I have been thinking about getting a hunting pistol for a while now and i think i have finally convinced myself but i have a few questions. I live in michigan and we are allowed to hunt in the shotgun only zone with a pistol so i thought i might give it a try. I will be using the gun only for whitetail hunting. No need for personal defense or anything like that...

From what i understand agood caliber choice is the .44mag and there is a great variety of guns to choose from.

What should i be looking for in a hunting pistol and what are some of the best brands and calibers.

I have been looking at the S&W Profermance .44's and the all the Ruger models in the 6" - 7 1/2" in barrel size.