Ohhh alright. Allow me to show my personal bias . I'm a .44 guy, and the best wheel gun ever made is the 4" S&W 29 / 629. So there!
Honestly, a .44 doesn't have to be punishing. If you hand load you can easily make .44 mag loads, in mag cases, that are very pleasant to shoot. I actually conceal my 4" 629 quite a bit with a belt holster and an un-tucked shirt. The key is keeping the gun riding high. If my pants are too roomy it may sag and then the grip starts to lean out but usually it's high on my belt and not noticeable at all. Obviously I dont try this with shorts and a tshirt, but it's very doable during half the year and feel more comfortable with it as a defensive weapon either at home or in the woods that I do with my autos. So, for me, I'll take 240 grains of .44 magnum!
Honestly, a .44 doesn't have to be punishing. If you hand load you can easily make .44 mag loads, in mag cases, that are very pleasant to shoot. I actually conceal my 4" 629 quite a bit with a belt holster and an un-tucked shirt. The key is keeping the gun riding high. If my pants are too roomy it may sag and then the grip starts to lean out but usually it's high on my belt and not noticeable at all. Obviously I dont try this with shorts and a tshirt, but it's very doable during half the year and feel more comfortable with it as a defensive weapon either at home or in the woods that I do with my autos. So, for me, I'll take 240 grains of .44 magnum!