While lion hunting on mules, I have occasionally carried a 4-inch S&W Model 629 in a "pancake" type belt holster that I bought from a South African holster maker 8 or 9 years ago. The pancake design keeps it high on your body and minimizes interference with other things that you are doing. On cool days, my brush jacket covers it and keeps it from catching on tree limbs and shrubs. When guiding (without a rifle), I carry a Model 66 with a 4-inch barrel and have found it perfectly adequate for finishing off wounded animals. It's considerably lighter and handier than the 629. I either use CorBons in factory loads or handloads with a 180-grain jacketed bullet.
Over the years, I have had a few guests that were somewhat overwrought by the time that they got an animal down. It was just easier for me to walk up to a disabled animal and put it down with a shot in the neck (not to mention safer).
