All suggestions here are relavant and practical. I just have to add one in as it seems to be omitted; it was my first .357 and maybe the best, but for carrying, it was simply out of the question. It has always seemed to me the ultimate .357 however; the 8 3/8" model 27. I often wished I had never sold it, but my pure range gun days ended thirty years ago. The L-Frames are probably the perfect balance (I've got one and I love it), but I think if I were to go pure range firing, it would be that model 27 with the long barrel.

To me it seems that the J or K-Frames are the best for carryability, the N-frames for range or hunting use, and the L-Frames for the "best of both worlds". JMHO!