The problem with the 45 Colt, and I love the round almost as much as the .41, is that SAAMI will never re-write the cartridge specs for it, and chambers are going to be loose, even in a nicely made N frame Smith. This means cases stretch and wear a little faster, and you lose some velocity. I can live with this. But it is worth mentioning. Yes, the 45 Colt can outperform the 44 mag with less pressure as well, a very good thing. For a number of years I skipped the 44 altogether.
But the 41 is a more efficient cartridge than either the 45 Colt or 44 mag. Metcalf used to chrony velocities out of various factory goods and the 41 lost less fps in a short tube than the 44. I don't see why a warm 45 Colt also wouldn't lose more in the same length tube than a 41.
There is something the larger rounds can do the .41 can't, and that's usefully propel a 300 gr bullet. There is a place in this world for 300 gr bullets. I was almost ready to give up on the .429 as a cartridge that made much sense until I tried 300 gr bullets with handloads. This was before the load became semi pop. The heavier weight settled the 44 mag right down.
There is a feel to a good cartridge, a well designed cartridge, not unlike the feel you get hitting a baseball with the sweet part of the bat, and with a bat that fits you. Both the 41 and 45 Colt have this intangible feel. The 44 mag with 240 gr bullets in my opinion snorts and blows and jabs far too much. It settles right down with the heavier bullets and joins the other two cartridges.
I've never had any problem loading the .41 for accuracy, and it may eclipse the other two. At full power loads you can still get the second shot out faster with accuracy than with a 44 mag. The all important follow up shot.
In truth if a Grizzly was atop me any of our large bore handgun cartridges would seem to me to be underpowered and insufficient. For all the reasonable jobs a hunting revolver might do, the 41 will do them as well or better than the 44, until it comes to large game like Elk, where the 44 has the 300 grain bullet. I'm not sure the 41's 250 to 265 gr bullet is not as good or better, but there is very little data out on that while the woods are full of happy 44 shooters with their 300 grain bullets.
There isnt' a better deer cartridge made in a revolver than the .41, at least Metcalf thought so. And attempts to find a perfect man stopping round seem to keep gravitating back to near 40 cal, where the 41 had been living for at least 20 years prior to our Age's 10mm and then 40 SW.
I like the Ruger 480 very much also, and one day will own one of those. Then I can ask the 44 what purpose it serves?
But we like them all. They're all good, and it's best to have choice.
munk