as a matter of fact, opening a shooting range is an idea I seriously consider, for my retirement days...
I still have to work on it ...

A .357 Magnum rifle is a great multi pupose rifle. Good muzzle velocity and decent range.

If you are looking to minimize the number of different calibers of ammunition you need that is a good choice for both handgun and long gun.

Alain,
I'm sorry I should have read the rest of your posting. A .357 is kinda large for any game on the continent. A 22 rifle for medium to small game and a small gauge shotgun would probably serve you better. The deer are small and a carefully placed shot would serve you well. The plentiful game bird population could easily keep you fed with a 20 gauge shotgun. Keep the 357 for personal protection.

Many prefer a .22 lr for a long term game getter. Keep in mind, one .357 cartridge weighs about as much as five .22 lr bullets. The 22. is light and it's accurate. You can buy higher velocity CCI Velociter hollow point ammo for small game. Deer have been taken with this ammo as well.

While there are many break down 22 rifles, for storage in a long term BOB, I prefer a .22 lr handgun made by Hammerli a Swiss company, for Sig, it's called the Trailside (in Europe it's the Xesse) and is, by far, the lightest, most accurate, and most precisely made of any of the .22 handguns (6" barrel preferred). These have a 3/8 dovetail on the top for optical sights, and the target model has adjutable iron sights. While the gun has been discontinued, it can still be found for $400 to $650.

The most important thing about owning a gun, is knowing how to care for it, and how and when to use it.

Thanks for all your advices.

Looks like the .357 cartridge would be fun to shoot from a carbine.

OTOH, the .357 cartridge is classified as a "4ème catégorie", here in France, meaning you need a special permit to buy it (same for handguns using it).
Right now I have that authorization, but sometimes I feel it's a PITA to ask for such agrement every 3 years, not being sure the law won't change next year, forbiding such guns' possession.

In that respect (+ cost/availability/weight/versatility), a long gun in .22LR is certainly less of a hassle (no special permit needed) and is also a (technically) good option.

There is nothing wrong with shooing .357 from a carbine. There are better rifle cartridges but from a closed breach gun, I would expect good performance. Some do not realize that when a revolver barrel gets too long, velocity can actually drop. While not my first choice in a long gun, it still has alot of utility, the ammo compatablity is nice thing.