While I agree bears aren't really tough to kill, my opinion is the best/easiest way totrack a bear isdon't or asshort as possible. Using a firearm the shoulder or shoulders should be square in your bullets path leading to less yards after the hit and therefor a slightly better bullet is my suggestion. I base this on many years of guiding bear hunters I am not sure how many bears I have been on but its in the triple digits for sure. I myself have only shot 2 black bears with a firearm (CF and ML) both of which I sent through the shoulders and didn't have to track either. The other bears (7)I havetaken with archery tackle where I needed some tracking. I personally want an exit hole if I ain't breaking bones. So far have always got one and never regretted havingit either!

I personally haven't found size to be a real factor for how fast a bear goes down, in fact some of the scrappiest of been immature boars. Shot placement is the key, no matter the bullet or tool used if you wing them they ain't a lot of fun to follow up on.