O'kay, we can refine the question a bit and ask it this way, "Which
of the listed cartridges do you deem to be the best all-around,
that is, more suitable for hunting and defending?"
Thanks,
Timberwolf
TW,
Thanks for narrowing the scope a bit.
Of the three cartridges listed, I would rank the 44/40 and 45LC, regardless of whether they are both using their original, or "hot" loads, as a dead heat. The smaller .429 bullet has a higher SD and the .454 a larger frontal area which, for all intents and purposes, cancel each other out. So, you're left with a study of their velocity potential, which again, is too similar to give one a real advantage. Whether hunting or used in self-defense, there will be little discernible difference between these two, and the numbers back that up. (Yeah, I know all you 45LC lovers out there are going to argue with me, but look it up...)
As for the .357Magnum, I think it's a great choice for home defense, primarily because of the selection of 38, 38+P and full-throttle mag loads available for it. Looking at the hunting perspective, I think it loses out, by 25-50 yards of effective range, to the two bigger rounds. I know it operates at higher pressure and has better MV, but that simply doesn't equate to greater terminal performance, especially as the range gets out there past 100 yards.
For those of you who hijacked the thread a bit and threw the 44Magnum into the mix, well...it's head and shoulders above all three of the rounds the OP mentioned, but that should be readily apparent. When you consider it operates at much higher pressure than the first two and launches heavier bullets than the .357Mag. it's no surprise it is a better hunting round. The only liability it would have, for self-defense, is the likelihood of shooting through the bad guy and any number of things behind him. In that respect, the 44Mag might not be as wise a choice for self-defense, which is why mine is a 14" Contender and my CCW is a 9mm. (Though I would really prefer a .40 S&W)