The best round and gun is the one that you can shoot quickly and accurately under significant stress.
I don’t think there’s anything in 44spl or 41mag that can beat the 357mag in raw power at similar frame size
.357 magnum is easily my choice. After butchering, we tested various rounds on cow femures. The .357 was remarkable. Even with a bad shot to an arm or leg, the perp is probably going to go into shock. .45 acp, .38 Special, etc. penetrated but did not have the "explosive" impact of the 357.