Here we go again using energy as the deciding factor for killing a deer. While the 357 will work (I've done it) its really on the minimum side for deer, but again it will work. Moving up to the big three, 41, 44 & 45 they are easily able to take deer with quality hits & will almost always exit if using good ammo. Don't look for the "knock down" effect of riles, you won't usually see it, but the sixgun is deadly in the hands of good shooters. You need placement & penetration & you can punch your tag! If you need more horsepowder you can move up to the 454, 460 or the mighty 500, along with additional recoil. Shoot what you can handle & the sixgun is a great hunting weapon.
Dick
the above,basically covered the subject rather well.
I had used both a 8 3/8" 357 mag and 8 3/8"44 mag revolver for several decades before the 445 DWSM came out , I bought one, with a 10" barrel and its an excellent pistol, I also bought a 454 cassul with a 8" barrel a few years later, both have significantly more power than the 44 mag, which pushes a lee 310 grain to about 1250 fps in my 10" S&W revolver, each can push a similar weight bullet at least 300 fps faster, but the net result did not change, a good hit with any of the 44-45 caliber revolvers kills deer and hogs very effectively but you seldom get the instant kills that a 308 win or 270 win provide, with similar hits, this does not make them less fatal, to the game, but it may take a different mind set, hand gun hunting is a bit more like archery in that you normally need to get into under 50-70 yards for quick easy shots and game tends to run, a short distance then drop.
theres no real disadvantage or advantage in using the larger more powerful calibers other than increased recoil and noise and the pistols are larger and heavier, but in exchange you get a bit flatter trajectory, and at least on paper more damage on target, but because even a 44 mag loaded to 1250 fps punches clean thru deer and hogs and produces a very dependable fatal wound Ive found little advantage in the larger and more powerful calibers
