I shoot a Ruger Super Readhawk in 44 mag. It is all you will ever need for deer and if you reload you can get even more out of it. I think you are better off shooting light 44 mag loads than using 44 spec, and as stated earlier the ammo is much cheaper and easier to find in 44 mag. I have the 7 1/2 inch barrel and it is a good length for hunting. The Super Redhawk is also an extreamly heavy built gun and will hangle the heavyest of mag loads without all that much recoil.