Another vote for the Speer .44 Magnum 200 grain Gold Dot HP Short Barrel load... The last .44 I had was a 629-5 Mountain Gun and it was the perfect self-defense round for the gun... Low recoil and lots of expansion. The Speer reloding manual has a section on using this bullet for low recoil .44 Magnum rounds. I used 10.0 grains of Winchester 231 with either a GD HP or the discontinued Berry's plated 200 grain bullet for practice loads.

A friend who bought a Model 21 TR tried most available .44 Special rounds into water...none reliably expanded every time. He ended up selling that gun when he found the rare 629 PC 3" fixed sight gun. He tried the Short Barrel load and that little extra velocity had that bullet expanding every time.

And it's not going to make any difference what is in your gun...use what is going to best keep you alive....

Bob