Hey everyone! I know this is somewhat of an older thread, but I wanted to give my opinion (and we all know what those are worth!
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George, I'm with you. I saw New Zealanders taking sheep at 1,000 yards with a .243 (though I'd opt for my 6.5 Swede and wouldn't shoot past 400). If bears are a concern I'd just grab the big revolver I'd be carrying anyway (much more agile than ANY rifle in that situation).
I can't even imagine carrying an extra 12 guage plus rifle plus revolver plus backpack. Even at 50 yards (or beyond that) there's no bear built that can shrug off a good .44 mag or .454 Casull projectile of choice and there's 4-5 fast follow up shots if the crap hits the fan. So to answer the OP I'd go with the lighter/less recoil 7mag, but like I said, I'd go even further and pack my Swede. That rifle is a far better tool than I'll ever be as a craftsman!
