RE: .44 magnum rifle
I took a nice 8 pointer in 2002 with my Marlin lever 44, used 240 grain winchester white box. Pefect shot with pass through, bullet was logged in the front leg joint on exit, perfect mushroom. Shot was probally 30 yards. I think its a perfect cartridge, I would seem a slow moving heavy bullet would deflect less if it encountered a twig along its way to the target compared to a highspeed low weight projectile, but thats just a guess..