I am looking for a "do it all" revolver.

Requirement list

Double Action Revolver
property management (all day carry)
Southern Whitetail
Coyote
Black Bear
Two Legers
Camping
Woods Bumming

In all honesty either 357 or 44 would work. I would give the 357 the edge against two legged varmints and the 44 the edge for the four legged variety. If it were me I would actually go with the 41 mag, because your list is exactly why the 41 mag was invented.

All 3 are OK, but I like an edge on the side of "excess". Mine is a Ruger SuperRedhawk in .454. I've carried it a lot in the US and on a 15 day safari which I used it to finish a large sable at 100 yds. when my primary gun jammed. The weight never bothered me a bit and I felt very secure.

I vote for a S&W 629 with the 6 1/2 inch barrel in the "Classic" version (full lug under the barrel). Carry/shoot 44 Specials for two legged vermin and woods bumming, and load up the mags for hunting. If you think the 6 1/2 inch barrel to be a bit too long, they do offer a 5 inch that is dandy as well, but I can shoot the 6 1/2 a little better.

WHY ONLY 1 REVOLVER? IF YOU ARE 7 FOOT TALL AND WEIGH 400lbs MAY I SUGGEST A 5 INCH XL S&W IN 460 OR 500, OTHERWISE, SAVE UP AND GET AT LEAST A COUPLE OF REVOLVERS. BUT IF YOU INSIST ON ONLY 1 AND EITHER A 357 OR 44 MAG, I WOULD GO WITH A 5 OR 6 INCH 44 MAG.

I can barely afford the one. I would love to have multiple... Trust me you could ask my wife... but I am open to other calibers such as the 41 mag that was mentioned above. So now I?m up to 3 caliber options. .357 .41 .44.

This was supposed to help me choose one not go up to three lol

5.5 sbh bisley convertible 45 acp/45 colt

.44 Mag.

Sorry missed the double action... 45 convertible redhawk

.44 all the way. The 41 as mentioned is also great but not as great if you don?t already reload. The 44 has a plethora of reasonably priced factory options available.

No Question, 44 mag all the way!

Ruger 3inch 357 SP101. light enough to carry all day every day, yet heavy enough to make using 357 not all that unkind. small enough to conceal should you wish to do so. i love my 44s but i dont want to haul one around all the time. 41s are nice but ammo is not as available as others. the redhawk 45lc/45acp are VARY nice yet still a bit large for my taste. lastly get a good belt and holster. we hear this all the time. for us with little free cash Uncle mike makes belts a holster that work vary well they just dont win any prizes for looks. DO NOT OVER LOOK A GOOD BELT! if you do and when do do get a good belt you will kick yourself in the tain for waiting so long. ask me how i know

If you can barely afford one gun then try to make it a good one. If you can barely afford one gun, then most likely you cannot afford to get into handloading. So I understand the choice between 357 and the 44mag. I would go unabashedly with the 44 mag since the ammo choices are probably a little better. But do look at your budget!!!! Make a little clearer decision upon based upon that, to determine if you can afford which ammo, and how much? Not much good to have a handgun and not be proficient with it. 357 ammo will be cheaper.
Example: the 38sp for the 357 are quite cheap. But to get a reduced load in the 44mag, usually requires shooting the 44 SP and it gets rather expensive in comparison. I am speaking of Store bought ammo here. Or store bought options.
If you are retired, or have had some tragedy happen which forced you into this limited budget,, then ask yourself how well do I handle recoil ??? My suggestion is to first off go somewhere to a range. The outdoor ranges usually have friendly folks at them who will often times let you shoot a cylinder full of their favorite wheel gun. I do know of a few Indoor ranges that have rentals available. This would help you in choosing which caliber also.
Last consideration is weight. Here again you have to decide just how much weight you are will to attempt to carry. As much as I like a longer barreled pistol the shorty can be handier when getting in and out of a vehicle. Older folks with hip problems fair better with a shoulder holster. Chest holsters are great when at all possible. Here again you do not want to go with a cheapy. Get a holster that will be comfortable in carry and if you go with a Chest holster consider one with the options of being able to adjust the pistol to your liking.
Please excuse the length of this post but I always look ahead and try to weigh out all the options.
Last thing is the pure pleasure from the use of any tool. grips, weight, balance, feel. If you don't enjoy each and every shooting session then you will not be inclined to carry at all times.
357 has more blast and I think more noise. Not all 357s can handle the heavier loads or handle the longer cartridges of the heavier loads. Such as a 173 or 180 gr bullet.
Pro ammo is cheaper and the choices close to the same as the 44mag.

44mag more recoil in full house loads. plenty of ammo choices but higher in price.
If you can afford the 44Sp Its Much better to shoot than 357 or 44 mag. no blast and less noise. not much recoil either.
Heavier gun for carry but the weight is a trade off for when the recoil comes into play.

Thanks for the input guys. The reason for the tight budget is we are about to start building a house out in the country. Also the reason I am looking for a woods handgun. I have a LCR 357 that I shoot as often as I can. I also have a 444 handgun. I would say im not too shy of recoil.

Looking for a working gun basically. The property we are looking at is known for a high coyote population and many snakes. So while out clearing land and what have you I am wanting something that can ride in a holster get sweaty and dirty and take deer and coyote and I guess I should add snakes to the list.

Get a good quality, stainless, 4", .44mag....... And put it in a quality holster on a good belt.

I would go with a stainless S&W Mountain Gun, without the lock if possible. They are of course stainless and also a little lighter than a traditional N frame, making them perfect for carrying for long periods of time in the field working. They were made in 357, 41, 44, 45 acp, and 45 colt. As mentioned earlier I would go with a 41 if you reload if not, the 44 mag would work great and as a bonus the 44 mag variety is the easiest to find.

A good 22/22 mag will handle everything but deer and you have a 44 for that.Lots cheaper to shoot than the other choices too. Snake shot is available so load three shot three solids and you are set.Not the [perfect woods gun,there is no such thing] but damn close and it won't break the bank or blow your ears out.

with the added info, THIS.

Since you have a 444 for hhnting i would go with a Ruger GP 100 in 357 mag with a 6 inch barrel. Stainless if you can find one used. I have had one for about 20 years. My second choice would be a Ruger Redhawk in 44 mag with a 5.5 barrel. I have one that I have taken several deer with and love the gun.

Take a look at the Ruger Redhawk 45 Colt / 45 ACP.

Watch the video here.

Although I do load my own ammunition, I had roughly the same needs. This is what I bought.
Smith & Wesson Model 69

I have found a really good deal on a 629 4inch mountain gun. Im going to go tuesday and put a hold on it.

Now that's what I'm talking bout. That should be a real good one. Congratulations on this. Excellent choice.

Just got it on hold.

Got a picture to share?

629-4 pre lock hammer mounted firing pin

Good find. She's a beauty. Congrats on a great woods gun .
I am snearing with envy.

l picked up a nice S&W 625 Mtn Gun in 45 Long Colt recently..

Pre lock, Pre MIM, Firing pin on hammer. Makes really BIG holes.

Now that that is taken care of... What holster to get??? Strong Side or Cross draw or both is what im looking for. I want something I can wear in public and cover up with a large flannel type shirt or jacket. Also something with a thumb break for good retention on the 4wheeler. NOT a chest holster.

I've heard good things about simply rugged holsters, I had one years ago and was pleased with it.

https://www.simplyrugged.com/

I have a half dozen of Rob Leahy's holsters in various configurations, and I have been completely satisfied with them.

41 would be my choice but I reload between the 357 and 44 I would go 44 you can find reduced recoil loads for it and I would imagine someone still makes shot loads for it. You mentioned black bear right? Sure a 357 is plenty capable of black bear hunting but if something were to happen and a bear was being aggressive with you I would want the 44 mag. If it's not your ccw then over penetration shouldn't be a big issue and 180 grain 44 mags will destroy a human. But I would go 44 solely because you mentioned bear.