I'd not feel horribly undergunned with a 223 loaded with the right bullets for black bears. You like Barnes bullets, right, Mike? Seems like a heavy Barnes in the forward ribs would do the job. Or you could shoot for the head/neck or other CNS. Or you could hunt with a wildcat based on a small case, like the Grendel, or 6.8 SPC, or Blackout. The right bullet in either of those three would be slick and handy.
Get a PAST recoil pad, and wear a couple layers of clothing, and whatever recoil there is will be spread out to the point that it will be negligible. Lots of ways to go. Remember that you will be hunting, which isn't the same as killing. I've done lots of mountain-climbing with guns, hiking with guns, and strolling through the woods with guns. No shooting was required, but I enjoyed it immensely.
