I purchased a Ruger GP100 .357 magnum a few months ago and love it. It is double action and has a 4 inch barrel, so it is legal for deer hunting where I live. I believe you can get them with a stainless or blue finish. I had the intention of buying a Ruger Blackhawk with the extra cylinder that allows you to shoot 9mm rounds, but when I saw the GP100 I decided to get it since it is double action. The price was not that much more than the Blackhawk with the extra cylinder. Being chambered in .357 mag, I can also shoot .38 special rounds out of it. I would suggest checking out the GP100.
Most of the time I use a back pack. I usually carry extra gloves, facemask, a couple of knives, hatchet, matches, rope, sometimes a pistol, cover scent, grunt call, toilet paper (just in case), and rain gear.
I am looking at a used 870 Express Magnum that I am thinking about buying for my dad for Christmas. It has a 3" chamber, which is all he needs. It has a wood stock that is in pretty good shape. The gun was sent to Ballistic Specialties in Batesville, AR where the barrel was cut down to 22 1/2" and forced coned. It comes with a modified choke tube and a super full turkey choke from ballistic specialties. The gun is in really good shape. The guy who has it wants $300 for it. That sounded like a pretty reasonable price to me. What do you guys think?