When handgun hunting I usually carry either a .44 mag. or a .454. Even with longer barrels that are not ported you should wear ear precaution. I have a set of Pelter muffs that have served me well for close to 20 years now. I would recommend them to anyone hundgun hunting.
As for a hunting handgun, for the price, I don`ttothink that you can beat the Ruger Super Blackhawk. I have 4 different .44 mag. rrevolversand plan to carry one for cconcealedcarry, I am ddefinitelya big bore fan. There is nothing wrong with a 629, that`s pprobablywhat I will use for CC. If you plan to hunt with a handgun you will need to fire alot of ammo through it bbeforeyou go to the field if you are wanting to be cconsistentwith it. I do not like scopes on revolvers either. Pistol scopes are very critical to get a field of view and when you do it is very small ccomparedto a rifle scope. I do have a .357 Max. on an Encore frame that I do have a scope and a by-pod on. I will carry it while sitting on a ground stand and it will reach out and touch them. When walk I carry a revolver in either .44 mag. or .454. For someone just getting started I would recommend the .44 mag. and if you have trouble with recoil shoot .44 Spec. ammo in it. The main thing to remember is that handguns are not like rifles and shotguns where you can pick one up and fire afew shots and take it hunting. In the late 1970`s and early 1980`s I would fire about 400 rounds per week through a handgun and I have kill several deer with them. The longest shot on a running deer was about 135 yrds. at a trot. I did kill one at just over 90 yrds. that was in full stride going acrossed in frount of me. But that was when I was doing alot of shooting and if you don`t reload you will never be able to afford to become really profesient with a handgun. I feel that 200 rounds per week is min. to maintaining a reasonable level of skill.
