ILHunter,

Welcome to the forum! As others have pointed out, your bowhunting past will certainly help you with the "limitations" of handgun hunting. There are a bunch of options for you to consider for straight-walled cartridges to comply with IL regs...from .357 on up! Some of the larger calibers may serve you better and be more versatile in the long run, plus the capability to plink with reduced loads, but like many of the other members here, "need" has long been superceded by "want". But the 357 will get it done.

Of the two guns you previously mentioned, I vote for the 686 - I have an unscoped 6" gun that I've shot for some time, and I like it so much that this 8 3/8" happened to find it's way to my FFL last week...no good photos yet, but here's a glimpse before I can get a family photo together.