Does anyone own or has anyone handled a 386 XL Hunter and can share your experiences? Looks like an interesting woods piece if carried in a shoulder holster.

Picked mine up in late February 2012. One of the few "cool" guns California allows. With my initial handling at the FFL, looks can be deceiving. It weighs a lot less than it looks. At 30oz. its like holding a toy. Shoulder holster in the woods should be very comfortable in this case.
I took it to the indoor range the following day. I used Fiocchi 357 mag 142g fmj. After 29 rounds on a brand new gun, something broke. The hammer jammed and wouldn't move. Two and a half months later (Another story...), I got my gun back. Turns out the stop spring and cylinder stop needed replaced. Since then, I put 221 rounds through it. A mix of Fiocchi 142g and reloads the range sells. No failures, jams, or nonsense so far. Groupings are tight and great balance. I did have to tweek the adjustable sights slightly and get a glove. My girly hand got a blister near the web and thumb.
My range isnt much bigger than 11 yards and doesnt allow hollow points so I dont have any info for that.

I recently purchased a 386 HL Hunter and absolutely love it! It is my first foray into the world of magnum (I do have a .38 SPL +P snubbie).

It shoots like a laser, recoil isn't bad at all with .357 loads (a lot more managable than my .38 snubbie), and best of all, my lady absolutely loves shooting it (she actually hogs it at the range).

Thanks for the report, BigM. Could you post a picture of it alongside your snubbie so I could get an idea of its size?