RE: .357 in a lever gun?
44Mag and 45LC have much more killing power than a 357Mag. They don't really increase your range all that much, b/c they drop so quickly after about 150-175 yards, but inside of 150 yards, when loaded with heavy cast bullets, they will both kill any game in North America.
Compare the Taylor Knockout Value of a 44 or 45 Cal Slug that weighs 320gr+ and has a velocity of 1650fps to any 30-06 or 7Mag load
formula: bullet diameter * wt in grains * velocity / 7000
ex: 44Mag - (.429 * 320 * 1650) / 7000 = 32.35
45LC - (.452 * 335 * 1600) / 7000 = 34.61
30-06 - (.308 * 150 * 3000) / 7000 = 19.8
Hit something in the chest with a 44 or 45 & you've got a dead critter.
Also, for home protection, load the 44 with 44spcl and the 45 with standard 45LC