To try and answer the original question I would say that if you can shoot well with the 44mag its a good hunting revolver. If you can shoot well with a 45 colt its a good hunting revolver. If you can shoot... the list can go on.

What it boils down to is your ability to handle the gun, and your ability to make hits at ranges where your comfortable. Depending on the day and where I will be hunting I will use either my 454 casull or 357 mag. Both have and will continue to take deer with both factory and hand loads. Everyone has their own opinion on velocity and weights, my opinion use what your gun likes. I have seen both good performance and bad performance of hollow point rounds, but I have managed to down those deer because the shots were placed well. Some times I just had to walk a little farther.