Since the barrel of a lever action is longer than that of a handgun, cartridges like the .357 Mag. and .44 Mag. get a significant performance boost in terms of velocity that makes them more capable on animals like deer and hogs.  In addition, a lever-action chambered in .357 can run .38 Spl. rounds, which are economical and have little recoil making it a great option for plinking and practice.