I've owned my Stainless S&W #629 .44 Mag since 1980 and have shot countless rounds through her.

She has seen quite a few hot loads while I was developing different ammo for her and STILL shoots as good as new.

It's a 6" barrel model and has taken many deer over the years,... and I'll keep her forever. Plenty of gun for ANY size deer and with the 300+ grain class bullets a very formidable bear gun also.

Was doing some figuring on the issue of sectional density yesterday of bullets of equal types, mainly hardcast, heavy bullets for deep penetration and came up with the following numbers....

SD of .210+- .410/250-255 gr. bullet, .429/270 gr. bullet, .452/300 gr. bullet

SD of .225+- .410/265, .429/280, .452/320

SD of .235+- .410/280, .429/300, .452/340

SD of .250+- .410/300, .44/320, .452/360

Given bullets of equal velocity, design and hardness, the .41 will probably penetrate deeper than the two larger bullets due having less frontal area. That being said there would also be less tissue disruption due to having a smaller meplat.

For me the .41 works because I can get more out of it with less bullet weight which translates into less recoil at equal velocity.

Anyone have any ideas on what the lowest sectional density should be for a bullet one would want to penetrate a long way inside a large heavily built animal .18, .20?

...Bob