Reloading is greatly beneficial to virtually all shooters, even more so for owners of things that might be out of the mainstream despite the good qualities said "out of the mainstream" cartridge may possess.. I am speaking as the proud owner of a Win 94 Big Bore in 375 Win...

Some cartridges almost require the owner to get into reloading if he/she isn't already.

I can't help but agree that for someone who does not reload, the 44mag is the better choice than the 41.

My brother has a 4" m57 and I love it. Back when I was buying my first S&W about 7 years ago, I had narrowed my choice down to three different specimens under the LGS glass. Those three were a new 686-6 with 6" bbl, a used 629 no dash with 6.5" bbl, and a used 57 no dash with 6.5" bbl. Only 30 bucks separated the cheapest from the most expensive. At that time I was all about stainless and full underlugs and don't get me wrong, I still do like both but since then my horizons of taste have broadened quite a bit. An older gentlemen next to me at the counter told me I would not be disappointed in that m57 in terms of being the tweener of the 357 and 44mag. At the time I had never even heard of a 41 mag and was not reloading. The m57 was the first one I eliminated from the running. All said and done I went with the 686 and while it was a nice first wheelgun, today I wish I could go back in time and kick my own rear-end for leaving that 57 under the glass! Hind sight....sigh.

I have seen it said the the N-frame wasn't REALLY designed for the 44mag, and some folks say it isn't up to the task of full house heavy loads compared to a SRH even with the modern revisions of the endurance package and whatnot. Having said that, the 41mag seems almost like the perfect cartridge for the N-frame.

This is all just me thinking out loud. I love my 44s, but still need to get that m57 I was so stupid to pass up before.