The short barrel is going to be harder to shoot well with open sights. One of the new Mini Red Dot Optical Sights might be the best solution to shooting the short barrel SBH up to it's potential.

Then you need to try and wear it out, which requires reloading.

Myself I would load for it. My 480 SRH and my brothers 44 SRH have not had a factory round fired in them after leaving the factory. It is much easier to load what you want to shoot. Not to mention much cheaper. My brother has fired over 100 rounds of 310 grain WFN 44 Magnums in the last couple days. My billfold would have hated to have bought that much custom 44 magnum ammunition from Buffalo Bore or some other loader.

I was not much help, and probably did not tell you what you wanted to hear.

Bob