James B

300 Win Mag if you are comfortable with the recoil. Not much more than the 30-06 which would also fill your needs but the 300 Win speaks a little louder with the heavy bullets. With a good 200 grain bullet, the 300 will do most of what the 338 will do. IMO.

Pparrish

If it's that dang much to go on a bear hunt then I'll probably never get a chance to hunt bear, so I will take them out of the situation for now and if a bear hunt does arise, I will get a new rifle if need be.

The "400yd" part was just to let ya'll know that I want something that will shoot distance if need be. I've never made a 400yd shot while hunting big game and never plan to, but.....................what if I get a chance to hunt 'lopes, or mulies in West TX/NM or ??????????????
(beginning to think I should've never mentioned the dreaded "400yd".)

biscuit jake

I am not one to stifle curiosity. Nothing wrong with long range shooting. The application can get challenging. Wind gets to be a problem, maybe more so than the inherent accuracy of the rifle or doing the math on the bullet drop. I wouldn't mind hearing from some Montana and Idaho shooters where you see the game at artillery range. Who knows where you will be hunting in 25 years? Maybe big bears will be a possibility. I would want a heavier bullet with a good caliber. Know your rifle and get it zeroed for the range you plan to hunt. IMO a 100 yard zero is not good for a 500 yard shot. What about a 2,000 pound bison? Don't want a spitball for that one! They are thick skinned, too. Nothing wrong with a big rifle. Enjoy. Now, there is another forum on long range shooting out there. These guys spend the big bucks for the long reach. You might want to check it out. Heh heh. When I worry about things that eat horses I carry a 45 70. But I have no plan to hunt bear for sport. I eat what I shoot. Ptui.