This is an interesting concept. If they introduced it as a regular-production item.
My trouble is that, in my travels at least, not many distributor "exclusives" are commonly seen on shelves, and handling a handgun in the store is what gets good folks to pull money out of their pockets. I am a 357M fan, and in any discussion of "which guns will I never shed" the 6" 357 always stays at the top of the list. I have made venison with my BLackhawk and 686, etc many times. It is quite versatile and capable in the field, especially with so many fine 21st-century bullets and loads available now.
A 7-ish" with a Hunter barrel/rings, stainless materials, real field sights (it is time to revise the aluminum assembly used for decades), and the Bisley configuration in 357 S&W Magnum... that would be a fun gun for short range hunting - ala tree stand hunters up to whitetail. I'd add the lock-screw cylinder pin design used on the 480R/454C SA guns for heaviest loads. What is not to like?
And yes I agree, Ruger will never re-open the 357 Maximum debacle. Those SRM guns are true "collectibles" akin to the Hawkeye handgun , in that they won't be made again.