I gotta go with the 44 mag on this one. I've deer hunted with the 357mag, 454 casual, 44 mag, and 500 SW in both pistol and rifle forms and all will kill deer just as well as the IF USED PROPERLY. I think people often forget that 100 yards is often max range for a scoped rifle using the majority of these cartridges (excluding the 500 from this comment). For out to around 75 yards I would say the 44 mag is going to be one to get precisely because you can buy the 44 special ammo for fairly cheap to practice with and "plink" and then as hunting season roles around you can switch to the 44 mag or stay with 44 special because in most states it is a legal cartridge for deer. Honestly though, if money weren't an issue I would go with 500 SW because its just an honest to goodness beast of a round. Thats just my opinion though.