Gunner500, I used to do a good bit of hunting with my Dan Wesson model 15 8" 357. But when it came time for packing and hiking in the offseason I'd switch to the 4". That's the beauty of the Dan Wesson platform. I do think an 8" is too much for packing but just about ideal for the serious open sight handgun hunter. For packing I like the 4" and I like the 6" best on a scoped gun.
With a Smith and Wesson, you could still switch from a long barrel to a 4". You just need two guns to do it.
