woods (hand) guns
I always get in on these woods guns talks, so here I go again.
If we are talking handguns as a last ditch defense against the big bears (oh gosh, not again) , then the magnum revolvers offer the most portable option in .44 mag and up. A griz, brown and polar bear are huge, fearsome creatures, and the more punch on hand the better. Whether a pistol is sufficient as a bear defense is debated. Folks that I have some acquaintance with who've worked in great bear country want a powerful long gun with them, and the handgun is purely secondary. While I have just a little experience in griz country, I'd rather have a firearm as one of my options as to not, and having a firearm involves having it on you, all the time. A powerful handgun makes this a bit more plausible. The Desert Eagle is a big honkin' pistol and is reported to be ammo sensitive as well. Something like a Ruger SuperB or a S&W M29 is far more portable, and can shoot near any cartridge you choose in .44, and as you noted, .480, .454 and even .500 revolvers are available.
The 10mm auto's are gaining some ground as bear defense guns, but they are not the equal of any of the big bore revolvers power wise. What the 10mm autos offer is near magnum power in a flat and convenient package that is easier to carry than a larger mag revolver. They have more ammo on tap as well, a lot more possibly, depending on the make.
Back east, and near everywhere else, a woods gun can take on a slightly lesser dimension, as you are not dealing with the great bears. Any serious handgun that is used for personal defense will work just fine as your woods gun, as threats are likely from humans and not critters. Should you have to deal with a black bear (unlikely) or from what I can gather , a big cat, (no experience) the run of the mill defense caliber should suffice. I have personally spoken with a ranger who killed two black bears with .40 SIG and JHP ammo. He said he just kept shooting 'till the bears (who had just committed a fatal attack on an adult subject) went down.
I sometimes like a woods(hand) gun that can serve two roles, powerful enough for personal defense, yet , in areas where safe and legal, pleasant to shoot recreationally woods plinking. With no need to protect myself from great bears, I've found that a .357 revolver has an edge. Two of my .357's will shoot .38spl 148 WC, and mag 125 gr JHP to same point of aim. I just swap loads before and after the plinking sessions. Both of those mag revolvers are a bit heavy to tote, and if I do not see a plinking session in my outing, I've gone to carrying a 10mm or .45 auto, as both are a wee bit easier to carry than the mag revolvers.
Finally, all of this logic goes out the window if I carry a long gun AND a handgun, which is something I seldom if ever do these days, as it's just too much hassle. But if feeling really adventurous, and two guns it is, then one or the other is full power, and the other a rimfire.