I've had a 6" M-19 Smith since '72 and have literally thousands of rounds through it...none of which were fired in any of the handgun games....that's a lot of rounds for a plinking/informal target shooting gun. While it's a superbly accurate .357, the added length of that bbl. makes it hard to belt carry while seated on any modern conveyance be it 4x4, jeep, truck, tractor or lawn mower!
The 6" bbl. does help with full house .357's, however, & I find it noticeably easier in recoil when compared to my 4" M-19 & 66. But its accuracy is only fractionally better...on the order of 1-1/2" groups at 25 yds from rest with it compared to 2" with the other two each with 4" bbl's...but then that difference could be attributed to the inherent accuracy of the individual guns.
But you could strike a nice compromise with a bit of add'l weight, in a Smith's M-27 with a 5" bbl. For a range/hunting gun, even with full house magnums, it's a lot more comfortable to shoot than either the M-19 or M-66 and easier even than my M-686 with full lugged bbl.
Too, that 5" bbl. in an OWB holster with no drop is just short enough to allow easy carry in a vehicle . The 27 I own is a joy to shoot for long sessions. It's amazingly accurate with a variety of loads, but again, the weight is a bit much for my 76 yo bones to tote all day...at least at my customary 4 o'clock OWB position.
In a deer stand, or packing out quarters without a rifle, and if you can see yourself managing with a 5" .357 in those scenarios, a cross chest tanker type of holster would do nicely...allowing easy access with full protection for the gun and a much easier carry load with both shoulders taking the weight. An under the pit shoulder holster (like the one Clint made famous as Harry Callahan) would probably do as well. But only the latter would do for CC use I'd guess.
Those 5" M-27 Smith's come up on GB from time to time...mucho $$$$ for the most part, but you can find one of the 50th Anniversary models without the paper work or box goodies for a bit less. I found mine that way and lucked into it for a little less than a grand in almost new condition four years ago. Skeeter Skelton called the 5" bbl'd M-27 his favorite Smith IIRC, and really liked its "N" frame for DA shooting, finding it smoother than the K's. In my use, they're about equal, tho my M-66 was a LEO trade in with a buttery smooth DA trigger that I'll probably never find the equal of again.
Here's a cpl of pics to whet your whistle...the four in the first pic are a 6" M-19, the 5" M-27, my 4" M-66, and my regular carry piece: a M-60 with its 3" bbl. The lower pic is the M-27, 5" with Altamont Stocks on it.