I don't think MarineHawk's question was answered... or perhaps understood.
Having never been to Alaska, I claim no expertise. But I've hunted bl. bears for at least thirty-three seasons, the majority of that solo. And, at times I've had to do my own follow-up. So I tend to use more than needed for killing a bear, just in case I have to go into thick brush, where you can't see the bear until you nearly step on it. For that nasty business, I like a lever-action Marlin in .45-70.
I too have wondered why the 9.3 x 62 Mauser wasn't mentioned. I've killed a few bears with mine, and I have confidence in it, but it's not a stopper any more than a .35 Whelen or a .338 is unless it's a CNS hit. I've stopped several with .458" bullets, particularly from a .45-70, that were NOT CNS hits! I blew the lungs and heart to jelly using a 250gr AccuBond from my 9.3 x 62 leaving the muzzle at over 2700 fps. Range was 85 yards. There was a blood trail that a blind person could follow... the bear still went 20 -25 yards into thick alders!
Do you want a stopper? You've got it in a big bore where you may not have time or space for precision shooting -- you and I are not Phil Shoemaker.
Edit to add: some may recognize the name Kelly Ross -- he's one of the field writers for Sports Afield. He's Canadian and also an outfitter for big bears in Manitoba, and has done work in the past for an outfitter in B.C. for grizzly on the border of Alaska. I've had considerable correspondence with him in recent months. His "weapons" for big (400 to 600 lb black bears) starts with the .338 Win Mag and includes a 9.3 x 62, a .375 H&H and finishes with a .458 Win Mag. This fall he's returning to B.C. to work for the same outfitter -- taking with him those same rifles. But there will be no grizzle hunts in B.C. because the government has shut down grizzly hunts.
