Also another thing to consider if your rifle is a specific set up, and you are looking for a cheap iron sight rifle look at wal-mart they can order you a NEF single shot in a assortment of calibers. I have been looking at doing the same for my youngest and buying a 243. I will say that a bear is a inquisitive animal and they have been known to climb trees to check out hunters in tree stands. Don't worry too much about the bear I hunt them from the ground usually from natural dead fall and have had bears come right to my brush blind and they usually turn and bolt once they figure out what is inside! Only be concerned if you have a sow with cubs if you are on the ground...