[Cajundaddy]

Caveat: Personally not a bear hunter and I am sure Jeff forgot more about bear guns than I will ever know.

That said, a rifle is a tool and the best tool is one that is well-suited for the job at hand. For a bear gun, range, penetration, stopping power, and consistent shot placement all matter. For hunting black bear at 200+ yards I would think a 30-06 or 300 Win mag with the right loads would be effective.

At 100 yards in the brush the 45-70 is a proven choice for both black and brown bear and one of the most-chosen guide guns for defense in bear country. You still need good shot placement but these deliver a stout projectile with high stopping power.

At 30 yards or less I would favor a 12GA for defense. Either a slug or a double aught delivering 8 x 9mm projectiles into a fist-sized pattern with one trigger pull. This represents a whole lotta "stop that" to an aggressive bear. We live in Idaho and the northern half where we often get out in the woods is griz country. I hope I never find myself in a situation where this is needed.