First off, let me get this out, there are two common rifles made in .357mag in the U.S., typically found at any given gun shop at any given time: Marlin 1894 and Winchester 1894, both lever actions of which I can tell you a few things:

The Marlin is bombproof, put a slight radius on carrier cam and you've fixed the only problem it would ever have (slight design flaw), takes about 5 minutes all told and only a screwdriver and a file. They're great for reliability (especially after doing the "marlin fix") and quite impressive on accuracy...Not to mention that Marlin has one of the better Customer service departments around...

The Winchester, on the other hand, is awful, I might keep one if it was given to me, but I'll never buy another one...The only thing they've got going for them is top ejection, the rest is worthless. The '94 in .30-30, it's an ok buy, I still prefer the Marlin 336, but Winchester CAN NOT make the 94 function correctly when loaded in a pistol caliber...You might be lucky and find what ONE load/bullet type/COL/Diameter/brass/etc. that your 94 will like, but it'll NEVER like more than a couple loads for great reliability.

That being said, I shoot cowboy action as well as hunting with mine, more rounds get put through my leveractions in a year than most guy's leverguns will swallow in a lifetime, and they're often shot in quick succession and maybe 200rnds in a day before a cleaning patch can find any time to work...something to consider at least, maybe you just hunt yours and you get the same jams with the Win's that I got, maybe 1jam in 20-25rnds fired, not a big thing for a hunter who shoots maybe 20-40rnds a year, but it is to me.

On to the .357mag:

(I've only used .357mag for deer hunting in pistols, good results, I've also extensively used .44mag rifles for deer, not the same thing, but same idea)

There are better cartridges out there for sure, but there's nothing wrong with the .357mag for deer...assuming you put the bullet where it needs to go and you limit your shots properly...it's not a long range deer cartridge, and shouldn't be used as such...I've used a 9mm carbine for deer, one shot and she was down, an all lead slug to the heart will do that at 35yrds, using a .357mag S&W custom, I put a hard cast through the heart and both lungs of a 219# dressed weight 12pter too (ok he only had 11pts, one was broke off), he jumped up and ran about 25-30yrds to his death, it was a 23yrd shot.

Based on what a .44mag rifle and a .357mag pistol can do, I'd be willing to take a 70yrd shot on a standing deer in clean conditions, given I practiced a lot and knew where my bullet was headed.

If you're buying your first deer rifle, or this would be the only one you'd have, don't get it in .357mag, don't get it in a pistol cartridge at all, but if you're backing up another deer rifle, or just looking for a rifle that would change things up, go for it, I've got nearly a dozen deer rifles at home, and only a select few of them are "typical" deer cartridges!!!