Not pushing this view, but it could change the way a decision regarding caliber/bullet/rifle is made here....
Consider that you are going to hunt the same bear that you might meet on your deer hunt. You get to choose the rifle, ammo, etc. You also get to choose the shot, will you take it or pass and wait for a better shot. What is the minimum you would choose to take if you were hunting that bear?
Now, consider the situation where you might meet said bear while deer hunting and have to shoot. You don't get to choose if you want to take the shot or not...you have to take it regardless of any other factors. What is the minimum you would choose if you were looking at a charge?
It's a best case/worst case scenario but it made me think a little. Looking at those 2 scenario's I'd be carrying a bigger rifle to hunt deer than I would to actually hunt the bear....
That has pretty much followed my line of thinking too JCM. If I ever have any trouble with a grizzly while elk hunting, I expect it to be under unfavorable conditions - meaning close range, incoming, and very little time to think.
If I knew all that ahead of time, I would probably be using a heavier rifle and cartridge combo.
The one thing I would want above all else however, is a bullet that will not come apart nor expand too rapidly.
Maybe then I will have a chance to survive unscathed, if luck is with me.
Most of the time, the grizzlies will let you go in peace. Or they will retreat quietly, unknown to you. Much more often than not, they will not cause you any trouble.
But the wrong bear, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, may make you glad you selected and carried an adequate bullet/cartridge combination.
