Which caliber would you choose, and why?
I know the .45 Colt can be safely loaded "hotter" than a .44 magnum, if used in the right gun, but I don't think that it is a recommended practice for the S&W Mountain guns. So why would anybody prefer the .45 Colt over the .44 magnum in a S&W mountain gun, other than for nostalgia for a fine old cartidge?