For versitility the Accusport SS 5 1/2" 45colt with the 45acp spare cyclinder maybe the best all round hunting, plinking, packing revolver ever sold for the money! I really prefer blued/case hardened finishes but the Stainless is the easiest to maintain, especially for hard hunting/packing needs. Get the cyclinder throats opened to .4525, get a action/trigger job, and shoot the hell out of it. You can pick these up for about $500 and they need maybe another $100 of smithing to make them right. Once that is done you are ready for mouse to moose, 160gr to 360gr loads are easily handloaded and light 200gr cowboy loads are readily available if you don't handload to plink with. And of course 45acp ammo is mild, readily available, and cheap to shoot. If you want something with a little more power Buffalo Bore and others are loading up to and including a 335gr LFNGC LBT style bullet at 1350fps that are suitable for elk, moose, and even grizzly in a pinch. The recoil is stiff with these loads but the Bisley grip will make controlling them as pleasant as possible, far better than a Blackhawk grip will.
For what you describe I also suggest sticking with adjustible sights and don't be tempted by the Vaqureo's fixed sights. The Vaquero is a great gun, it will be my packing gun once I finish regulating it, but it must be regulated to a single load forever as the sights are fixed on it. And if this is a gun that may go everywhere and do everything for you then the loads might be a little stiff for plinking if you intend to hunt with it. Although the standard 255gr lead bullet at 850 is pretty mild and still capable of good work on lighter game like deer.
Get a good leather holster, don't skimp here if you are going to be carrying this a fair bit especially on horses as they tend to be hard on everything, holsters included. I really like the Milt Sparks Keith style holster (AW200 I think) a little spendy at about $125.00 and a 5 month wait but worth every penny and will last the rest of your life (get a closed end holster so you don't sit down in snow or mud and fill the barrel with gunk). My personnal 5 1/2" Ruger rides in a flap style holster from McMurrey leather in Texas and I also highly tout that one as well. Neither will ever let a gun fall out although not having a strap on the Milt Sparks freaks out some people they never let a gun fall and are quicker to get a gun out of when needed.
Anyways for versitility the Ruger's in full sized frames are simply the best, most versitle gun, for the dollar you can buy.
