I like .357, as there are so many variations between it and in .38 specials, you can find just about any mix to suit your handgun for recoil and accuracy. I also like .45 ACP, and I have a few SA's in .45 Colt for the nostalgia. .44 Magnum is a good caliber as is .44 special, and I am told .44 Russian will also work. I've found in a magnum snubbie the .44 special is very nice. I'd like to see the CAS .44 Russian load in a snubbie compared to a .44 Special, as the shorter case in a magnum cylinder might give interesting ballistics.
Really,... get a good handgun that properly fits your hand, in a cartridge that you can afford to shoot on a regular basis, for if you don't get used to the handgun and what it shoots, it's not going to do well for you.
Hunting: adding to the .357 you can add a .44 magnum, and in a strong single action using a hot .45 Colt. Many folks find though that because of liability the factory loads for .45 Colt are rare that are really as hot as they can be in a handload for a strong, modern single action or single shot, while the .44 Magnum ammunition was born "hot", so easier to supply and comes from the factory in wider varieties.
LD