RE: Pistol hunting
You sure can't go wrong with a .44 Mag. The .41 Mag is also good. So is a heavily-loaded .45 Colt, and the .454 Casull. I am sure the .460 S&W and the .500 S&W are excellent, if you can stand the recoil! The .480 Ruger is in the mix as well.
Successful big-game hunting with a handgun demands a lot of practice. It is good to select a handgun for whichlower-priced practice ammo is available, or you need to be a handloader!