Where does it end? What can honestly be considered a "sidearm"? The big "X" frame S&W revolvers are almost cartoonish in their size and weight. They are hunting guns, granted, but most of us who are serious about hunting with revolvers want one we can comfortably pack in a hip holster, or sometimes a bandolier or shoulder holster, without even really noticing it. These "X" frame guns are nothing of the kind. They are bulkier and heavier than some of my lightweight rifles.
I went through this phase many years ago. I had a Freedom Arms single action in .454 Casull. When that wasn't enough, I bought a buddy's Ruger Bisley that had been converted to .475 Linebaugh by Hamilton Bowen. It didn't take me long to figure out why he was so happy to sell it. They are both long gone, and not missed in the least.
I've mentioned this here before, but it's worth repeating - a standard .44 mag or heavy .45 Colt load, with the proper cast bullet, will shoot clear through pretty much any game animal you will ever encounter. Up to large mulies and caribou, they will do so
lengthwise. I've done it several times myself. So what is the point of more power? A deeper hole in the ground on the other side of the animal?
Another aspect seldom mention is the shear noise of one of these big boomers. .44 mags are bad enough, but things like the .454 Casull will make your ears ring even with hearing protection. I know my hearing has suffered from all of the shooting I've done in the field, unprotected. Rifles are bad enough. I've had my ears ringing into the next day after taking game with big bore revolvers of the .44 mag / .45 Colt class. I didn't keep the two big thumpers for long enough to hunt with them, but I simply could not imagine lighting one off in the field, without hearing protection. I bet one shot would be enough to permanently damage one's hearing.
So, yeah, a mildly interesting, but completely useless and impractical arms race. That, and if a guy
really needs that kind of power (like a guy in grizzly country), there are realistically sized revolvers available that can be packed all day, like a real sidearm. Here is a beauty from Hamilton Bowen, a Ruger Bisley converted to a five shot .500 Linebaugh. It used to be he would not sell you one without interviewing you first, to determine if you had a legitimate need. Even then, he advised that you wear a bicycle helmet the first few times you shot it...
