An observation:
The issue of "crazy recoil," "(lightweight) j-frames," and "357 Magnum" is largely a matter of the amount of shooting you do and hand conditioning. Once your hand is well-conditioned and appropriately calloused, you can shoot any .357 magnum round--at least a cylinder full.
Since I don't particularly care for abusive recoil--even with well-conditioned hands, I carry a lightweight j-frame and typically stoke it with the "fbi load"--e.g., a soft-shooting 158-gr LSWC-HP round running around 800 fps in manufactured ammo.
My preferred carry round would be a 357 158 gr. LSWC-HP running about 900 fps.--I build that for practice, but AFAIK such a load is not commercially available.
These ballistics are for the nominal 2" barrels; the same round from a 3" M60 is noticably stronger but equally shootable.
As for the OP questions--I've owned--and carried both a 2" SP101 and various j-frames. IMO, the 101 weighs enough that it needs to be carried in a holster--it's nominally twice and heavy as the lightweight j-frames, which can be carried in a front pocket (and, inside a pocket holster). This factor would, I think be a realistic one if you are considering its role as a BUG.
Jim H.