I do a lot of hiking and I would like, at some point, to pick up a sidearm that is dedicated to personal defense in the field. So far I've been carrying my .357 Blackhawk, but the 6" barrel makes it a bit too bulky for extended and strenous hikes. I need something a little more compact, but poerful enough to deal with all potential threats. Around here those could be: 1. Smaller rabid/feral animals (coyotes, etc.) black bear, and two legged predators.

I'm considering a compact D/A revolver in .357 mag or possibly an auto in 10mm or .45 acp.

I'm not sure that the big bore magnum revolvers are for me. I've fired a .44 mag on a few occasions and kind of found it to be miserable.

Any advice?