The more grizzly's I see the larger firearm I favour. However the firearm needs to be light and handy too so that it's with me. If I could carry a handgun in Canada I'd be ok with a 44 Magnum. In fact I often carry a Ruger Carbine loaded with 250 Partitions. A large part of this faith in the 44 (at long barrel velocities) has been due to a couple of factors:

1) A number of comparative tests on wet-newsprint, water containers, bone and hardwood suggest that the 44 has a pretty good combination of penetration and wound channel.

VS the 12 Gauge Slug...With 250 Nosler partitions, the 44 out penetrates the slug on hard targets, even when using the 1 1/4 oz slugs. The .44 doesn't have the massive wound channel but isn't whistling dixie either. On soft targets matches the penetartion of the slugs.

VS the 12 gauge 000 buckshot. The 44 badly outpenetrates the buck on hard targets. Matches it on soft targets.

Vs the 450 Marlin.... The 44 falls behind a bit in penetration and the 450 creates a similar wound channel to the Slug. It's about 60% of the wound channel the big Marlin when the Marlin is fired from a 16" Barrel. That's not so bad folks.

2) The recoil is controllable by even my seven year old. Fast repeat shots are a piece of cake.

3) The Ruger has never jammed....not once...in hundreds of rounds from 200-250 grain loads.

4) It is 5 pounds light and handy and easy to tote. Fishing I forget it's with me.

A 357 would not have the wound channel that would make me minimally comfortable. Hardcasts might penetrate for a brain shot but the wound channel is very low. My own tests with the 450 and hardcasts show amazing penetration but wound channels less impressive than a heavy bullet 22 Hornet load.

A test from a few years ago....
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I also like this one..12.5" barrel and legal in Canada.

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Last edited by North61; 06/27/10.