Ive been looking for a 22 trail/hunting gun.
But since I reload 38's for my jframe Im wodering if I shouldnt just get a 357/38 for small game?
22lr is still hard to find

I found some light wieght wad cutters (Matts cast bullets) (70 grs I believe)
I also read where someone used 1 ,000 buck shot?
Loaded over 3 grains of bulleye.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

Make sure it's legal in your area. For example, in my state you can't use a centerfire to hunt "other small game," which includes game like squirrels and rabbits.

good point TN
Better check those regs

looks like the reg says yes
Ill double check, but I believe its OK'd

148 gr wadcutter over 3.8gr ww231 will shoot to one hole at 25yd out of my 686,makes a dandy short range groundhog load. Shure
would work on small game without too much meat damage.

Festus,

38 Spl. is truly a great and versatile cartridge, usually overlooked in the magnum mania. There are tons of factory loads and sky is the limit with handloads. I've used my 38s on small to medium varmints for years. Cheap to shoot, accurate handloads are easy to develop, doesn't beat you to death/deaf, inexpensive, available. If you cast, cost is close to what 22 lr is going for these days, when you can find it.

Doc

TN LONE WOLF- that is one of the issues I have with TN's handgun hunting regulations. A few years ago they tried to fix the the laws and actualy made it worse. For example on the old regulations you could have deer hunted with a .25 auto as long as it had a 4" barrel but if you had a 3" barreled .44 Mag is was ilegal to hunt with. Now as long as its big game you can use any centerfire pistol .24 and over but you still can't use a .38 S&W,.38 special or any of the .32s on small game.reflex264

I have used a K frame S&W a bit, but prefer .22 HP's.

I like 125 gr XTP over 7.5 gr 3N37. My first center fire handgun was a Smith Combat Masterpiece when I was a wee lad.