I've been using the Marlin 1894 .44 mag I bought just a little before Ohio opened up to "pistol cartridge rifles" a few years ago. Had I known then what I know now, I may have gone a different route, probably to either the Ruger 77/44 or a Contender carbine. Were I to choose a cartridge strictly for deer hunting under the new rules, I'd probably choose the .357 Maximum (which is already good under our existing "pistol cartridge rifle" rules), for a good balance between flat trajectory and low recoil, although I've never yet owned one.
As an aside, I did own a Contender in .358 JDJ in the early 90's when I lived in southern Indiana to acquire what I thought would be the ultimate handgun legal, deer hunting cartridge under their regulations at the time. What I discovered was that while I could hit really good off of a benchrest, my long range handgun shooting skills sucked. I really needed something to stabilize both ends of the gun. That's why I sold it, but if it could have used it as a "rifle"... I may have still had it. However the .358 JDJ is bottlenecked, so not legal in Ohio and therefore a moot point.
If I didn't go .357 Max, but wanted something with a little more long range pizzaz than a .44 mag, I might also consider a .445 super mag in a Contender carbine, or the .454 in the Rossi/ Puma/ Braztech lever gun, or a .450 Bushmaster in the Ruger American.
