With the right ammo a 357 mag carbine is IDEAL for black bear over bait a med/close range. I have taken several bears with my Rossi 92 16 inch bbl.. I use Underwood 180 Hard Cast GC flat points. Underwood advertises 1400 fps from a 6 inch revolver. I average 1850 from the 16 inch Rossi. Not a lot of hydrostatic shock to the internals (lungs/heart) but I have never had a bullet fail to completely penetrate AND exit on all broadside shots. Including shattering the near side shoulder and exiting the far side ribs of a 270+ pounder. I topped mine with a Sig Romeo5 red dot and it'll take out 6 inch steel plates all day long at 100 yards and 1 inch groups at 50. If you keep your Bear targets at 50 yards or less I would not hesitate to take a shot at any size Black Bear just as long as you are able to punch a hole through both lungs. As with anything else, shot placement is everything.
