I went with the 5.5" 44 Redhawk.
I grew up hiking/logging in the Cabinet/Yaak country of NW Montana. There are tons of grizzlies, black bears, wolves, and mountain lions. I started looking for a 44 in 1996. My concerns were similar to yours: hiking, hunting, packing, weight, power, target, etc...
Back then there were not as many choices. The main 44s were the 629, RH and SRH. I weighed all the options and went with the 5.5 Redhawk. It seemed to be the best compromise for hunting, hiking, and target. Mine has been a great revolver, and I don't think you would be disappointed either.
For hunting I use 300 Hornady XTPs and for hiking 320 Corbon (bullet in picture
) BTW: that bullet will not fit in a 629.
P.S. The fact that its easy on the eyes is just an added bonus.
