I am currently shooting Winchester 260 grain Partition Gold. I am using them to hunt whitetail deer. I am planning a bear hunt over bait in the spring of 05. My question is will the partition gold be good for bear or will a larger grain bullet be needed.

If you're talking black bear, I would bet the 260 grain Partition will work fine with proper shot placement. If you're talking grizzly/brown bears, I'd think a 300+ grain bullet would be a better choice.

Well, you must keep in mind that when using a premium bullet, like the Barnes X or the Nosler Partition, the bullet's construction allows it to penetrate as well as a considerably heavier bullet of standard design. A handgun as powerful as the .454 performs more like a rifle than lesser handguns. I believe the 265-grain Partiton Gold, which is essentially a Nosler Partition bullet, will do as good a job on a bear as any bullet you could choose for your .454, regardless of weight. I assume you are talking about a black bear, since you are hunting over bait. Hunting over bait generally gives you your choice of shot angles, and at pretty close range too. You should have no problem killing a bear with that load.