Stay well away from the "Ruger/Contender only" loads which will be rated +P by the manufacturer. This are loads by such as Buffalo Bore, made only for the very strong Ruger Blackhawks or TC contenders and even guns like the Smith and Wesson N framed "Mountain Gun" aren't strong enough to handle them. They could cause a small frame Taurus to go kaboom!
One of the better self defense .45 Colt loads and one that the Taurus is plenty safe with is the Winchester 225 grain silver tip load. It is well within the pressure limits of any .45 Colt handgun and will be VERY effective as a self defense round.
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It is not the bullet weight or the velocity that matters, though advertised velocity with a given weight bullet can be an indicator of pressure. But, it's the MAXIMUM SAAMI WORKING PRESSURE of the load that is the important factor in whether you should use it or not. In .45 colt, if it's marked as +P, that means the pressure limit is way too high for your gun and you should avoid chambering it. If you do fire it, I hope you have a good major medical coverage.
The Speer No. 11 reloading manual lists working pressures of standard .45 colt loads at 15,900 CUP (copper units pressure) and +P Ruger only loads at 25,000 CUP. That is a big difference in a case with a case head this large. Standard pressure velocities in the Speer manual are listed at around 900 fps max from a 5 1/2" barrel for a 250 grain bullet, 950-1000 fps for a 225 grain bullet. This is PLENTY enough for self defense work! Compare this to +P loads listed from a 7.5" Blackhawk of up around 1200-1300 fps for a 225 grain bullet, 1250 for a 250 grain bullet. And, IMHO, the Speer +P loads are mild. Typical 300 grain bullet velocities are around 1150 fps from a 4 5/8" Blackhawk and over 1200 fps from a 7" Contender in my experience. Buffalo Bore lists their 300 grain +P IIRC at about 1200 fps. These loads are intended for big game hunting or bear and other toothy critter protection, not self defense. They are up there with the .44 magnum in power and pressure and recoil. Actually, pressure is lower than .44 though performance is equal, but the larger case head of the .45 limits its pressure limit. Even if your gun could safely handle them, AND I STRESS IT CANNOT, it would be too much load for self defense. The Winchester standard pressure silver tip is going to rock you back pretty hard, has more power than a typical .44 special. You don't need more.