.44M loads in a Mountain Gun can sting your hand a bit. They're especially hard to shoot DA since you have to adjust your grip a bit to accommodate the extra reach. That said, no revolver is good for a quick double-tap, and I can shoot 6 aimed rounds of .44M in 4 seconds SA. It works best after the first dozen rounds, because my hand loses some feeling (or I learn to adjust) If you have to stop something 4-legged in one shot (and don't have a rifle handy), then .44M or heavier is the way to go.

I'm attracted to .45 Colt for the tradition and considerable power advantage over .44 SPL. The excuse I make for not jumping in is that I reload, and it's hard to sort .45 from .44 cases. More likely, it's the cost of one or more .45's and $250 for a Dillon caliber kit.

Handbook loads for .44 SPL seem pretty weak to me, and a magnum frame could certainly take more, but I wouldn't want sub-magnum loads to end up in somebody's SAA and splinter it.

The 625 Mountain Gun has nice lines, and tend to be much harder to find than .44M MG's. I find a 3" .44M no harder to shoot and somewhat easier to carry. In retrospect, I might go for the .45 version.

Big help, eh!