Contenders...I have a long history with and have many combinations of handguns and carbines. I do not however have much experience with the 44 mag so load info isn't there. Factory jacketed hunting loads tend to run pretty hot and you can get them loaded with the same bullet mentioned earlier. With a 1x scope you will be limited by what your eye can see and not the range of the round. Shoot the way it is and see what you think.