Thanks minengr
you and one or two others actually answered the question I asked!
I have followed this "discussion" with interest. It has been entertaining if only because so many just write what they want others to believe, but do not stick to the original topic.
There have been many comments on this thread about "angry" bears or some such. Black bears around here are not considered by most people to be threats of "charges" or territorial behaviour. That seems to me more like grizzly behaviour, but that's only from what I've read, not personal experience. All the black bears that have caused problems for people that I personally know of were without exception small two year olds that were kicked off the teat and were starving. They get into trouble 'cuz they are hungry and are willing to eat anything. Sows with cubs I can nearly always avoid in the bush. Young hungry trouble makers I may not be able to avoid. But I will never face a "charge" from one, more likely an annoying series of camp raids, or possibly a slow determined stalk. But the reality is, I will only carry a "rambling rifle" that is truly useful to me, not for the one in a thousand chance that a bear I encounter is predatory to humans. So I will choose to carry a rifle outside of big game season that I can use to dispatch fur animals in traps, or for shooting small animals for food. That means a rifle that is light, handy, low maintenance and will not severely tear up meat or hides. Like my stainless Puma .357. If it has enough power to make me a little more comfortable in black bear country so much the better, but I will not buy a rifle solely for "bear protection" because I will never carry one for so remote a possibility. I am comfortable camping and hiking in the bush without carrying any firearm, so to me any rifle is better than none. I was simply asking for opinions and experience of the most effective .357 mag. rifle loads for large animals. Thanks for all your responses. I learned a lot!
