If I'm dressed so I can get at it easily, I prefer a good crossdraw (Bianchi 111 is a good one) with a 4 or 5" model 29
I've done this for years when I hunt blacktail deer with a S&W 44 and leave the rifle at home. I like that I can swap the same holster to my strong side for the drive to and from my hunting spot. The Bianchi 111 and the Galco Dual-Position Phoenix are pretty much identical in that respect.
My experience with modern chest rigs is limited to one multi-day bear hunt and several pre-season scouting trips. The load was a pair of 8x32 Leicas, a G19 with Lost River ammo, and a rangefinder. Maybe that's too much stuff, but I find that the less weight on my chest, the better I like it. I moved the G19 to my belt and I'm switching to rangefinder binoculars.
I'm usually in pretty thick brush and the extra straps of a chest rig are just more stuff to get snagged. I'm also not making true backpacking hunts, but long day hunts out of truck- or boat-based camps. I rarely use a waist belt on a pack, and because our hunting weather is much warmer (and wetter) than the rest of the US, I'm more concerned about compatibility with rain gear than anything else.
Okie John
