[fred cook]

Tabs is right, go for a 4" or 6" bbl for your first wheel gun. Much easier to shoot, barrel weight reduces felt recoil, etc. My favorite .357s are 6" Colts, but that's just me. A little while back, I picked up a 2.5" BBL Colt Lawman with a polished nickel finish. It is a little bigger than my Det. Special, but needs to be to handle stout magnum rounds. For a new piece, the S&W is hard to beat. For a used piece, go on line and check out the Colts that are available. A Colt from the mid 50's or earlier when they were hand assembled and tuned is really amazing.

Good luck with your hunt!