Originally Posted by Gatofeo

I own both .44 Magnum and .45 Colt revolvers.
If you already have a .44 Magnum, I don't see the point in getting a .45 Long Colt.
You don't need a premium bullet. A simple semiwadcutter cast to wheelweight hardness will do the trick.
Frankly, the best close-up defense against black bear is a 16 or 12-gauge pump shotgun. It's what the Canucks carry around my cabin in British Columbia, where black and grizzly bear are common.