No handgun round is a dependable stopping round. That includes the 44 magnum.
http://www.snubnose.info/docs/No_faith.htm
Not true. The thing about stopping power is shock induced by the round. The bigger the bullet the more shock. The larger the wound channel.
Shoot someone in the shoulder with a .22 and the bullet can bounce off a bone and wind up in the heart. Shoot someone in the chest with a .44 Mag and it will make a Nickel sized hole in the front and a fist sized hole on the way out the back. Your mileage may vary.