Pistol hunting is like bow hunting. The closer the better. I have not tried to take anything other than varmits with a 357mag. My main handgun is one of personal choice it is a 41mag. It has taken alot of animals deer, elk and black bear. Would I use this on Brown bear or Cape buffalo no thank you. But the neither would a 44mag or 454 casull be good choices on those two. My best explanation of the choice of 41mag is manageable recoil and superb accuracy. While still getting the medium range power of a 44 mag. But it is harder to find ammunition than the 44mag. Which is better, not enough difference when loaded comparable. The 44mag will have more power in the heavier bullet weights. 41mag or 44mag both will do anything you need in the lower 48 states.