I agree with Kevin! The only way I'd hunt bear is with a reliable, big-bore non-muzzleloader pistola" as a backup. As a matter of fact, where I hunt in the public forests of Northern Lower Michigan, I bring a backup even when deer hunting with my muzzleloader. I would not even trust a pack of hungry coyotes or accidently walking into an animal den or covering. I did this once with a porcupine... he chased me 1/2 way around the Huron National Forest. You don't want your body to meet a porcupine.... believe me!