Joey:
For guys looking for the best in expanding bullet ammo for the 44 Magnum, the Winchester 250-grain Partition Gold is a super choice. Of the expanders that I have tested, and I believe I have tested them all, the 250-grain Partition Gold is the deepest penetrating, and a general lack of penetration is the most serious shortcoming of expanding bullets in general. The Partition Gold also presents the most lethal front end of the various expanders, presenting a very broad flatnose shape as opposed to the more conventional mushroom shape, which is basically just an enlarged roundnose. If I wanted a good expanding bullet for the 44 Magnum, I would use the Partition Gold even though it is lighter than many. Ultimately, if weight does not contribute to penetration, it offers no advantages. Interestingly, the Winchester loading doesn't go all that fast, doing about 1250-fps. However, impact-effect is a better measure of performance than generated power is, and the 250-grain Partition Gold performs very reliablypartly due to the fact that it is not driven beyond its inherent strength.
Having said all these complementary things about the Partition Gold, I would also say that it is not a good choice for elk, moose, or big bears, as it, like all expanders in the caliber, lack the kind of bone-busting penetration required for the really big stuff.
41 MAN: the 41 is a good caliber indeed, but there just aren't enough guys out there shooting that caliber to make it worth our while to build a custom load for it. However, you are well armed with the Federal Cast-Core load for it. It's a good penetrator, offers excellent bluntness, and is quite accurate.
Best regards, Randy Garrett
www.garrettcartridges.com