Sounds like you did the right thing. A person should never take a shot they don't feel comfortable with. It also looks like the bear was above you, it is really easy to over shoot an uphill animal at those ranges. The .300 is capable of such a shot, but a person should have plenty of practice at those ranges. I go out a few times of year with my .300 and a couple of friends to practice shooting out to 600 yards. I usually bring 50 or so rounds and we find rocks at various distances and angles to shoot at. It is a real eye opener shooting at long ranges in real world conditions. Wind can be a real factor past a few hundred yards. I have taken many animals out to 450 with one shot kills, but past that, it is hard to guarantee a vital hit. I also use a nice Burris Euro Diamond scope, with the Ballistic Plex recticle, which helps, since you have actual aiming points, instead of aiming at thin air. If that bear was focused on eating, chances are he won't be to far away the next day. Looking at ears is a good way to judge a bears size, as they are one of the hardest animals to judge at a distance, I have seen many a dissapointed hunter shoot a bear only to walk up to it and find its a 50 pounder. Her is a pic of a small but pretty blond bear, also a little blurry due to zoom.
