S&W Mountain gun fits the bill for me.

44 Special will handle most dog & human problems.

44 Mag can be loaded with hard-cast SWC to deal with bigger threats.

44 Shot shells for the no-legged vermin.

And the Mountain gun series are round butt and have a tapered barrel profile to help reduce weight.

You could do almost the same with a good 357. Barrel length from 2.5-4" will pack nicely.

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On the Oak Savannah