Rawhidekid: the 38 Super is perfectly adequate for lots of critters. I have used the 38 Super, with some of Charles Askins loads, to take small Texas Whitetails, lots and lots of Javelina and a couple of Puma (South American). Askins used H110 and SR4756 powders in the 38 Super and came away with high velocities (357 velocities) and acceptable pressures.
Some folk consider the 38 Super to be a semi-auto version of the 38 Spl but from the closed chamber of the semi-auto you can easily and safely get into 357 level performance with the Super, for example - when comparing a Government Model size 38 Super (with 4" of rifled barrel) and a typical police length 4" 357, you can get about the same velocities from the same weight bullet up to about 158-160 gns. The 125 gn bullet from both can be driven to 1425'/sec without problem using H110, SR-4756, and Unique in the Super - no difference from the 357 there. The 158 gn slug is driven to about 1250'/sec or better from a 4" revolver and almost 1200'/sec from the 38 Super - probably not enough difference to matter, and these loads are from reloading manuals - when you take the 38 Super into the 'Major' category you are going up the ladder a notch or two but the cartridge is capable of performance.
As to chambering - when first developed, some considered the Super a semi-auto version of the 38 Special and the Super (actually its predecesor the 38 Auto) was developed with a slight rim - semi-rimmed is the term I recall. I don't know if this was a hold-over design from earlier revolver cartridges or if Colt, which first chambered the cartridge, decided to retain the semi-rim configuration to avoid having to deal with the similar European versions of the 9mm (9mm Largo, Bergman, Bergman-Bayard, 9mm Mauser Export, 9mm Steyr). Anyhow, as headspaced on the small semi-rim the cartridge lacked serious accuracy until handloaders got to play with it and then it straightened out a bit but never really improved into a match or target consideration until barrels were headspaced on the case mouth as were the 45 acp and 9mm - then you saw accuracy that matched the 45 acp and outshot the European 9s.
My Bar-Sto barrel for the 38 Super headspaces on the case mouth and is in the .355 diameter - I could have gone to a .357/.358 diameter if I had wanted but decvided to stick with the 9mm diameter bore - and this barrel is so accurate. I have a lot of fun shooting the Super and absolutely never worry about being 'undergunned' with it in the woods.
Look at it this way - when I can take a 200 lb jungle cat with a 125gn 38 Super slug at better than 1400'/sec, I am not worried about the capability of the Super and I doubt Colonel Askins would be worried either...........jmtcw.
