I think where you're hunting black bears can matter greatly, a black bear in the lower 48 vs. some in canada, BC, alaska...a true 500lbs black bear vs. some of these 100 lbs bears I see taken are a huge difference.

But I agree most hunters, most bears, a deer rifle is plenty gun, esp a 270 or 30-06

I took 2 bears in BC, both with a .300win.mag, one dropped dead on the spot, the other soaked up quite a bit of lead, the 1st shot probably killed him, but put a few more rounds in him.

I recently heard these black bears have been reclassified as coastal bears, and have a larger variation from black bears, than grizzlies/browns do.

Some of the whitetails in Canada are brusers also.

Nor did I say anyone said a .243 wouldn't kill a bear. I simply said that it seems people give black bears more credit for being hard to kill than they deserve.

Wisconsin has some of the biggest whitetails in the lower 48. A .243 can take down the biggest of them with ease.

It's an extremely well performing cartridge.

I knew a guy who went to BC where his inlaw lived. He came back and told me he shot 2 bears about 200 lbs each from 250 yds. He shot a cow moose, and a sheep. I asked what caliber? Thinking a 300 win. Just a 243. Surprised look on my face. He said put her in da bread basket and dats all dat matters.