I hunt bear here in Pa and found that you really don't need a big bore to take them down. Everyone in our camp either uses a .270 or 30-06. I personally use a .270 and have taken a 400+ pounder without him even taking a step. I think that the ammunition selection is a more critical point. I use the winchester cxp2s but you'll get a ton of opinions on this one. Good luck this fall, I hope it all works out.