RE: 44 mag deer hunting questions?
Which pistol is pretty much a personal decision. For a hunting 44 mag., I' m a big fan of the Ruger Super Balckhawk, but any brand or model would work.
If your barrel length is super short, you end up with excessive flash and more recoil. A barrel too long just ads weight and makes the pistol less " handy" . I like a barrel in the 6" to 7 1/2" range in a hunting revolver.
Range? That can be a big source of dissagreement. A lot depends upon your individual skills, the accuracy of your handgun, and what kind of rest (if any) is available. With my unscoped 44 mag and 45 colts I feel pretty comfortable out to 100 yards with an improvised rest against a tree. A scoped handgun maybe a little more.