wizofwas said:
Here is a simple non answer.
A. There is nothing wrong with just using the .357. It'll do the job for you with no problems at all, if you can hit the target.
...
I was wondering if somebody was going to mention this...
A proper .357 load should be quite adequate for black bear. I wouldn't purposefully go hunting black bear with one but I wouldn't be uncomfortable hiking/camping with one...in fact a 3" SP101 is exactly what I have for those activities and I don't feel under-gunned anywhere outside of grizzly country.
I wouldn't worry about black bears much at all. They are much more shy than their big cousins. I've been around black bear many times and they really are more afraid of you than you are of them...unless you get between a mama and her cubs or are stupid enough to smell like really tasty food:
1) Hang your food well away from your tent.
2) Keep your spare clothes, tent, etc. up wind of your stove or cooking fire (just common sense for several reasons).
3) Wash up before turning in and don't sleep in the clothes that you wore when cooking and eating...remember that a bear has a nose about 50 times more sensitive than yours and it is the
smell of food that attracts them.
4) NEVER have food in your tent or around your sleeping bag even temporarily because the food odor will linger. Yeah, if it's raining that means you either go hungry or put on your rain suit and get your backside out of the tent to cook and eat.
5) Don't pack your sleeping bag or tent inside a pack with food unless the food is in very tightly sealed containers.
6) If you encounter black bear don't approach them and try to pet them. This shouldn't have to be mentioned but there have actually been a couple of recent cases where people tried to get closer so they could take a picture with a crappy cell phone or something; if you want pictures of bears bring a proper camera and a long lens!
I can just about guarantee that anybody who gets mauled by a black violated one or more of the above simple rules. When I used to backpack a lot I had black bear snuffling around the edges of my camp site a few times at night...usually all I had to do was stir a little and make some noise or turn on a flashlight and they lumbered off to investigate other things. I had one that was a little more persistent once but it left after I tossed a couple of pebbles in it's general direction (not directly at it and NOT something you want to do with griz). I had a 4" .357 with me on that particular occasion and that was the only time I thought I might end up having to use it but the pebbles did the trick...though I have to confess I slept kind of lightly the rest of that night! LOL
John