Wondering how the .44 gets the job done.
I've been toying with getting a lever in .44 or 35 Rem.
(why I don't know as I don't hunt, just have the urge for a big bore)
That gun, the Winchester 94 in .44Mag, is the one gun that I would keep if I could only have one gun. It is small, lightweight, reliable, easily maintained, durable, and powerful.
There are a wide range of loads available in .44Mag for game from small to large, and if it were your only gun, you could even use shotshells and go bird hunting with it (though I haven't actually tried that.) They are accurate out to a 150 yards, and I can hit what I aim at with nothing but the iron sights. Here is a FR thread on the Model 94.