Smoke: I am saying expansion is not needed if you use a bullet with a substantial meplat. A .44 caliber bullet with a .300 meplat diameter at 1600 fps creates a wound channel of 1.2" in diameter and that same caliber bullet with a .340 meplat at 1600 fps creates a 1.6" diameter wound channel (page 67 Beartooth Bullets Technical Guide). It will penetrate further than your expanding bullet . It will also track through the target in a straighter path. A comparison of round nose verses flat nose penetration has been published in the Linebaugh Seminar penetration tests. If you go to the the Terminal Bullet Performance subject at Accurate Reloading forums
http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/4711043/m/2861098911 and read the 303 pages of tests by Michael458 you will also see the subject of mepla discussed at length. The subject is also covered at great length in "African Dangerous Game Cartridges" by Peter van der Walt Chapter 6 and 7.
Ross Seyfried in "Ultimate Handgun Bullets" said it best: "As we begin to design a handgun bullet there are three major factors that govern its terminal performance: weight, velocity and the diameter of the meplat (flat on its nose). They are all interrelated when we consider total performance. Like shifting gears in the transmission on a truck to alter speed and power, shifting weight, meplat and velocity gives us a scale of wound channel and penetration to match our game." page 60 Guns and Ammo/ October 1993. He also said: "When I launch a bullet at less than 2,000 fps, it will be a round ball or have a big flat on the nose" page 59.
Thanks for finding the article on the rational for Colorado's scope regulation.
