First of all, the idea of carrying a backup handgun while rifle hunting is not clear thinking in my book. I'll bet money I can reload a #1 from a finger held extra round and fire it as fast as I can draw a handgun, get it on target and fire it. I've done lots of hunting, etc. with .44 Magnum handguns. What's more, it is far tougher to hit anything, under stress with a handgun than with a rifle. Unless, of course, you are right on top of the critter.
Frankly, if it can fight back, I would choose a repeater, or have somebody back me up.
In handguns, I tend to favor the S&W's for hunting simply because their single action triggers seem to come out better. With a heavy handgun, a first class trigger will make or break your shooting.
Ruger makes some excellent handguns. If you need something tough, I'd definately go for a Ruger Blackhawk or Redhawk of some sort.
I suggest you shoot a hot loaded .45 Colt or a .44 Magnum before you buy one. The .44 Mag class wheel guns can't be shot well by 9 out of ten pistol shots. A good alternate, BTW, is the .41 Magnum. Plenty of power for anything reasonable, and 15% less recoil. E
