Swissfish, that boomer just sounds, well, as you described it....painfull! Ha!
Cajinbass, I would love to find a classic Taurus 431, That honestly would pretty much be the perfect 44 in my mind. But finding one ...
Shame to hear the 696 has thin forcing cones, that gun, albeit the very highest mark of my budget would be grand. I love my smiths (frankly this whole charade may be an excuse to own another if Im honest
) but thats bad news.
As far as fire power in the woods around here, been in these hills for many a mile. I've seen one, 1, ONE grizzly bear, which the forest service SWEARS was a blonde black bear (roughly 600-800 pounds.....riiiiiiiight) countless black bear, or, at least their hind ends as they do everything they can to get away from me. Countless coyotes, hate them turds. And while I've not laid my own eyes on em yet, wolves where my new place is. They give me the hebe jebees for good reason. I honestly wouldn't feel under gunned with a 44 special with the correct loading. That being a hard-ish cast, 240 grain keith style wad cutter doing about 850-950, or my lee 310 grains doing....walking speed. I KNOW what that first round is capable of and any of the aforementioned critters, including the worst of the bunch, the two legged wolf, wouldn't fight too long against one or two of these loadings.
Im think I may be drifting towards the 69 @2.75". But I'd always rather have something, more......interesting, if possible.
Gotta love scratching the firearms itch!!