Does everyone have a favorite 357 Magnum in da and sa?

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I was saying I screwed up my last GP100. Turned it into a 10mm auto revolver that I wanted more than a .357.

A 8-3/8" Blue Model 27. Gary made a couple of his first run Reeder Improved #5's in .357. They were his version of an old model Ruger but in stainless, flat topped, and a longer #5 grip. THAT would be my SA .357!

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and I favor it more for fun shooting or self defense over hunting. I do have a wonderful Reeder .357/9mm/.356 GNR BH and a S&W 4" 686+.

When I was old enough to buy me my own gun I went straight out and bought a .44 Magnum Ruger Super BH. Since it cost over double compared to a .357 to shoot back then (20 ctgs. for $7.50 compared to 50 for maybe $8.50 .357) that fact got me into reloading cartridges. Then the cost of projectiles and their availability got me into casting. HOWEVER it also taught me how to flinch. I've been fighting it most of my life and mostly overcome that to become a passable shooter. Had I started with the .357 my life might have taken a totally different turn. Later I backed up and bought a Dan Wesson and found how accurate they were and got into Pythons, and hunting with the handgun. But I mostly skipped over the .357 except for chasing small deer around home.

For a "one gun" shooters fun weekend the .357 would be a top pick. I might leave my .44's at home and save my ammo.

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He loaded Blue Dot and the Speer 140 gr. JHP at close to 1500 fps as listed in the manual. NO easy chrono's back then, the manuals were Gospel. It was horrific to shoot with fire and blast. Ear protection was just getting going good and it was literally painful and obviously permanent damaging to not use protection. I first had some of those little sonic plugs with the little metal valves in them. Later I got some Air-force type muffs.

A large ball of fire in broad daylight and shocking wave of blast made it almost more distracting than my heavy recoil .44 Ruger to shoot. I had a load worked up with 2400 and the Serria 180 gr. JHC, book said 1700 fps from my Ruger! It vaporized anything it hit. That funky grip angle from Colt and sharp abrading checkering from the factory walnut stocks also made it challenging.

Later as a Junior in HS I bought a 6" MKIII for myself. Traded it to my friend who still has it to this day. He Killed a fine 8-pt Whitetail with it and had the head mounted. Shot it with one of my 148 gr. .38 wadcutter reloads I did for him, but that's another tale. Both guns in the stories had a trait that the bullet hitting the forcing cone and rifling eventually slightly unscrewed the barrels a degree or two! It's odd but noteworthy looking at one used in a gun shop today. Maybe the seller traded it because it shot way off to the side! I've always wanted to try an example of the older model, "Trooper 357" that basically had the Python V-spring lockwork over the MKIII's coil springs and cast parts.

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and the .357 Maxi is a great hunter, I've had 4 of them.

Bob Milek was my favorite writer.