I probably should have asked what works best for deer, and just kept quiet about the "bear" possibilities
Yep.
If you already have the 357 puma, it should get the job done. Personally, if I had to choose, I'd take my 45 Colt Puma over my 357 Winchester. In fact, it was the gun I took on my first black bear hunt.
If you're looking to buy, I'd step up to a 44 mag or 45 colt. You shouldn't have any problems with either. One of my hunting partners took a 200 lb sow with his 44 this year. One shot with factory hornady xtp's.
If I was carrying a 357 I'd look for some 158gr hornady ammo. I personally like the lighter/faster bullet combo. since you reload, I'd look at setting the barnes 140gr bullets on top of a healthy charge of H110. In my limited experience, I think speed is your friend with the little lever-actions.
But, that's just my opinion and I could be wrong.
