve with an old surplus Mk IV SMLE.
As always, clear, concise, and informative with no overtones of "preachy". Just logical facts, informed opinions, and practical field tests. - that's why I love this guy
My first home defense gun was an old 30-30 lever action. It worked well to deter would be thieves who liked to case my rental at the time. It was an upgrade when I switched to a 12ga pump shotgun sometime later on. Nowadays I’ve got AR’s, AK’s, shotguns, pistols, etc. The point is, use what you have and train with what you’ve got.
@Raylan Givens I'd be tempted to agree but as with all things it depends on a lot of circumstances. I'd much prefer to have a 7mm rem mag than a .30-30 for shear firepower alone. But if followup shots and reloading are a concern than the nod goes to the lever action. I was always taught the adage of "beware the man with only 1 rifle, because he probably knows very well how to utilize it" I'm more afraid of old man Jenkins with his war trophy Garand than some mall ninja with a tactical carbine. That goes twice as much if it's in the country rather than in an urban environment.
@@tricksterjoy9740 I'm really fast with my bolt action 22-250. At least as fast as Paul was with his lever action. That being said, still prefer my 12ga semi-auto for home defense and 10 round mags.
Consider this. Your 30-30 lever action rounds had "almost double" the length and mass of an 7.5 FK BRNO handgun round, and both a 30-30 lever action and a 7.5 FK BRNO fire rounds at 2,000+ feet-per-second. So, your 30-30 round could easily do double the amount of damage (per shot), hitting the same target, as a 7.5 FK BRNO.
i could not agree more when i got a question about a firearm and he has a video on it he dont just answer the question he goes into why he says what he says ..such a good teacher i adore his content
Who says he's "underrated", that is such a LAME comment. UNDERRATED, hmmm... it reminds me of the guy at the bar just talking to himself, actually Arguing with himself, and everyone else just ignores him... all night long.
You always do such a thorough analysis, and I love the non-judgmental attitude you have towards things like, "It might be the only gun they have access to."
I love the full explanation, non-judgmental dressing-down of the judgmental people. We really need more of that civility modeled, but it's hard to be consistent.
Thanks, Paul. I've seen hundreds of GSW's, as I work as an X-ray and CT tech at a major trauma center ER. The difference between what most handgun calibers will do to a human body, and what about any modern hunting rifle will do to a human body, is orders of magnitude worse. Same for short range shotgun injuries, like out to 7 yards. A 9mm will break your humerus. A 30-06 will leave your arm dangling by a little skin. A handgun will blow a hole in your liver big as a nickle, a 12 ga (at close range) will leave a 8" deep hole you can drop a golf ball into, with all the shot at the bottom. A .270 with a hunting bullet will blow up your liver into lumpy hamburger. .357 to the knee, you get a full knee reconstruction. A rifle round to the knee you get a long-stem knee replacement after plating the femoral shaft, if you don't get an amputation. I've seen a patient be paralyzed from the waist down just by the hydrostatic shock of a HP rifle round passing close to his spine without touching either spinal cord or vertebrae. FMJ ammo really does act different, though. Also, like it or not, people just don't miss very often with long guns, and people miss a LOT with handguns, some better at it than others, of course.
A former X-ray tech myself, I get a laugh out of those who say there's very little difference between 9mm, 357 mag, 45, 44mag, etc. For those with experience, it truly is evident. We used to hang GSW films in our ER and place bets on what caliber was used.
One other consideration when choosing a bolt action rifle for home defense, is to select one that has a bayonet lug to attach the implement of last resort. My SMLE has a 19” bayonet, which is quite an attention getter and works without ammo.
I agree. That would be the primary factor for me if I were to chose a bolt action for home defense. Other than "use what you have on hand," of course. I wonder how using the bayonet would change things in jurisdictions where using a firearm in home defense results in murder charges.
@@atomicfro Honestly? If you had it mounted and didn't do so just prior to engaging (and being prepared doesn't count as premeditation already, in which case a loaded gun would get you in trouble as well) it at least demonstrates that the invader was very close to you, and more plausibly a threat to life and limb.
I feel that these types of demonstrations involving nonstandard firearms for self-defense are very helpful especially to those folks that are in those situations. For many years my only firearm was a .303 British rifle, you use what you have. I must say that the one round of .338 Win Mag on the meat target was quite impressive.
@@carminemurray6624 I am a broke college kid, I can only spend 100$ or less on a firearm, so far I haven’t found any in that price range… Somebody else commented that you could buy a lee-enfield for $50 in ’93, but nowadays there are essentially no guns in that range. Yes, I do have a summer job, but all that money is going to my education. And once I graduate and get a full-time job, I can buy plenty of firearms, but that is a year away, so in the meantime I am just wishing I could have ANY firearm, even if it single shot… And I don’t know anybody to do a trade with, and I am not on the best terms with my father, so I’m not gonna ask to inherit any of his guns...
@@carminemurray6624 Still too much money for me to afford. Some company should make a semi-auto sub-gun in the same vein as a Luty (but that would work way better lol), that would be made out of commonly available hardware store parts and just a little very basic metal working on a lathing machine for like 90$. because of all the gun regulation, gun prices are through the roof, and while it may not seem like a ton to a middle-class person with a job, for working class people or broke college kids (like me lol), they are a huge expense. If I was living in ’93 though I could have bought TWO bolt-action mosins for 100$… Man have times changed...
When I heard "Why would someone use a bolt action rifle for home defense?" the first thing I thought "Well obviously it's because it's the only firearm they have." I'm feeling smug and satisfied with myself. I will now take my victory lap.
Thanks for this. I lived through just such a scenario when mass rioting and looting broke out overnight in my home province of KZN in South Africa in July last year. Police disappeared for a week and we had to barricade and secure our neighbourhoods. For most licensed firearm owners we only had our hunting bolt action rifles and shotguns available.
@@Dogirot Even without the corrupt governments, a lot of Africa isn’t good for humans to live in because of how good the conditions are for other life forms like bugs and viruses they carry. The animals you can shoot might look more deadly but the fact you can shoot them really helps.
Your story at 25:09 reminded me of a hunting story of mine. I was on the rifle team in my highschool. We shot 20 lb guns chambered in 22 lr. It was a real crunchy winter day (top layer was thin ice and below it was hard snow) of deer season and I was walking into the woods to my favorite spot. I was walking in a little later than I should've and it was daylight. When I got close to the spot, I heard some deer running away through the brush so I positioned myself in a way that if I could see where they were going I might be able to get a shot. Well after a few seconds I heard some crunch about 40 yards beside me on my right side. When I looked over there was a small (very small) 8 point buck walking my way. The only thing I could do without moving my feet (didn't want the deer to hear me crunching) was take a rifle team pose just like the one Paul did. But since I was used to shooting 22lr, My shoulder was back farther than it should've been. When I pulled the trigger on the deer, the recoil of the 30-06 jerked the scope right into my forehead. I got the deer but I had a half moon shaped lump between my eyes for a week and a half. REMEMBER: you'll perform the way you practice!!
Its good to see those deer in the back at the 14 min mark show up to get a better understanding on the topic of bolt actions for home defense. Knowledge is power.
"Excellent, now we know how effective bolt action rifles are to defend our homes! Now if only we could figure out how to get thumbs so we can use the damn things..." ~Deer Weapons R&D Department
I appreciate that Paul makes videos for everybody. Years ago I searched the topic of this video and there were basically no good resources available. Thanks for contributing good information to the community.
I love Paul's presentations. No BS, no talking down. He never tries to pigeon hole everyone into a one size fits all solution to problems in the real world.
I'm sitting here thinking about all the walking, planning, building of meat targets, editing, and talking you had to do to put this video together. Thank you for all the work that went into it. It certainly isn't unappreciated
One of the things I like about Mr Harrell, is that he recognizes that different people have different situations. When we first got married 50 years ago we had 3 firearms. My father's single shot bolt action Winchester 22LR, my grandfather's 5 shot Winchester bolt action 22LR and my wife's modified Webley Mk VI that we loaded with 45AR. So my choices were a bolt action 22LR or an obsolete 45 revolver. I never felt disadvantaged with that old Webley beside the bed. Andthe night our basset hound woke me up because some one was trying to break into our home through the back door, that individual felt very disadvantaged when I stuck the obsolete 45 revolver in his face. Fortunately he remembered an important appointment somewhere else and took off running with our basset hound right behind him. He cleared the 4 foot fence at the alley behind our house and as far as I know, 50 years latter he's still running. After our children moved out and started their own families I started collecting guns that I had wanted but couldn't justify spending money on that could be better spent on our kids. Today I have my choice of any number of guns from my collection including both Winchester models 88 & 100 in 308 and dozens of bolt action rifles from 22-250 to 30-06 and most calibers in between. Including two bolt actions that can be TOPPED OFF. Both are Krag Jorgensen's one in 30-40 US and one in 6.5x55. But my primary home defense arms are a S&W 442 a Maverick 88 and for my wife an AR 15 as she is a veteran of the WACs and the US ARMY Reserve where she was trained on the M16. These are my choices based on our experiences and training and what firearms are available to us. I have a friend also retired from the US ARMY but not a gun person or a hunter, his only gun is a HiPoint 45ACP. He is now at a point in his life where he can afford what I my opinion would be a better option (just about any gun made in the last few years) but he says everytime he takes it to the range it goes bang when he pulls the trigger and a hole appears in the target where he was aiming. When he asks me what a newer prettier gun could do that would be better or more effective, what can I say it works for him, he at least has something better than a golf club to defend himself and his wife. The guns we currently keep for home defense have replaced others that served us over the years some of them, others might believe would be better choices such as the 9mm HiPoint carbine or the 45ACP Marlin Camp Carbine or the 2 M1 Carbines or one of my S&W Model 29s. I can't deny that any of them would and have served at various times, but we are comfortable with our current choices. Someone once said something to the effect that "the best gun to defend yourself with, is the one in your hand when the need arises".
Thank you for sharing your story. I would tell a person more new to firearms than me to try out a Hi-Point carbine, if that's all they could afford. Then save their nickels to help with trading in that Hi-Point carbine for a Ruger AR or PCC (or not. Firearms, ammunition, minimum amount of accessories add up quick)
@@DomoArigatoRobot0 I recently acquired an Enfield #4. My second one. Went to Bass Pro in search of .303. Great news! They're loaded down with 5.56 and 9mm. Also, .350 Legend, 300 blackout, .450 whatsit. Oh yeah, plenty of .308. The real find? 7×57 Mauser. This was in Pearl,Ms. I know about a pawn shop Chilean Mauser in Natchez for...200$. The #4 is a Long Branch star. Sporterized( butchered) and drilled and tapped for a side mount. Has the flip up battle sights. Another sight in Pearl has about 300 rounds of 7mm Mauser, but no 303. What to do, oh Mercy, what shall I do?
I had nearly the same thing happen in my home once, except I had a 30-06 bolt action, and I was running down the stairs I put around in the chamber and I think that guy became an Olympic sprinter is fast as he was running from the house, I was yelling at my wife to call the police and tell him I killed this mother f continued. He was gone
Love this sort of content! Paul has an amazing way of taking a topic and breaking it down so that beginners can understand it as well as provide great information for seasoned shooters!
EXACTLY. This guy’s content is only for the total novice. He’s a tedious speaker and slightly condescending. I speak as a retired teacher of AP American Government and an NRA Instructor for 35 years and a former infantry captain. This guy’s a poser. Look at the “tie down” on his right leg for a sidearm that’s not requiring such a device because it’s already sitting high enough on the hip. Just for show.
@@ExSoldier762 actually he covered that holster before, he's wearing it as it was instructed to be used since he's doing a long term review. He isn't a poser, his credentials have been presented and even verified by some viewers. All I hear is some random guy on the internet making claims calling out other people. And just because you were a teacher doesn't mean you were any good at it, or others can't be as well. Your opinions are your own, but throwing accusations and insults anonymously on the internet belies your petty and insignificant nature. Given the age you must be to have so many years of experience it is truly sad to see how immature you behave. I feel sorry for the poor men who served under you and the children who had the misfortune to be assigned to you. The school system truly has failed.
I was shocked when I saw those deer just stay there after Paul started shooting. I have personally never seen anything like it. Those deer seem to know their rights. I bet Paul trained them! He is a good instructor.
@JoozdontliketheTruth My family's mountain graze land is strictly off limits for any kind of hunting. The deer and elk there act the same way. They really do not care about what humans are doing unless you try to approach them.
I agree with a lot of the points Paul makes. Especially if you've trained a great deal on one, I would rather have a rifle I know inside and out and can reload in the dark than something I am unfamiliar with, and honestly, it's better than a pointy stick, which is still better than nothing. "A hi-point on the nightstand is better than a 1911 on layaway"
Pointy stick was the king of the battlefield until we worked out how to send rocks really fast and far, and even then the pointy stick of the bayonet lives on.
It amazes me how many people want to disagree with you when it's obvious that you know quite a lot about firearms. Love the Pop Tart thing at the beginning as well.
I was hoping he would explain it. It is an aluminized paper, a sugar glaze layer followed by a cookie layer, jelly representing internal organs followed by another cookie layer glazed sugar, and paper. Their are 20 layers of high tech blankets as a back stop.
The past 9 mos or so has seen a big influx of fake experts, trash talking "collectors" who never train, safe queens who yammer about some gun or ammo NOT under discussion in Paul's video, or just simple dumb juvenilia probably trying to disrupt the comments section -- for reasons known only to the liar, the fraud, the cretin, the immature, or the simply stupid & bored. It used to be these comments sections after Paul's videos were interesting. Now they're like a gossip talk show, or a tabloid rag.
Years ago I had a bolt action British Enfield 303 rifle as my weapon of choice for Civil unrest and home defense ,it had a really slick action and a 10 round magazine, I could rack rounds in the chamber quite fast and stay on target , it wasn't good as a AR-15 or other semi auto rifles in terms of firepower but in capable hands still a effective weapon
@@Solomons_Descent I was assuming the topic of the video was if a person wanted or had to use a bolt action rifle as their primary home defense or SHTF weapon, I would opt for the British Enfield for its smooth fast action and 10 round capacity which is better than anything else out there that have only a 5 round capacity, but as a weapon of war for civil unrest where a lot of other people have semi auto handguns and rifles like AK47s and AR15, a bolt action rifle probably would not be the best choice
Paul, in you I've found the way to ignore the "experts" who told me my old double-action single action was too difficult for a beginner to learn on. Now I shoot more naturally and confidently than many of the instructors I come across. Then they told me my Rock Island snub nose 38 Special wasn't good enough to compete in Club pistol matches. It's true I couldn't hit the silhouette at 50 yards, but I didn't take last place and I could reload faster than some of the semi-auto shooters, and now I'm working on my 50-yard accuracy. I have some other fun pistols now too, but I'm not limited to only knowing how to shoot a Glock. Thank you and I'm looking forward to watching this new video
I find that simplicity is best for home defense. I think I would grab a double barrel coachgun before my SPAS 12, I can never remember which button does what:)
Other observation from this video with the bolt action being slower. Once a defense shooting occurs you maybe will have to address a jury. Defense will say slower so better control. Prosecution, omg you used a gun designed specifically for hunting, so you must have intended to hunt your poor victim. You know how it would go down In court. Spin it everywhich way but right.
@@seanoneil277 same reason you don't want hair trigger, or full auto. Taking your time and only shooting when absolutely necessary, alot harder for prosecution to show indiscriminate loss of life. Prosecution is always gonna try to bring up every negative for whatever weapon is used. Remember kyle and the hollow point vs full Metal jacket bullets brought up by prosecution?
I had this exact self defense scenario happen with one of the examples cited in this video. Way back when I was living with my dad, he was having fun drinking with a buddy of his when said friend got belligerent in a way that tells you "he's not afraid to throw punches and he's gonna be hard to talk down and he's 300lbs 6ft" so I had my Mosin Nagant rifle, in the ballpark of 4-5ft, loaded it with two 7.62x54R cartridges, and approached from the hallway, half hidden to conceal the rifle out of sight in the crook of my arm, and firmly told him, "I think you should leave." He was about five feet away from me and I had about 10 feet of hallway to back up into, just enough to work the action and fire the second round if the first failed. By a stroke of fortune, he left when I spoke up. Maybe he saw the rifle, maybe he heard me. It was over, and no shots were fired. And has Paul described, it's what I had. Glad the talking worked first.
Excellent review of this topic. There are so many scenarios and reasons one may find themselves needing to employ the bolt action rifle for their defense rifle. It would not be anywhere near my first choice but if it were the only choice I had give me the bolt action rifle. I was hoping there would be a meat target demonstration and was not disappointed!
Yeah that meat target demonstration was pretty impressive. However, it would have been better to also to see it done with a more common .308, 30-06. .270, or 6.5 Creedmoore bolt-action rifle.
The example of trading an "old junk car" for a bolt action rifle cracked me up. I once traded an old .22 revolver and a VCR for a 1975 Ford LTD, needed wheels to get back to the base more than I needed a .22 revolver.
When I scrapped my old rusty minivan, I took the cash I got from it, went to my local gun store a few days later, and picked myself up a used CZ 75 clone with the money I got from the van. It's old and well-worn, but still shoots straight and runs like a dream.
A good friend of mine inherited a 9mm Makarov pistol when he graduated high school, and for the first 2 or 3 years of young adulthood, that is what he carried every day and trained with. It was probably the best cared for Makarov in history. He finally traded it to someone for a Taurus PT24/7 and some cash, and in another few years traded that up for a Glock. It was several years before I could even think about buying a firearm. I simply did not have hundreds of dollars to spare to purchase a gun and ammo after expenses. I didn't even have more than a handful of dollars every month that could even be saved toward such a thing. I can only imagine how much tougher it is going to be for young people today, since entry level wages don't go as far as they did 20 years ago. Moral of the story is, it is not uncommon for all manner of odd firearms to be pressed into service due to personal finances, and it is nice that there is someone who puts some critical thought toward those situations.
@@lardomcfarty9866 Funny you should mention that, because I specifically remember him having a mind blown moment when firing and using the Glock for the first time compared to the Taurus. You may have a point about the Makarov, but one of his problems was getting ammo for it locally. This was early 2000s so buying online wasn't really common yet.
@@doc_sav yeah. 9mm makarov is hard to come by these days, and it won't wow anyone ballistically. But they are reliable and will get the job done, unlike a taurus.
A Makarov is far different from a bolt action rifle. The Makarov is actually an adequate weapon for home and general self defense. I enjoyed mine along w several other weapons around that frame, caliber, capacity, and feel. It's nice to have extra rounds on tap but 7 or 8 rounds along q a spare mag will get u outta 99 percent of situations
I grew up with a .303 Enfield no4 mk1 in the family, it was the only gun in our home growing up, my mom didn't like guns all that much, no gun toys etc, but it was her dads gun, and the only one recovered after his death and his guns were stolen, it had no mag, and more than once she used it to fend off bears and trespassers, so when i was 18 i took it over, cleaned it, read up on it, pre youtube, got proficient with it, got it a mag and it again was ready for action, it now rests on its laurels proudly atop my gun rack, coming down only for deer season, as the mag fed 12 pump and g30, have taken the primary defense roles in the home, but its still ready incase of burglars or the old enemies return.
I remember seeing, years ago, where an old woman used an .303 british Lee-Enfield to stop a polar bear that was trying to break into her house. One shot stopped it. Out here where I live, feral hogs are sometimes a problem. 9mm won't cut it. On the really big ones, you need to have a rifle. And they will come up to your house.
@@johngifford7725 With the small ones a 9mm might stop them. With the big ones go right ahead and do a mag dump. Maybe you'll finish pulling the trigger on the last round before they kill you.
Thanks once again for a great video. As someone who for a few years relied on a 1953 Poñish M44 Mosin using modified Hansen and S&B hunting rounds for home defense, I greatly appreciate the perspective of your videos and your aversion to the snarky "don't be a poor" mentality. Sadly, the reality of the here and now is often suboptimal. As an aside, your practice of seasoning them with some occasional dry humor is equally appreciated. The "vacation" comment was awesome.
There was a period of a few years in my life when a Yugoslavian M24 Mauser was my home defense weapon. Because that's all I had. I knew what those 190 gr. Sierras would do to meat, too. Huge bonus points for using the .338 on the meat target. I was really hoping that's what you would use.
Thanks for being a breath of fresh air when it comes to gun safety/knowledge. One of the few content creators in this niche that I feel like I could have a coffee and conversation with over things we may or may not agree.
I had an attempted break-in many years ago and met the miscreant at the door with a single shot H&R 12 gauge shotgun...all I had. "Moved up" to a cheap single action .22 WMR revolver from the local pawn shop. I'm doing better now and have more options, but I understand the concept of bringing what you have.
Long ago the missus had a problem, and couldn't find her .38...she was throwing .22 all over the place trying to load an old Ithaca lever action...the bad guy eventually went on, but the episode has stuck in her mind...now she keeps several revolvers handy...I'm keeping a lazy eye out for a couple of single shot or double barrels, just because...
I've always been interested in what you do with the meat targets after they've been shot at. I'm surprised this never made it into a Q&A special. Maybe at 800k subscribers? Thanks.
@@kobudo Would you trow out all the hunting meat? Unless you are using a bow, they should all have been hit with lead... I guess you just take the lead out!
Those deers really know their right to not be shot outside of season. Happens with gamebirds too. Outside of season those are far more tame and let you to come closer when moving in forest. But after those couple shots in that first day good luck to get closer than 200 meters if those spot you first.
Paul Harrell teaching me things about my Winchester Model 70 I never knew, from a video posted 2 years ago that I never saw. What a fortunate reality we live in that we can still learn from Paul in this format even after he is gone. RIP Paul, and thank you for being such a devoted teacher of the craft you knew so well! 🍻
This was an absolutely perfect video, Paul! I'd love to hear your thoughts on scout rifles and more modern bolt-actions like the Sig Cross or The Fix by Q.
There was a time when all I had, gun wise, was a .22LR bolt action rifle with 2 10 round box mags. I kept it at my bedside for home defense because it sure beat out anything else I owned. Eventually, yes, I did upgrade to something better, but I still have that .22, and if I had needed it, I would have used it back then. God be praised, I never did. When it's all you got, any gun is better than no gun.
22 is a very underrated calibre anyways, rimfire variants have virtually no recoil and are really quiet when silenced. my great grandfather had a really nice geko .22 rimfire, bolt action rifle, was one of the best, most controllable guns I ever shot
These were some great tips. I never thought too much about home defense, until the last two years or so. crime is getting crazy, even in my small town. I now have several guns ready at all times and have gone to the range to practice.
This kind of thing is useful because home defense isn't always about having something purposefully bought and setup in place for the scenario of home defense. Sometimes it's about you're in a situation and you only have X or Y and whether it's optimal or not you have to make the best of it and make it work as efficiently as possible. A lot of people only own long, heavy, non-close quarters friendly rifles. You can't just give up and say "yeah would be good if I had a shotgun or handgun right about now" if a bolt-action rifle is what they've got available then that's what they need to work with.
Small point. When unloading a bolt rifle, I remove the round in the chamber first, then dump the contents of the magazine with the chamber empty and the bolt open, rather than manipulate the magazine with a loaded chamber. That's just a preferred method for me. IF you keep the rifle always pointed in a safe direction, it really isn't critical which way you do it.
thats how I was taught to. it just makes it even less of a chance that an accident will happen, espicially if you are distracted. i know i have had a negligent misfire (into a hill) when lowering the hammer on my dads leveraction 30.30 while hunting as a kid. things happen, better to just reduce the possible accident points
You don't even need ammunition. The threat of being hit with a heavy bit of steel across the face can make anyone pause and think. Now it is you who takes the initiative.
Glad to see some love for the Remington 783. Really nice budget bolt action. I have one in .308 Winchester and it's super accurate. (And yes, I only have one magazine for it).
After I graduated high school I bought a SKS for cheap from a local gun show. Months later I got my 1st apartment. That SKS was the only thing I had to protect myself and my home until I could save enough money to get something more practical. Great video as always👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
When I used to hunt with my Mosin I had a different safety trick. Hold the trigger down during the closing the bolt. The firing pin will not be locked back. Once you are ready to shoot just pull back on the rear knob on the bolt and it will lock into position with a "click" and you're ready to fire.
@@laurenceperkins7468 It's actually more risky to have it cocked to the rear position, just waiting to fly forward with force. Those old rifles weren't built to today's safety standards. A strong jolt and it may release and fly forward. Can't happen with the trick I just mentioned. Plus, primers on Soviet Bloc ammo are hard as nails. They sure as heck aren't soft American primers. They need a seriously hard whack to go off.
@@nicknack8459 Cocked, yes, I can see that. The trigger sear isn't generally meant to be utterly foolproof. The safety notches on all the old military bolt action designs I've handled though have always been pretty deep. I rather expect the normal safety position is safer than with the striker down. And if it's so badly worn that it's not, then it's time to scrounge up some replacement parts, or at least make some adjustments. You should be able to take a hammer to it when it's in the "safe" position and not fire it without destroying the action first.
Hey! The video I requested! Thanks for doing this presentation. As someone who got a handy down bolt action rifle, this will be great video for reference.
Great video and content as usual. The issue of broadcasting is interesting. With many home defense firearms outfitted for flashlights certainly those will broadcast your position even earlier. But it’s necessary to identify the target properly if it’s too dark to tell without one.
14:10 Paul is like a real life Snow White. Those deer aren't afraid of him even when he's shooting a rifle.
One of them even looked down range after he fired. "What's he shooting at?"
whe he hunts, he leaves no survivors so the deer don't know he is dangerous
Deer know when hunting season is. They even understand the dawn-10 minutes after sundown and will be all OVER the place 20 minutes after!
I believe he's required to go give them a range lecture and provide ear protection. Gotta wonder if that'd count as poaching tho.
They can't see him. He is perfectly camouflaged in this environment
Its hard not to tear up when I see Paul at his prime❤
Nigh impossible for me. The man was a total unit. A true Legend.
He always came across as a gentleman, unlike a lot of other guntubers.
Same I been going back n watching all old videos. I hope they keep the intro n stuff the same. Good memories
My wife's great aunt once successfully defended herself against would be attackers at her home in East Texas with a single shot bolt action .22 rifle. It was all she had, but she knew how to use it, and it saved her life.
A gun nut fictional character had a good saying that would fit her or anyone else in the same situation: "Doing what I can with what I got."
Impressive
The Good Lord saved her life but she used her God given skills in the appropriate manner. Kudos!
Personally, even IF all I had was a bolt gun, in my darkened home, I’d rather use one of my knives than a bolt gun unless it was one of the WW1 military guns and had an attached bayonet. I’d rather use that than the firearm itself.
I'm glad you shared...that's a good story..good for her.. hope it didn't spoiled her too much .. depending on the situation that can still stay with ya..even if knobody got hurt..thanx again
What is a "would be attacker" 😅
RIP Paul. This is the sort of firearm content that I enjoy and will miss: actual practical knowledge and wisdom and not some guy in his midlife crisis trying to sell you a bunch of tactifool gear while serving up some stupid power fantasy about being in the apocalypse getting ambushed by 12 superpowered ninjas who can only be stopped by 100 rounds in 2 seconds from an AR decked in 5 different ACOGs and flashlights. A gun is a gun and people have to be flexible and Paul understood that better than anyone.
Paul really felt like your decent, everyday American. Nothing fancy or "jacked up miltary larp" like you mentioned. Nope. Just a great down-to-earth neighbor and educator in all things firearms.
Part of him lives in in his body of work. My plan is to go back through the channels entire library.
Part of him lives in in his body of work. My plan is to go back through the channels entire library.
His lessons transcend their subject matter. Even someone who doesnt intend on using a bolt action rifle can learn plenty from this video, and the same is true for many of his videos
I'll give the tactifools some credit for cutting all the SDI ads after finding out they basically scam junior enlisted for their GI bill money
And of course, RIP Paul H, probably the best instructor on YT anyone can understand and learn from
"You fight with the army you have, not the army you want." Great points, Paul.
Then you do your best to have the army you want. You get the army you want.
The solution to recruits with a lesser physical fitness is not to lower the fitness standard because "you fight with what you have, not what you want" because that will just decrease combat efficiency.
@@Briselance That's not even what the phrase is about. When you're in an immediate pinch, you make do with what you have. If you can't get your hands on a better weapon in that instance, you can't and don't try to get a better weapon. You use what you have nearby or on hand.
@@Briselance 2 things can be true at once.
@@sigma6656 /thread
"A farmer tills with the oxen they have" - Sun Tzu
14 minutes in and I'm watching deer learn about home defence with bolt-action's. Next hunting season if the deer start shooting back we know who to blame!
Exactly, eyes open!
Deers be like..."Don't worry. Uncle Paul is just making another video. We safe for now".
Diablo 2's cow level, only its Deer with Kar 98s and Mosins, rather than Bovines with Bardiches
Lol
Bambo is ready for Deer Avenging...
Yep, Firearm laws in Australia are incredibly strict. We use Nerf blasters on our night stand to protect our families.
Tip the darts with sewing needles with whatever random critters venom you have laying about
Have your pet kangaroo hit 'em with a right hook.
Just don't hit them with a cricket bat.
Just curious, but where does Malcom Roberts stand on gun rights? He seems like Australia's best politician to a yank like me.
@@parissmith5727 tbh I don’t think Australia is ever gonna get it back. Too many people drank the kool-aid
Back when my old Dad was farming sheep in the middle of nowhere, a bolt action was what he had (an old Lee Enfield). He kept us and the dogs fed with it, kept feral animals in check, and on a couple of occasions, indeed used it to defend the property (the bad guys took off). We had no spare money at all but did have enough. Best time of our lives, looking back.
Those old Enfields were great! I used to (back about 1992-3) buy them from Roses Dept store for $49.99! (Mosin Nagants were $39.99) About once a month, they'd run a coupon for $10 off of $50, so I'd buy the L-E with a box of ammo ($4.99) totalling $54.98, less the $10! They paid me $5 to take the ammo! Oh, the good old days...
@@arthurchadwell9267 was that before only ffl’s could sell guns? Or was Roses Dept. store an ffl license holder, like how some Walmarts sell guns?
@@arthurchadwell9267 Back in the 90’s you could buy a gun for less than $100, nowadays you can’t… 😥
Sucks for me, I am a broke college kid so my max firearm budget is 100$…
So no firearm for me...
@@crazysilly2914 -- yes, most of the dept. stores had ffls for long arms back then( circa early 1990s)... Roses, Woolworths ($200 M1 carbines and Hakim autoloaders), Boscovs, Sears, Kmart... probably more. They began to give it up under Clinton. Woolworth's when they went out of biz in 1997, Kmart about '99, etc. Real shame, but they all got scared of anti-gun activists, politicians and, of course, lawsuits.
@@crazysilly2914 hey man! keep saving and snag whatever you can afford! something to defend yourself with is better than nothing!
The bare minimum standard for home defense would be:
1. A gapless perimiter of claymore and (not or - and) anti-tank mines
2. At least one radar-guided CIWS on the roof - preferably one autocannon and one missile-based system
3. A battery of 17th-19th century smoothbore cannon loaded with canister shot, covering all angles of your property from a central position (riot control)
4. Stainless steel fantasy sword bought for 15 bucks at a faire
5. Rum.
@@IansModRite actually... yes
You win the internet today
15 bucks that way too cheap lol
Please! I've got that set-up just for my garden shed.
I'm impressed paul been making the same content for almost 10 years and the information supplied has never lowered in quality or consistency
And verbosity. So much verbosity.
This channel is indeed a treasure of gun related information. For some reason, though, I get a 1980ies retro feeling when watching Mr. Harrell's videos. Maybe it's the camera he is using, or his clothing, or both.
And never saying “uh or uhmm “ during his dissertation
There will always be a new crop of students and beginners.
I was given a bolt action rifle from my father years ago. While he was in the Korean war, he picked up 7.7mm Arisaka for $15.00. Not the most high quality but it worked great with Norma soft nose 180 grain boat tail bullets. Finally gave it to my youngest son several years ago. It is still working just fine.
Hell yeah I own a mosin, but I load the same projectiles 😎 same bore diameter
Arisakas are really underrated. The early war ones are quite good rifles.
My grandfather brought home an Arisaka chambered in 30-06 that was used by the South Korean gendarmerie, it's definitely one of my favorite family relics and she still gets plenty of time plinking, sadly he tore down and threw away his smuggled m1 carbines after the FOPA was passed in the 80's so I never got to experience those
I've heard that the arisaka is a great rifle. If I had reloading equipment, I would like to have one
I own a very early war 7.7x58 T99 Arisaka, I load my own ammo for it using .303 speer-hotcor spitzer projectile and cast round nose 180 grain (a little extreme). This rifle at 100 yards with only iron sights is very accurate; I load the rounds pretty hot so it kicks pretty good but this is one of the best rifles you can fire. Even the late war ones are not bad, you just have to be careful and inspect them!
14:15 nobodys mentioning how chill the deer in the background are, they want to learn this stuff too!
Everyone and everything loves your presentations, Paul- keep up the great work!
That’s crazy! Even with Paul firing a Mosin, they barely flinched 😅
I've seen deer walk across an active rifle range. Once we saw it, everyone on the firing stopped shooting and let it pass.
@@rayjackson19529-Hole Reviews has had deer wander onto the range too
@@JustinSearafuture venison that's what it is
9 Hole Reviews has had deer walk across the range in the middle of Practical Accuracy 🦌
Had someone break into my house and my Mosin M44 got them to leave. It was the only gun I owned at the time. I had sold the rest during hard times. The only reason I had it was because It wasn't worth much. I'm extremely thankful I had it.
M44 is probably the best mosin for the task being short as it is.
Yea bro its a good idea to keep something for home protection. I got into some financial trouble a couple years ago and sold everything but somehow i managed to hang onto my glock19 because i live in a bad neighborhood.
@@Charon-5582 i love my m44. would be one of the last guns i would ever sell.
one of the things i appreciate about professor harrell which is somewhat a trademark of the channel now is how he isn't instantly dismissive of old or "outdated" guns for use in self defense and he always has valuable experience to offer. i get where he's coming from, he's saying if you only have access to these tools, you might as well be proficient and learn how to be as effective as possible with it. but i almost wish he'd for once come out and just say "for pete's sakes, just buy an m&p 2.0, your [insert boomer device here] has way too many disadvantages in the modern environment". what's next? your black powder rifle for home defense, your musket for home defense? there needs to be a line drawn where we stop entertaining these weirdo oddball people's illusions and self delusions. your bolt action rifle is almost worthless in a cqb fight with multiple opponents using glocks and the like. it's only useful as a deterrent against unarmed criminals
@@cagneybillingsley2165 spot on dude.
So I was recently a "witness" to a home defense shooting. The kid had utilized a bolt-action .22 rifle and shot an intruder in the neck, killing him. I say "witness" because all myself and a few friends saw was the kid running out of the house flailing his arms holding a rifle and calling for help. Still, this was quite insane as it is not the cliché home defense story everyone hypothesizes or talks about.
that sounds really traumatic. how is the kid doing?
@@kyle18934 I'm not sure how he's doing. I just know he was cleared of all charges.
@@michaelw2263 im glad to hear that.
Theres a difference between senselessly taking a life and putting a criminal down
@@michaelw2263 that kid got a 1.00 kd
It's almost like Paul makes videos with consideration for international viewers. Thanks Paul, you're a legend, in Australia here it's really easy for us to purchase bolt, pump and lever rifles but semi auto requires a commercial licence.
Madness that Australia gave up its best guns.
What happened to Australians? I used to think as a whole they were badass, but the lockdown videos are shocking.
@@kevinblackshow they let women and leftists run the show lol
What do you mean by "commercial" license, please?
@@kevinblackshow Australia was meant to be a colonial prison colony?
In the wake of Paul's death, I've been rewatching his videos and realizing just how much he taught me.
This video came out when I was purchasing my first pistol and semi-auto rifle at 21. To this day, I remember 26:24 constantly without realizing it. When I teach my friends how to shoot, say, an AR, they often are quite ginger with it. I remind them the gun was designed to be operated by 18 year olds with anger issues or some variant of "It is meant to be used." Don't be scared to be rough with it.
Thank you so much, Paul. You taught me so much about firearms. I am sad to see you go, but I am happy that you were able to do so much.
Paul Harrell "The Joy of Firearms". He is definitely the Bob Ross of Firearms and that makes his videos soothing and a joy to watch! Keep up the awesome work Paul!
"Boss Ross of Firearms' .... Nice!
I know right!!!
"There are no mistakes, just happy little flyers. And yes, it is annoying when that happens."
I don't know he kind of reminds Wilson from Home Improvement. He's just that old chill dude who's always up to something and has good advice to go along with it. Even some of the deer behind him when he's firing off the Mosin are like "wait I want to hear what he has to say".
Deer in background, "See, he's not hunting us or he'd have his 25ACP out." 😉
Nice reference.
I love how Paul doesn't take his eyes off the camera when he is loading and unloading the firearms!
Or picking up boxes of ammo.
Lots of practice. Which I also do. My grandfather is the one I have to thank for that training.
@@mattbrown5511 Thats a total awesome skill! Props to you folks who can pull that off👍👍👍 I'de practice that, but the ranges around my part of Canada have been closed for the past couple of years due to... You guessed it... COVID-19!!!!😡
GOAT!!!
@@eddyflo2978 🐐?
"Don't get those two mixed up"
I love how Paul can add little pieces of comedy while keeping a straight face
The subtle “let’s take a look” ::looks to the right::
Paul is a natural instructor, I have been working as a technical instructor for almost 20 years, trained by some big names in the training industry, and I am here learning how to demonstrate and keep the audience engaged.
I'll never be a Paul Harrell, this I know, but I do listen and watch what he says and does on here for sure.
Have you considered the Shatner-esque Pause approach?
hahahaha
I do practice every day, bought a mirror just for that 😅
Yes, now we know some of the best instructors are military, not corporate.
I love that at around 14 minutes, he is just casually surrounded by deer while holding an M-44 Mosin and giving a breakdown of top off loading. The best.
How about the deer hanging around to hear Paul’s breakdown even after he let a couple of rounds off! 😮
@@edwardphillips8460 Deer really do not move much when a gun goes off. My cabin in Michigan, we are doing mag dumps and the deer in the field by our back stop will just watch us and eat. So funny
@@KarlGustov76 Folks/deer must be friendlier down there. Most deer around here understand if they hang around when the shooting starts they’ll be on the menu!
@@edwardphillips8460 Or ours are all deaf from the gun fire! 😆
@@edwardphillips8460 I suppose the ones that heard a gun go off and still lived passed down a lack of fear in some areas
Thank the village idiot 10 generations of deer ago for giving some of us an easy time
When I was a broke college student I actually had a Mosin Nagant as my home defense gun because it was the only gun I could afford at the time. Thankfully I never had to use it for that purpose.
Mosin protect motherland. Mosin protect home.
Garbage rod for the strobe light psycho, all your have to do is cycle that horrid bolt and the intruder will just leave from the terrible gravely noise
To be fair though the mosin does fire a pretty good round though.
Its basically a goedendag club though
The weapon you have is always better than the best weapon you don’t have! I once kept a single shot 22 under my bed, it was all I had.
Always found it mesmeric how Paul never breaks eye contact with the camera despite what he is doing. An amazing man.
"High sugar, Pop Tart taste" with the images and chosen music I laugh every time. Man I really appreciate and love this channel.
I love how comfortable the deer are around Paul even as he's firing a mosin nagant. It's the most wholesome thing.
_"Don't worry. He only has a bolt action rifle"._
A phrase never uttered by a criminal
A phrase never uttered by anyone with a brain.
...Twice...
To be fair I don't think anyone has ever said "don't worry he's only got a chainsaw"
@@whatsmolly5741
Some weapons point to a certain intent... A chainsaw certainly does and adds MALICE to the description.
@@bluefalconssuck5881 hey it could just be an unfortunate set of circumstances, maybe the dude with the rifle is going to shoot your knee caps out and then let you bleed to death and the chainsaw guy could make a real effort to kill you as fast as possible, I mean I don't think its possible to cleanly take someone's head off with a chainsaw but you could probably do it within 5 seconds so only 2-3 seconds of pain.
People always say Ian is Gun Jesus, but you're Gun Bob Ross. I appreciate your content.
I remember going shooting back in the 70's with a couple of my great-uncles, both of whom were WW II vets, and being amazed with the rate of fire they could achieve with an old surplus Mk IV SMLE.
As an no4 Enfield owner if I had to I'd feel comfortable using it in home defense, luckily I have an ar
You heard of the Howell automatic? Funniest yet craziest idea for bolt-actions
I'm more of a SMLE Mk III no.1 gun owner myself
True, can really get a fast rate of fire with the enfields. I've found the mausers aren't to bad either for speed.
@@jessewalby6631 My kar98k and Steyr Modelo agrees
As always, clear, concise, and informative with no overtones of "preachy". Just logical facts, informed opinions, and practical field tests.
- that's why I love this guy
Well said
My first home defense gun was an old 30-30 lever action. It worked well to deter would be thieves who liked to case my rental at the time. It was an upgrade when I switched to a 12ga pump shotgun sometime later on. Nowadays I’ve got AR’s, AK’s, shotguns, pistols, etc. The point is, use what you have and train with what you’ve got.
@Raylan Givens I'd be tempted to agree but as with all things it depends on a lot of circumstances. I'd much prefer to have a 7mm rem mag than a .30-30 for shear firepower alone. But if followup shots and reloading are a concern than the nod goes to the lever action. I was always taught the adage of "beware the man with only 1 rifle, because he probably knows very well how to utilize it"
I'm more afraid of old man Jenkins with his war trophy Garand than some mall ninja with a tactical carbine. That goes twice as much if it's in the country rather than in an urban environment.
@Raylan Givens you must be r e a l l y slow at working a lever.
@Raylan Givens ah
@@tricksterjoy9740 I'm really fast with my bolt action 22-250. At least as fast as Paul was with his lever action.
That being said, still prefer my 12ga semi-auto for home defense and 10 round mags.
Consider this. Your 30-30 lever action rounds had "almost double" the length and mass of an 7.5 FK BRNO handgun round, and both a 30-30 lever action and a 7.5 FK BRNO fire rounds at 2,000+ feet-per-second. So, your 30-30 round could easily do double the amount of damage (per shot), hitting the same target, as a 7.5 FK BRNO.
Paul Harrell is so underrated. I love how long his videos are and how in depth they are. He is a national treasure.
He could have 10 million subs and he would still be underrated
@@testname4464 yes sir. Paul is great.
i could not agree more when i got a question about a firearm and he has a video on it he dont just answer the question he goes into why he says what he says ..such a good teacher i adore his content
Who says he's "underrated", that is such a LAME comment. UNDERRATED, hmmm... it reminds me of the guy at the bar just talking to himself, actually Arguing with himself, and everyone else just ignores him... all night long.
@@hankgarza4975 oh okay, thanks for the valuable input Hank
You always do such a thorough analysis, and I love the non-judgmental attitude you have towards things like, "It might be the only gun they have access to."
The only people who deserve judgment in those cases are the people responsible for limiting their people to such weapons to defend themselves with.
I love the full explanation, non-judgmental dressing-down of the judgmental people. We really need more of that civility modeled, but it's hard to be consistent.
I like it too. All I have is my mosin, sks, and glock. Cant afford anymore firearms atm.
Thanks, Paul.
I've seen hundreds of GSW's, as I work as an X-ray and CT tech at a major trauma center ER.
The difference between what most handgun calibers will do to a human body, and what about any modern hunting rifle will do to a human body, is orders of magnitude worse. Same for short range shotgun injuries, like out to 7 yards.
A 9mm will break your humerus. A 30-06 will leave your arm dangling by a little skin. A handgun will blow a hole in your liver big as a nickle, a 12 ga (at close range) will leave a 8" deep hole you can drop a golf ball into, with all the shot at the bottom. A .270 with a hunting bullet will blow up your liver into lumpy hamburger.
.357 to the knee, you get a full knee reconstruction. A rifle round to the knee you get a long-stem knee replacement after plating the femoral shaft, if you don't get an amputation.
I've seen a patient be paralyzed from the waist down just by the hydrostatic shock of a HP rifle round passing close to his spine without touching either spinal cord or vertebrae.
FMJ ammo really does act different, though.
Also, like it or not, people just don't miss very often with long guns, and people miss a LOT with handguns, some better at it than others, of course.
People just don’t understand you hit someone center mass with 30-06 once they are no longer a threat and if they live they are probably lucky.
A former X-ray tech myself, I get a laugh out of those who say there's very little difference between 9mm, 357 mag, 45, 44mag, etc. For those with experience, it truly is evident. We used to hang GSW films in our ER and place bets on what caliber was used.
Appreciate the x ray techs info here-you don’t get to hear this much- very interesting
Bullets were never designed to be receiver friendly....
Good comment, informative. So 300 win mag down a hallway wont work out too well for the person on the recieving end.
One other consideration when choosing a bolt action rifle for home defense, is to select one that has a bayonet lug to attach the implement of last resort. My SMLE has a 19” bayonet, which is quite an attention getter and works without ammo.
Q: What do you do when you run out of ammo?
A: I stab him with my rifle 😁
I agree. That would be the primary factor for me if I were to chose a bolt action for home defense. Other than "use what you have on hand," of course. I wonder how using the bayonet would change things in jurisdictions where using a firearm in home defense results in murder charges.
Bayonet are cool! My dad had an sks back in the day with one on it!
Perfect for parades in the living room if one doesn't get stuck on the ceiling.
@@atomicfro Honestly? If you had it mounted and didn't do so just prior to engaging (and being prepared doesn't count as premeditation already, in which case a loaded gun would get you in trouble as well) it at least demonstrates that the invader was very close to you, and more plausibly a threat to life and limb.
I feel that these types of demonstrations involving nonstandard firearms for self-defense are very helpful especially to those folks that are in those situations. For many years my only firearm was a .303 British rifle, you use what you have. I must say that the one round of .338 Win Mag on the meat target was quite impressive.
If that is ALL you can have,
But when there are other better choices.
@@carminemurray6624 I am a broke college kid, I can only spend 100$ or less on a firearm, so far I haven’t found any in that price range…
Somebody else commented that you could buy a lee-enfield for $50 in ’93, but nowadays there are essentially no guns in that range.
Yes, I do have a summer job, but all that money is going to my education.
And once I graduate and get a full-time job, I can buy plenty of firearms, but that is a year away, so in the meantime I am just wishing I could have ANY firearm, even if it single shot…
And I don’t know anybody to do a trade with, and I am not on the best terms with my father, so I’m not gonna ask to inherit any of his guns...
There are many high quality firearms in the ***** $ 300 range look at Bud's Gun Stores, they ship to your licensed local Federal Firearms Dealers.
@@carminemurray6624 Still too much money for me to afford.
Some company should make a semi-auto sub-gun in the same vein as a Luty (but that would work way better lol), that would be made out of commonly available hardware store parts and just a little very basic metal working on a lathing machine for like 90$.
because of all the gun regulation, gun prices are through the roof, and while it may not seem like a ton to a middle-class person with a job, for working class people or broke college kids (like me lol), they are a huge expense.
If I was living in ’93 though I could have bought TWO bolt-action mosins for 100$…
Man have times changed...
@@crazysilly2914
Well I have never been too financially challenged that I could not afford a sidearm and I am very sure I am much older than you.
When I heard "Why would someone use a bolt action rifle for home defense?" the first thing I thought "Well obviously it's because it's the only firearm they have." I'm feeling smug and satisfied with myself. I will now take my victory lap.
I only knew because that guy was me about 15 years ago . Haha so I too felt a bit smug
@@kevmoful Smugness for all!
They are a farmer and only need one round. 😄
Well deserved victory lap!
I would just say no. Unless I was out of sharp sticks!
Hey Paul and Crew! Thanks so much for what you all do and bringing us content.
Thanks for this. I lived through just such a scenario when mass rioting and looting broke out overnight in my home province of KZN in South Africa in July last year. Police disappeared for a week and we had to barricade and secure our neighbourhoods. For most licensed firearm owners we only had our hunting bolt action rifles and shotguns available.
Along with a boatload of intestinal fortitude no doubt. Good on ya
@@Freeontheland2030 ruclips.net/video/qPleungQrW0/видео.html These guys are from a neighbourhood watch from a suburb called Amanzimtoti
SA doesn't seem like a good place for the faint of heart to live.😐
@@kenofken9458 it isn’t a good place for anyone to live
@@Dogirot Even without the corrupt governments, a lot of Africa isn’t good for humans to live in because of how good the conditions are for other life forms like bugs and viruses they carry. The animals you can shoot might look more deadly but the fact you can shoot them really helps.
Your story at 25:09 reminded me of a hunting story of mine. I was on the rifle team in my highschool. We shot 20 lb guns chambered in 22 lr. It was a real crunchy winter day (top layer was thin ice and below it was hard snow) of deer season and I was walking into the woods to my favorite spot. I was walking in a little later than I should've and it was daylight. When I got close to the spot, I heard some deer running away through the brush so I positioned myself in a way that if I could see where they were going I might be able to get a shot. Well after a few seconds I heard some crunch about 40 yards beside me on my right side. When I looked over there was a small (very small) 8 point buck walking my way. The only thing I could do without moving my feet (didn't want the deer to hear me crunching) was take a rifle team pose just like the one Paul did. But since I was used to shooting 22lr, My shoulder was back farther than it should've been. When I pulled the trigger on the deer, the recoil of the 30-06 jerked the scope right into my forehead. I got the deer but I had a half moon shaped lump between my eyes for a week and a half. REMEMBER: you'll perform the way you practice!!
ouch that sounds like ass.
That’s an excellent story
Its good to see those deer in the back at the 14 min mark show up to get a better understanding on the topic of bolt actions for home defense. Knowledge is power.
"Excellent, now we know how effective bolt action rifles are to defend our homes! Now if only we could figure out how to get thumbs so we can use the damn things..."
~Deer Weapons R&D Department
@@PelemusMcSoy lol remember the Roo with a gun In crocodile Dundee.....
I appreciate that Paul makes videos for everybody. Years ago I searched the topic of this video and there were basically no good resources available. Thanks for contributing good information to the community.
I love Paul's presentations. No BS, no talking down. He never tries to pigeon hole everyone into a one size fits all solution to problems in the real world.
I'm sitting here thinking about all the walking, planning, building of meat targets, editing, and talking you had to do to put this video together. Thank you for all the work that went into it. It certainly isn't unappreciated
One of the things I like about Mr Harrell, is that he recognizes that different people have different situations. When we first got married 50 years ago we had 3 firearms. My father's single shot bolt action Winchester 22LR, my grandfather's 5 shot Winchester bolt action 22LR and my wife's modified Webley Mk VI that we loaded with 45AR. So my choices were a bolt action 22LR or an obsolete 45 revolver. I never felt disadvantaged with that old Webley beside the bed. Andthe night our basset hound woke me up because some one was trying to break into our home through the back door, that individual felt very disadvantaged when I stuck the obsolete 45 revolver in his face. Fortunately he remembered an important appointment somewhere else and took off running with our basset hound right behind him. He cleared the 4 foot fence at the alley behind our house and as far as I know, 50 years latter he's still running. After our children moved out and started their own families I started collecting guns that I had wanted but couldn't justify spending money on that could be better spent on our kids. Today I have my choice of any number of guns from my collection including both Winchester models 88 & 100 in 308 and dozens of bolt action rifles from 22-250 to 30-06 and most calibers in between. Including two bolt actions that can be TOPPED OFF. Both are Krag Jorgensen's one in 30-40 US and one in 6.5x55. But my primary home defense arms are a S&W 442 a Maverick 88 and for my wife an AR 15 as she is a veteran of the WACs and the US ARMY Reserve where she was trained on the M16. These are my choices based on our experiences and training and what firearms are available to us. I have a friend also retired from the US ARMY but not a gun person or a hunter, his only gun is a HiPoint 45ACP. He is now at a point in his life where he can afford what I my opinion would be a better option (just about any gun made in the last few years) but he says everytime he takes it to the range it goes bang when he pulls the trigger and a hole appears in the target where he was aiming. When he asks me what a newer prettier gun could do that would be better or more effective, what can I say it works for him, he at least has something better than a golf club to defend himself and his wife. The guns we currently keep for home defense have replaced others that served us over the years some of them, others might believe would be better choices such as the 9mm HiPoint carbine or the 45ACP Marlin Camp Carbine or the 2 M1 Carbines or one of my S&W Model 29s. I can't deny that any of them would and have served at various times, but we are comfortable with our current choices. Someone once said something to the effect that "the best gun to defend yourself with, is the one in your hand when the need arises".
Thank you for sharing your story. I would tell a person more new to firearms than me to try out a Hi-Point carbine, if that's all they could afford. Then save their nickels to help with trading in that Hi-Point carbine for a Ruger AR or PCC (or not. Firearms, ammunition, minimum amount of accessories add up quick)
@@DomoArigatoRobot0 I recently acquired an Enfield #4. My second one. Went to Bass Pro in search of .303. Great news! They're loaded down with 5.56 and 9mm. Also, .350 Legend, 300 blackout, .450 whatsit. Oh yeah, plenty of .308. The real find? 7×57 Mauser. This was in Pearl,Ms. I know about a pawn shop Chilean Mauser in Natchez for...200$. The #4 is a Long Branch star. Sporterized( butchered) and drilled and tapped for a side mount. Has the flip up battle sights. Another sight in Pearl has about 300 rounds of 7mm Mauser, but no 303. What to do, oh Mercy, what shall I do?
I had nearly the same thing happen in my home once, except I had a 30-06 bolt action, and I was running down the stairs I put around in the chamber and I think that guy became an Olympic sprinter is fast as he was running from the house, I was yelling at my wife to call the police and tell him I killed this mother f continued. He was gone
Would you consider .243 a decent self defense attorney?
The tool you have in your hand - doesn't matter the job, this is a general principle - is **always** better than the tool you haven't got.
Love this sort of content! Paul has an amazing way of taking a topic and breaking it down so that beginners can understand it as well as provide great information for seasoned shooters!
EXACTLY. This guy’s content is only for the total novice. He’s a tedious speaker and slightly condescending. I speak as a retired teacher of AP American Government and an NRA Instructor for 35 years and a former infantry captain. This guy’s a poser. Look at the “tie down” on his right leg for a sidearm that’s not requiring such a device because it’s already sitting high enough on the hip. Just for show.
@@ExSoldier762 actually he covered that holster before, he's wearing it as it was instructed to be used since he's doing a long term review. He isn't a poser, his credentials have been presented and even verified by some viewers. All I hear is some random guy on the internet making claims calling out other people. And just because you were a teacher doesn't mean you were any good at it, or others can't be as well. Your opinions are your own, but throwing accusations and insults anonymously on the internet belies your petty and insignificant nature. Given the age you must be to have so many years of experience it is truly sad to see how immature you behave. I feel sorry for the poor men who served under you and the children who had the misfortune to be assigned to you. The school system truly has failed.
I was shocked when I saw those deer just stay there after Paul started shooting. I have personally never seen anything like it. Those deer seem to know their rights. I bet Paul trained them! He is a good instructor.
They're not deer they are Paul's film crew
@@rayjankoski5320 Bambi:" Paul's show starts in 20 minutes! We better hurry over there if we want good seats."
paul harrell is so epic the deer gather at the chance of being made into a meal fit for a king.
They know he's only shooting "meat" targets.
@JoozdontliketheTruth My family's mountain graze land is strictly off limits for any kind of hunting. The deer and elk there act the same way. They really do not care about what humans are doing unless you try to approach them.
Thanks Paul i really appreciate you and the knowledge you have shared .
Vary sad your gone 😢...
I agree with a lot of the points Paul makes. Especially if you've trained a great deal on one, I would rather have a rifle I know inside and out and can reload in the dark than something I am unfamiliar with, and honestly, it's better than a pointy stick, which is still better than nothing. "A hi-point on the nightstand is better than a 1911 on layaway"
A Hi-Point doesn't jam at least
A great man once told me "Don't fear the man with many firearms, you fear the man with ONE, because he knows how to use that one very well"
@@pharisaeus6493 brutal
Pointy stick was the king of the battlefield until we worked out how to send rocks really fast and far, and even then the pointy stick of the bayonet lives on.
It amazes me how many people want to disagree with you when it's obvious that you know quite a lot about firearms.
Love the Pop Tart thing at the beginning as well.
Is that why I suddenly got a craving for pop tarts? Wonder if Paul actually got paid by them. But yeh I don't mind the plug.
@@KevinSmith-os5yz No. It's just a joke because he likes pop-tarts as a food to take on camping/survivalist situations.
@@James_Bee ah too bad I was afraid so.
I was hoping he would explain it. It is an aluminized paper, a sugar glaze layer followed by a cookie layer, jelly representing internal organs followed by another cookie layer glazed sugar, and paper. Their are 20 layers of high tech blankets as a back stop.
The past 9 mos or so has seen a big influx of fake experts, trash talking "collectors" who never train, safe queens who yammer about some gun or ammo NOT under discussion in Paul's video, or just simple dumb juvenilia probably trying to disrupt the comments section -- for reasons known only to the liar, the fraud, the cretin, the immature, or the simply stupid & bored.
It used to be these comments sections after Paul's videos were interesting. Now they're like a gossip talk show, or a tabloid rag.
Years ago I had a bolt action British Enfield 303 rifle as my weapon of choice for Civil unrest and home defense ,it had a really slick action and a 10 round magazine, I could rack rounds in the chamber quite fast and stay on target , it wasn't good as a AR-15 or other semi auto rifles in terms of firepower but in capable hands still a effective weapon
I want one so bad. Such a cool bolt action.
303 British is hunting caliber, so you got firepower but you're probably looking for an ar15 for magazine capacity
@@Solomons_Descent I was assuming the topic of the video was if a person wanted or had to use a bolt action rifle as their primary home defense or SHTF weapon, I would opt for the British Enfield for its smooth fast action and 10 round capacity which is better than anything else out there that have only a 5 round capacity, but as a weapon of war for civil unrest where a lot of other people have semi auto handguns and rifles like AK47s and AR15, a bolt action rifle probably would not be the best choice
@@bluemouse5039 I understand, semiautos mostly trumps bolt actions
I was thinking about that very weapon given it has a famously fast action and the Mosin_Nagant has a notoriously slow one.
Thanks for helping an underserved community with respect to self defense. Your wide experience and expertise contribute to a true public service.
Paul, in you I've found the way to ignore the "experts" who told me my old double-action single action was too difficult for a beginner to learn on. Now I shoot more naturally and confidently than many of the instructors I come across. Then they told me my Rock Island snub nose 38 Special wasn't good enough to compete in Club pistol matches. It's true I couldn't hit the silhouette at 50 yards, but I didn't take last place and I could reload faster than some of the semi-auto shooters, and now I'm working on my 50-yard accuracy. I have some other fun pistols now too, but I'm not limited to only knowing how to shoot a Glock. Thank you and I'm looking forward to watching this new video
I find that simplicity is best for home defense. I think I would grab a double barrel coachgun before my SPAS 12, I can never remember which button does what:)
Other observation from this video with the bolt action being slower. Once a defense shooting occurs you maybe will have to address a jury. Defense will say slower so better control. Prosecution, omg you used a gun designed specifically for hunting, so you must have intended to hunt your poor victim. You know how it would go down In court. Spin it everywhich way but right.
@@KevinSmith-os5yz Why would defense counsel use that strategy? Are you a crim def atty?
@@seanoneil277 same reason you don't want hair trigger, or full auto. Taking your time and only shooting when absolutely necessary, alot harder for prosecution to show indiscriminate loss of life. Prosecution is always gonna try to bring up every negative for whatever weapon is used. Remember kyle and the hollow point vs full Metal jacket bullets brought up by prosecution?
@@KevinSmith-os5yz No. I'm asking what experience you have as a crim def atty.
“He jumped off the table before I could shoot him.”
😂😂😂😂😂
I was thinking, “I wonder if Paul is going to let him get away” lol
Can't blame him a bit
Almost sounded like there was a hint of, "That's Cheating," in his voice when he said that.
Cannot go wrong with a 30-30 even if bottles try escaping! Love my levers! Bigger bottles would get the 45.70 treatment, with hollowpoints.
That happens to me nearly every Thanksgiving .....
Paul, you have the largest deer audience out of most RUclipsrs. I love how they seem to like audience participation.
I had this exact self defense scenario happen with one of the examples cited in this video. Way back when I was living with my dad, he was having fun drinking with a buddy of his when said friend got belligerent in a way that tells you "he's not afraid to throw punches and he's gonna be hard to talk down and he's 300lbs 6ft" so I had my Mosin Nagant rifle, in the ballpark of 4-5ft, loaded it with two 7.62x54R cartridges, and approached from the hallway, half hidden to conceal the rifle out of sight in the crook of my arm, and firmly told him, "I think you should leave." He was about five feet away from me and I had about 10 feet of hallway to back up into, just enough to work the action and fire the second round if the first failed. By a stroke of fortune, he left when I spoke up. Maybe he saw the rifle, maybe he heard me. It was over, and no shots were fired. And has Paul described, it's what I had. Glad the talking worked first.
Excellent review of this topic. There are so many scenarios and reasons one may find themselves needing to employ the bolt action rifle for their defense rifle. It would not be anywhere near my first choice but if it were the only choice I had give me the bolt action rifle. I was hoping there would be a meat target demonstration and was not disappointed!
Well said comment sir
Yeah that meat target demonstration was pretty impressive. However, it would have been better to also to see it done with a more common .308, 30-06. .270, or 6.5 Creedmoore bolt-action rifle.
The example of trading an "old junk car" for a bolt action rifle cracked me up. I once traded an old .22 revolver and a VCR for a 1975 Ford LTD, needed wheels to get back to the base more than I needed a .22 revolver.
That is one nice car.
When I scrapped my old rusty minivan, I took the cash I got from it, went to my local gun store a few days later, and picked myself up a used CZ 75 clone with the money I got from the van. It's old and well-worn, but still shoots straight and runs like a dream.
A good friend of mine inherited a 9mm Makarov pistol when he graduated high school, and for the first 2 or 3 years of young adulthood, that is what he carried every day and trained with. It was probably the best cared for Makarov in history. He finally traded it to someone for a Taurus PT24/7 and some cash, and in another few years traded that up for a Glock. It was several years before I could even think about buying a firearm. I simply did not have hundreds of dollars to spare to purchase a gun and ammo after expenses. I didn't even have more than a handful of dollars every month that could even be saved toward such a thing. I can only imagine how much tougher it is going to be for young people today, since entry level wages don't go as far as they did 20 years ago. Moral of the story is, it is not uncommon for all manner of odd firearms to be pressed into service due to personal finances, and it is nice that there is someone who puts some critical thought toward those situations.
I would have kept the Makarov. Taurus is trash
@@lardomcfarty9866 Funny you should mention that, because I specifically remember him having a mind blown moment when firing and using the Glock for the first time compared to the Taurus. You may have a point about the Makarov, but one of his problems was getting ammo for it locally. This was early 2000s so buying online wasn't really common yet.
@@doc_sav yeah. 9mm makarov is hard to come by these days, and it won't wow anyone ballistically. But they are reliable and will get the job done, unlike a taurus.
I thought you couldn't carry under the age of 21?
A Makarov is far different from a bolt action rifle. The Makarov is actually an adequate weapon for home and general self defense. I enjoyed mine along w several other weapons around that frame, caliber, capacity, and feel. It's nice to have extra rounds on tap but 7 or 8 rounds along q a spare mag will get u outta 99 percent of situations
I grew up with a .303 Enfield no4 mk1 in the family, it was the only gun in our home growing up, my mom didn't like guns all that much, no gun toys etc, but it was her dads gun, and the only one recovered after his death and his guns were stolen, it had no mag, and more than once she used it to fend off bears and trespassers, so when i was 18 i took it over, cleaned it, read up on it, pre youtube, got proficient with it, got it a mag and it again was ready for action, it now rests on its laurels proudly atop my gun rack, coming down only for deer season, as the mag fed 12 pump and g30, have taken the primary defense roles in the home, but its still ready incase of burglars or the old enemies return.
Are you canadian? Bears and british rifles sound like Canada
who are the old enemies ? im bored !
@@Prepper319 nazis, the .303 i have is from world war 2.
I remember seeing, years ago, where an old woman used an .303 british Lee-Enfield to stop a polar bear that was trying to break into her house.
One shot stopped it.
Out here where I live, feral hogs are sometimes a problem. 9mm won't cut it. On the really big ones, you need to have a rifle. And they will come up to your house.
I was speed reading and at first I thought I read... "feral frogs."
@@rjb7569 Well those are a danger too I'm sure!! :-)
@@rjb7569 Lol. Battle Toads.
I like to shoot. Having a 9mm up against a bad guy breaking and entering (including feral hogs) means I get to shoot more. 😎
@@johngifford7725 With the small ones a 9mm might stop them.
With the big ones go right ahead and do a mag dump. Maybe you'll finish pulling the trigger on the last round before they kill you.
Thanks once again for a great video. As someone who for a few years relied on a 1953 Poñish M44 Mosin using modified Hansen and S&B hunting rounds for home defense, I greatly appreciate the perspective of your videos and your aversion to the snarky "don't be a poor" mentality. Sadly, the reality of the here and now is often suboptimal.
As an aside, your practice of seasoning them with some occasional dry humor is equally appreciated. The "vacation" comment was awesome.
To add on, many many thanks to the Crew & Paul. You guys are really a service to many communities.
May Paul's great knowledge never become forgotten. RIP, king 👑
There was a period of a few years in my life when a Yugoslavian M24 Mauser was my home defense weapon. Because that's all I had. I knew what those 190 gr. Sierras would do to meat, too.
Huge bonus points for using the .338 on the meat target. I was really hoping that's what you would use.
Your commitment to educating new shooters is astounding. Thanks for everything Paul.
Thanks for showing the .338 magnum's effect on the meat target. Eye opening to say the least!
Thanks for being a breath of fresh air when it comes to gun safety/knowledge. One of the few content creators in this niche that I feel like I could have a coffee and conversation with over things we may or may not agree.
The best firearm for self defense is the one you have.
Thanks for your superb content.
I had an attempted break-in many years ago and met the miscreant at the door with a single shot H&R 12 gauge shotgun...all I had. "Moved up" to a cheap single action .22 WMR revolver from the local pawn shop. I'm doing better now and have more options, but I understand the concept of bringing what you have.
Amen Jay, any firearm you happen to have can be pressed into service at the moment of truth!
Long ago the missus had a problem, and couldn't find her .38...she was throwing .22 all over the place trying to load an old Ithaca lever action...the bad guy eventually went on, but the episode has stuck in her mind...now she keeps several revolvers handy...I'm keeping a lazy eye out for a couple of single shot or double barrels, just because...
I've always been interested in what you do with the meat targets after they've been shot at. I'm surprised this never made it into a Q&A special. Maybe at 800k subscribers? Thanks.
I’d assume they would go in the trash. Lead contamination doesn’t make for a good cookout.
@@kobudo So after you kill whatever you are hunting you just toss the carcass because its contaminated with lead?
In earlier presentations Paul has said that many times his dogs get some of the meat and some is left for the wildlife.
@@kobudo Would you trow out all the hunting meat? Unless you are using a bow, they should all have been hit with lead... I guess you just take the lead out!
@@sheilaf5732 Thanks for the info.
The absolute best gun man on RUclips. Im incredibly grateful he chose to share his knowledge with us-Godspeed.
Those deers really know their right to not be shot outside of season.
Happens with gamebirds too. Outside of season those are far more tame and let you to come closer when moving in forest.
But after those couple shots in that first day good luck to get closer than 200 meters if those spot you first.
They know if Paul was shooting at them they’d already be dead.
@@Matt-xc6sp isn't that the point of shooting them? i'm confused
I'm convinced, from years of caretaking wild critters, that they can sense intent.
I think it's awesome them animals are smart.
Pronghorn Antelope. After the first 1-2 shots of a .30-30 it becomes a long range game for the rest of the season.
Love how Paul doesn't even look at the gun when he's loading or unloading.....legend⭐
Given the subject, it’d be prudent to know how to use your firearm when you can’t make out its details due to lighting…
A nice surprise this morning! Nothing beats a new Paul video with a fresh cup of coffee when I'm supposed to be working.
Paul Harrell teaching me things about my Winchester Model 70 I never knew, from a video posted 2 years ago that I never saw. What a fortunate reality we live in that we can still learn from Paul in this format even after he is gone. RIP Paul, and thank you for being such a devoted teacher of the craft you knew so well! 🍻
I remember seeing a video of two "roof Koreans" and a lever action rifle. One was firing while the other was sticking more shells in.
After 40+ minutes of, as usual, an excellent presentation of quality content by Mr. Harrell, I feel a might peckish for a pop tart.
This was an absolutely perfect video, Paul! I'd love to hear your thoughts on scout rifles and more modern bolt-actions like the Sig Cross or The Fix by Q.
Also CZ 600 Trail
I love how Paul is so one with nature that he can be out in the forest with Rifles and deer come right up to him.
There was a time when all I had, gun wise, was a .22LR bolt action rifle with 2 10 round box mags.
I kept it at my bedside for home defense because it sure beat out anything else I owned. Eventually, yes, I did upgrade to something better, but I still have that .22, and if I had needed it, I would have used it back then. God be praised, I never did.
When it's all you got, any gun is better than no gun.
But you didn’t use it… so, better for collecting dust and limiting your investing potential?
@@It-b-Blair Shame your car insurance is collecting dust and limiting your investing potential, seeing as you didn't use it for several years.
22 is a very underrated calibre anyways, rimfire variants have virtually no recoil and are really quiet when silenced. my great grandfather had a really nice geko .22 rimfire, bolt action rifle, was one of the best, most controllable guns I ever shot
Super food "Paul's Pop Tarts!" Love it! What you said is so true. Several of my friends say exactly what you said. You fight with the gun you have.
14:50 are we going to mention how the deer feel so safe around Paul they just chill during his demonstrations?
These were some great tips. I never thought too much about home defense, until the last two years or so. crime is getting crazy, even in my small town. I now have several guns ready at all times and have gone to the range to practice.
I absolutely love these presentations. So full of information and humor.
get well soon Paul. you helped me alot with your experience. thank you
Paul is such a professional, that even the deer recognize his responsible firearm use is not a threat.
This kind of thing is useful because home defense isn't always about having something purposefully bought and setup in place for the scenario of home defense. Sometimes it's about you're in a situation and you only have X or Y and whether it's optimal or not you have to make the best of it and make it work as efficiently as possible. A lot of people only own long, heavy, non-close quarters friendly rifles. You can't just give up and say "yeah would be good if I had a shotgun or handgun right about now" if a bolt-action rifle is what they've got available then that's what they need to work with.
Small point. When unloading a bolt rifle, I remove the round in the chamber first, then dump the contents of the magazine with the chamber empty and the bolt open, rather than manipulate the magazine with a loaded chamber. That's just a preferred method for me. IF you keep the rifle always pointed in a safe direction, it really isn't critical which way you do it.
thats how I was taught to. it just makes it even less of a chance that an accident will happen, espicially if you are distracted. i know i have had a negligent misfire (into a hill) when lowering the hammer on my dads leveraction 30.30 while hunting as a kid. things happen, better to just reduce the possible accident points
When a bolt action is the only choice then this video really clarifies the potential problems and limitations. Very thoughtful Paul.
You don't even need ammunition.
The threat of being hit with a heavy bit of steel across the face can make anyone pause and think. Now it is you who takes the initiative.
We could just a Paul Harrell cardboard cutout for home defense. No one messes with Paul.
This was time well-spent. Harrell combines competence, experience, and dry humor to make an effective and informative video. Nice work.
Glad to see some love for the Remington 783. Really nice budget bolt action. I have one in .308 Winchester and it's super accurate. (And yes, I only have one magazine for it).
You should check out Who Tee Who, he has a few 783 rifles and they shoot pretty darn good.
After I graduated high school I bought a SKS for cheap from a local gun show. Months later I got my 1st apartment. That SKS was the only thing I had to protect myself and my home until I could save enough money to get something more practical. Great video as always👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸
Sks is an amazing home defense rifle. Dont think the neighbors would appreciate it tho 😂😂😂
When I used to hunt with my Mosin I had a different safety trick. Hold the trigger down during the closing the bolt. The firing pin will not be locked back. Once you are ready to shoot just pull back on the rear knob on the bolt and it will lock into position with a "click" and you're ready to fire.
Yeah... And the firing pin is resting directly against the primer, so if something bangs into that knob hard enough it will discharge...
@@laurenceperkins7468 It's actually more risky to have it cocked to the rear position, just waiting to fly forward with force. Those old rifles weren't built to today's safety standards. A strong jolt and it may release and fly forward. Can't happen with the trick I just mentioned. Plus, primers on Soviet Bloc ammo are hard as nails. They sure as heck aren't soft American primers. They need a seriously hard whack to go off.
@@nicknack8459 Cocked, yes, I can see that. The trigger sear isn't generally meant to be utterly foolproof.
The safety notches on all the old military bolt action designs I've handled though have always been pretty deep. I rather expect the normal safety position is safer than with the striker down. And if it's so badly worn that it's not, then it's time to scrounge up some replacement parts, or at least make some adjustments. You should be able to take a hammer to it when it's in the "safe" position and not fire it without destroying the action first.
Hey! The video I requested! Thanks for doing this presentation. As someone who got a handy down bolt action rifle, this will be great video for reference.
Great video and content as usual. The issue of broadcasting is interesting. With many home defense firearms outfitted for flashlights certainly those will broadcast your position even earlier. But it’s necessary to identify the target properly if it’s too dark to tell without one.
Nailed it. The light is for target ID and aiming, not for searching/acquisition.
I love the way Paul explains every aspect of the topic, very unique and interesting
Once again great stuff Paul!