Is 44 Magnum Enough?
I think 357 is marginal unless you compensate.
From a short (4"-6") barrel revolver, distances need to be short as implicitly suggested by original post.
"Good" loads, like H110 or W296 handloads under quality bullets compensate too.
357 out of a carbine - well, that's quite a bit of compensation. Combined with a good slow powder load (see above), we're talking near medium rifle performance.
Or a single shot. From a Contender pistol with no barrel cylinder gap pressure loss, a longish barrel of ~10" (relative to a 357 revolver), and good loads; now we're talking 44 magnum revolver energy. Few argue a 44 magnum is not enough gun for whitetail.
I think 357 for whitetail is a hobbyist pursuit. If you compensate by staying within the capabilities of the platform and your load selection/handloan, sure, it's fine. If you don't want to think about it, I think a 44 magnum will deliver what's needed within any reasonable range of accuracy for a handgun.
I don't mean to disparage 357 - I think it is enough and I love the round. But if you're more of a hunter than a shooter, I think the 44 is the ticket. If you're a shooter who likes to hunt, I think 357 can be an entertaining and perfectly adequate selection for whitetail.