Redhawks are great guns...my last handgun deer kill was a 7.5" .44 Magnum with a 2X Leupold scope on it. A 5.5" for a field carry gun isn't too big if you have the right holster.
As to a Smith, having looked at the fit and finish of the new ones I would look for a nice clean used one on one of the auction sites. I have one of the 6.5" .41 Magnums made in the 1990s that is called a Hunter that is the same as the .44 Magnum Classics. You can find them in both 5" and 6.5". I had one of the 5" .44s and it was a great shooter.
Good luck...Bob
