I have not taken a deer with a .357 but have witnessed a few. I have taken them quite cleanly with the 44 special. Both will as you know..."work" for a deer.

My take is this. I think the 44 special is easier to shoot than the .357 magnum. The special has a lot less muzzle blast and seems to be easier for newer shooters to handle in my experience.

To get the .357 to work at its best for deer one usually relies on expanding bullets, thus the need for velocity (and corresponding muzzle blast). The 44 does not need to expand to work and work well. To answer what I think is your primary concern..does one allow more room for error than the the other? In my opinion a good lead bullet in the special will give better penetration from virtually any angle that a shot is taken. If a broadside shot hits the shoulder, I am not certain that the 357 will penetrate on through to the vitals. I know for a fact that the 44 special will.

A long winded way for me to say I would use the 44 Special hands down. (and do quite often).

Good luck and I can't wait to see the pictures.

Dan