You said: "Whereas my criteria is HEAD shots and broad patterns, some seem to be stuck on body penetration."
Your thinking runs afoul of my experience. In my experience when a bear is coming for real, you shoot the middle of the brown blur with something big enough to matter. You use something with about 2200-2500 fps velocity with a good bullet that will expand and dig deep. I like a .375 and a 300 grain Nosler, but the 9.3 with a 286 would likely do the same job. Lots of other stuff out there will work. The only way I'd use a shotgun is with magnum brennekes, and that's a ways down the list.
Yup +1
I’m okay with breaking the pelvis if the bullet can make it that far. CNS-ing a bear that is intent upon making dough out of a fellow is fine in the mind’s eye perhaps, but then a fellow would have more hope of connecting with dragonflies in flight than actually making those shots in real time.
Too many folks get stuck on the bear charge deal however. Bears most generally don’t charge unless you encourage it. That includes sneaking up on them (as when one has ill intent), poking a hole in one in the wrong, inadequate place, being ignorant or unaware of one’s surroundings, and very rarely just plain being unlucky. I know plenty of folks who have somehow been involved in the former options (as well as many prominent folks whose names are well known). I don’t personally know of anyone who is among the latter option, or even know of it second-hand. I can’t think of anything big enough to overcome ‘ignorant' however.
