Lots of things can happen when you put a hole in a bear. If it doesn't go as you hope, there is still more benefit in creating bigger trauma rather than smaller. There really is no upside to using a 357... unless the alternatives are, as some have said, a rock, a stick, or a knife. I know it has become popular to parade the minimum caliber this and that around the 'fire, perhaps, sometimes, to demonstrate some form of superiority. I've had enough "been there, done that" to suit my tastes. I've also seen enough less than ideal," I wish I had done that better" deals to learn a thing or three. There is no reason to carry a handgun, or any other form of protection, if you are not willing to become proficient. If you can become so "dead-nuts" precise and skilled with a 357 to become proficient enough to stop an ursine threat, imagine how much better armed you would be against big animals with a more power round, often at lesser pressures? Precision on erratically moving targets is hardly a place to play the margins.
