Recall that back in the day when the FBI carried revolvers, the agency was completely satisfied with the performance of the .38 Special LSWCHP round. It's interesting to see the agency now toying around with a return to the ballistically similar 9mm while bypassing the heavier caliber 10mm, .40 and 357 SIG options.
Yes, I realize that with many people come many opinions, but the presumptions made here cannot all be true. My own opinion is that there's no comparison between the man-stopping abilities of the 357 and the 44spc; the 357 is by far the most effective. But as others point out, the 357 has a more violent report. But, granted my view, does this make the 44spc/45acp the next logical "king of the hill"? No, I think one can make an excellent case that the BEST 9mm loads will outperform the BEST 44spc loads, or that even the BEST .38spc loads will at least match the BEST 44spc loads.
That said, I believe the 10mm is the closest thing to the 357mag in an auto. But I also believe the .40 to be a very good round. The 9mm round nose has not been found to have any more or less stopping power than the 45acp military round, but it does have greater penetration, flatter trajectory and can be fitted into hi-cap magazines. And with the enemy wearing thick vests laden with extra ammo and weapons, not many want the 45acp back.
The 44spc can be loaded into heavier loads, but nothing the Charter Arms Bulldog would handle. Others may harbor different views than my own, which is fine, but the annals of military history are filled with spectacular failures of the 45acp. Wound channels, temporary or other, do not a round make, but to say one is of of no import while the other is of sole import, is to miss the outcome entirely. Some writers call the 357mag 125gr jhp to be the "perfect storm" of velocity, bullet weight, expansion and wound channel. Bullets tend to stay in the human body, yet penetration of car bodies, tires...even trucks, are superb. The only downside is the ear-splitting blast and sharp slap of the recoil. Nearly all the destructive energy of the bullet is transferred to the body. The heavier 158gr JHP rounds carry too much penetration and recoil that's more difficult for the shooter to recover from. It's a good load in bear country and for hunting, but is a poor human self defense round. The lighter 110gr JHP, OTOH, has inadequate penetration and can come apart in lighter clothing.
In the end, though, people will get what they want.
°°°
Of course, these are hunting guns. I consider .357 the optimum self defense round, if you're man enough to handle it. 
I bet that the look of that pistol is remarkably, um, polarizing.
