Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Up until recently I had two 44 Mags, a 5.5" Redhawk and a 14" Contender. My 45 Bhwk at 4 5/8" was a whole lot easier to pack in the woods and could be loaded for defensive purposes against a 4 legged creature. I don't push it hard but I do respect a 250 gr bullet @ 1200 fps.
You won't find too many people, not even Mall Ninjas or Tacticool Boys, willing to stand down range and play catch with that 250 at 1200!