Questions from a Newbie

I posted before about my Super Redhawk .480 hurting my hand after years. I shot and feel in love with my friends Blackhawk Bisley .45 Colt. Question is will the .45 Colt be adequate for mostly deer, hog and maybe (I hope) Elk someday. Or would I be better off passing on a smoking good deal on the .45 for a .44 mag?

Without a doubt it's adequate

There is a lot of discussion about the 44 mag vs 45 colt. Some of It rather heated.
On top of that, there are multiple parts to the answer.
45 colt is deadly. Lots of animals shot with it. Most factory loading are loaded to be compatible with the "historic" single action colts and colt clones and are rather weak for hunting, but at close range and with proper placement are very deadly.

A +p (stronger then normal loading) 45 colt will do deer and hogs with no problem. I would assume elk would be fine with proper range and placement too. These stronger loads must only be used in guns that are designed and built for the higher pressures. The Blackhawk Bisley you shot is one of such guns and will shoot the stronger loads. Select manufacturers make such +p loads and typically you must buy them online or by phone and have them shipped vs buying 44mag off he shelf in most gun stores. Alternately, load your own.
This is just a quick answer and others here know tons more.

If you reload, I'd suggest the 45 Colt without hesitation. You can throw heavier lead at lower pressure than the 44. If you buy your ammo, the 44 might be a better choice just because of the wide availability of factory hunting ammo. Either will fill the bill.

They will all kill elk just fine:
Good bullet + Good placement=dead elk

Forgot to mention, I probably won't be reloading anytime soon. Store brought ammo or if I get someone to load some up for me!!

Of the three, I would go with the 44 Mag since you don't reload

I own both 44mag and 45 Colt in Ruger,,, in the same barrel length. 4 5/8" . The 44 mag can be bought off the shelf, and is adequate. But if you do not like the recoil,(especially with a short barrel) there is an alternative and that is the 44 mag Defender Loads from Garrett. OR go to a 44special load. Buffalo Bore has some 255gr about 1000FPS The best store bought 44Spl is the new one from Garrett a 240 grain nice shooting

The 45 Colt is my preferred caliber, in either Ruger or Colt SAA. I do handload, but there is an option depending upon what gun you have. If you have a Colt Third Generation or a USFA then you can use the 265 grain From Garrett. Or standard pressure 14,000 PSI Buffalo Bore has a couple of offerings. Double tap has several offering from cast to jacketed. I have shot all these and they are not your cowboy loads.
If you have a Ruger or if you are looking at buying one, I think you will like the Bisley grip better. depending upon the size of your hands, and the Bisley makes the recoil a little more manageable. With the Ruger there are several ammos that you can use. Double Tap, Buffalo Bore, and Garrett has the heavier offerings such as the 365 that is great on larger Hogs 200 + LBS. On the 45 with the heavy for caliber loads I have found that the 5.5"barrel or even a 7.5 handles the big bullets better. I carry the 5.5 in a chest holster and the 4 5/8 usually goes on the waist in a crossdraw. Depends if I am going to a blind or if I am going to do a lot of walking as to which one I prefer to pack. Or if I am going to be on a four wheeler either one works.
When you practice a lot and become proficient with the sidearm of your choice, then some things become less of a question or doubt. There are folks that I know, that have killed deer with a blackpowder load from a Colt SAA. The 45 will get the job done, with good shot placement.
If some of the ammo for the 45 seems a little high it might be,,, but it is still going to be the cheapest part of a hunt. And by far some of the most important part.

Since you said youre not gonna reload id say 44 mag. There are lighter 44 mag loads. The barnes vortex are very mild, the hornady 300 gr are mild. I could name others and feel that you wont give up mild loads going to a 44 mag. If you want to take advantage of the highest level 45 colt loads that are factory loaded there is no point in going away from the 480 ruger anyway. Keep in mind, as factory loaded imho and experience you gain nothing going with the 45 colt vs 44. The one with the better bullet wins and is more effective every time. A 44 will flatten all the game you have listed with rhe proper load. To fully take advantage of what a 45 colt has to offer is a handloading only proposition and would require a 5 shot cyclinder. Once again, at that point you might as well just get a 454. Mild loads exis for that and theres several that have not as much recoil as heavy 44 loads. They also tend to be the cheaper rounds as well.

You will hear alot of 45 vs 44 mag but in real life the better bullet wins, period. You can raise the 45 to a slight ballistics notch above. If you want an easy shooting 44 factory load i can point you to it and it will save you some money over the 45 colt as well. I also feel the standard bisly 44 tends to be a more accurate gun and ive seen more than a few 45 colt bisleys with crummy throat dimensions, not so much with the 44.

I'll just add that bout 15 years ago i traded my .44 redhawk for my .44 super blackhawk and have never regretted that move.

The 44 magnum is easier for finding a accurate load. Also, good ammo for it is readily available commercially. The 45 Colt in a strong frame is pretty well an equal on just about any game animal up to the dangerous game level. I have shot both for over 40 yrs and I wouldn't hesitate to grab either of the two for the animals listed. I have shot Russian hogs up to 450 lbs with both and properly loaded have seen no difference. I shot a 500+ lb cow elk with the 44 mag SRH and 300 WFN cast and every bullet was a pass through. My opinions are based on my own experience in the field. Ease and convenience go to the 44 magnum. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Adequate? I took this 2,000-lb water buffalo with a .45 Colt (.454 loaded with .45 Colt +P loads). I would say it is certainly "adequate."

In the right hands, you probably wouldn't see much difference in terminal performance between the two calibers. Since you don't handload, I say go with the 44. That said, there are some good 45 Colt +P factory loads out there if you're willing to shop around online. May not be as cheap, but they're still good.

I think Whitworth has proven the 45 is capable of taking down deer at the very least.

Tradmark brought up a real good reason to go with a 44 mag and that is the throats on a Ruger in 45 never seem to be correct. Most every 44 mag has been correct and a good shooter right out of the box.

There are far more choices in factory hunting loads for the 44 than there are for the 45 Colt.