I'm with the rugernut. 300 XTP's have given me the best performance for my 44's. I use a load that was printed in an article in the Sept '92 Shooting Times, by Layne Simpson, that seats the bullet out in the second cannelure, atop a pile of 296, recoil is stiff but it certainly hammered them dead, the first eight pt I shot with this load in a 7 inch Redhawk spouted blood instantly-(25yd broadside, heart shot), the buck ran in a circle,just like a cart that lost its wheel, there was snow on the ground, strangest looking blood trail. The others dropped almost as quickly.