Thanks for all the input fellas! My gut told me this was a small bear. There was a mule deer out about the same distance on the same hillside, and the deer looked larger than the bear (gave me some comparison scale). I'll be back in this area this weekend, so I am hoping to find him (or another bear) again.

I am confident inside 200yrds with the .300. I bought it for longer shooting after spending most of my hunting life in dense timber ground (packing a bow 80% of the time). I moved to open country 2 years ago and seen a need for long range shooting. I just simply have never shot out past 200 yards with any rifle. Just need to get out to the range andpractice.