if the question is will the 44 perform plenty well for deer and pigs : of course it will
If the question is : is there any justification other than ego or just wanting something different or just wanting something that can be loaded up beyond what a 44 can handily do .... that is different.
I think that you will find there are a fair number of folks that beleive even the 44 mag to full power or with 300 grain bullets is pushing the envelope of the need for power for whitetails and other medium game, as long a non-deforming bullets are used for the really heavy bone and gristle on the shoulder of pigs or for less than optimum shots on deer like quartering away and needing tremendous penetration.
I think you will find a sampling who feel that there is an optimum bullet weight and comfort zone with the 44 or the 45 colt and that if you think you need more penetration than that, get a bigger gun. That bigger gun can be loaded down to the same comfortable shooting experience as the 44 or 45 colt without the abuse of the really hot heavy loads in the 44/45 guns.
I think you will find that some folks just want to know that the gun they have will be fine for loading up to elk, buffalo, big bad bears, etc should the need or opportunity arise to require or prefer it. I do realize that the 44 has killed everything there is, just about, in the world and can do so.. but not as comfortably as a bigger gun loaded down.
If you do not handload, and decide you want the option to exceed 44 or 45 capabilites, you could consider getting a caliber that can be also used with less powerful loads : like the 44 Mag can shoot specials and the 460 can use 454 and 45 colt; and the 475 can use 480 ruger. The 445 supermag can use the 44 mag, and 44 special, too.
I beleive that you will find that a 45 colt or 44 special will handle what you say you are going using the gun for at this point... with factory loadings, not necessarily the heaviest bullets for the guns, either; especially if shot placement is good and ranges are short.
I do think there are some folks who buy the big guns so that they can experience it and will let it go to sale or to the safe pretty quickly once the new experience is had and that wears off. Some just want to hand it to someone and let them watch the person experience it for themselves. You can get the same experience with a 45 colt with cor bons wieghing 300gr. and estimated at 1300 fps - in your Ruger strength pistols (at least ) not in replicas or original colts, though. Same thing with 44 mag garrett 300 grainers out of the box.. the recoil will be substantial and possibly abusive to the shooter.
If you want to shoot a big gun, get one. If you load it down you can shoot it comfortably and it will handle heavier bullets and it will of course you can load it up for anything else that you decide to shoot at.
If you want a 44 get one and realize you can load it up with handloads or expensive factory loads so that you will not likely think you are missing anything whether you want the experience or you want to shoot something really big and tough. I did not get a big gun cause I had to have it, I already had a 44 and a 45 and wanted to get it and load it down for the experience, to have it in case I wanted to load it up, and for variety. It will shoot a 420 grain bullet with my little handloads very effectively, but it is not necessary. I also bought the aforementioned factory 44 and 45 ammo and shot them for the experience and to know just what they will do... the 300 grain 45 cor bon bullet penetrated a 12 by 12 ages old bridge timber and slammed a cirt backstop... do I need that for deer and pig, NO will I use it... NOT LIKELY .. it was not that comfortable nor cheap to shoot and could lead to some flinching if not treated with respect. I see the bigger guns and the heavier faster bullet loadings the same way... not needed for my little whitetail hunting for the most part, but it can be used and it just adds variety and flexibility to my hunting and shooting. If I only had one gun it would be the 44 mag, though, and I would not be afraid to use it for anything anywhere if I was a good enough shot especially. They all have plenty of whoopee to them and can give you what you want.. if you want the least recoil, cost and wow factor and to use the minimal power for efficiency, perhaps a 357 is the ticket for you. It is able to go further down the recoil ladder, and can kill deer and pigs just fine, with the right ammo, really.. it is just limited ingoing up the performance and recoil ladder -- though that recoil and performance is not required, it is just an option... thre is nothing wrong with getting a big gun, just with using a gun that you cannot handle or will not put in the time to learn to handle or that you will never learn to shoot well enough to ethically hunt big game with. If the limit for your comfort and ability to practice enough to get really good is one caliber gun or the other then get that one; if you have a choice within your limitations on recoil and possibly time and financial ability for practicing with it then make that choice based on what you can find on the shelves, what the people you share stuff with have, what is cheaper when you find it, or what ever seems to appeal to you.
If you get the chance, shoot a couple of specimens with different grips and different loads in each one top end, lower power, etc. and make a choice. There is not a scarcity of loads for most guns, and there are many choices available. I like the 44 as my old standby, I have just shot it a lot and wanted another additional choice of gun to master, that can suffice if my dream of bigger game would ever come true, and I load it down to very comfy recoil with heavier bullets than needed. When I want to I will bring it and punch a bigger hole through a deer than with my 44 or 45, and likely I will have a shot that, should I have wanted to - I could harvest the deer with a lung shot from a 22 mag contender or certainly the Just Enough 357 mag. I have killed them with a 357 with 38 silver tips in the cylinders from a short barreled ruger : straight through the chest area, lungs, heart, exit out the rib cage on the far side..
it is just a matter of choice, not need; like using a handgun in the first place to make it a little more sporting or more a challenge... some folks just want to say they can shoot it well enough, some can, some need help with using their rifles and go with big rifles for distance and killing power, but don't need that either, and bigger stronger guns do not make up for shot placement ever.
dk
