Some feel that the .44 Magnum cartridge has a broader utility than many others...that it is effective against a wider variety of potential targets.
For example, .45 ACP or 9mm (or smaller) pistol cartridges are effective against humans, but not so much against larger wildlife such as deer, cougar, or bear.
Heavier cartridges such as a 454 Casull or some of the Thompson Center handguns chambered for even heavier rounds may be extremely effective against larger wildlife, but would generally be considered 'overkill' against human targets - whether for law enforcement or self defense.
The .44 Magnum lies somewhere in between.
It is at the top of the range of handgun cartridges that might be used by law enforcement or for self-defense purposes, and is still a handgun cartridge worthy of being carried in the field by a hunter or outdoorsman for larger wildlife targets.
Even though compared to rifle ballistics the .44 Magnum is pretty lightweight, it is ballistically useful against either humans or larger game animals, and thus it spans the gap between cartridges such as the 9mm or the 454 Casull which are often regarded as primarily optimal against one or the other.
It is the only cartridge I will carry in the field, for precisely this reason.
Your mileage may (and probably does) vary!
