I think it is hard to beat the .44 magnum due to all the different factory ammo available to it. Though my two choices for me are the .45 long colt and the .41 magnum. The .45 long colt is really nice because it doesn't have that snappy hard recoil I find with the .44 magnum, yet it still puts out a large caliber bullet with plenty of velocity. In new handguns you can even get +p loads for the .45 colt. Another interesting fact is if you get a .454 Casull you can shoot .45 long colt through it. There are also several new rounds out there you can try out too. But like I said, the .44 magnum has many more choices of ammo out there to fit your hunting needs.