I would say the 300win mag. others - 30-06,any300mag,8mmrem,338win or RUM.

cant go wrong with a 375 H&H

I read in Successful Hunter this month an article by Ed Stevenson stating he wanted his BROWN BEAR hunters to use a 30/06 with 200 grain nosler partions or a like bullet (X, failsafe ect). His point being most hunters are not accustom to a jolt from a .338 win mag. I would use a .45/70, .35 whelan, 9.3 x 62 or 9.3x74. These would all be milder recoiling and have a tremendous punch. I guess 40 years as a brown bear guide would qualify him to make such a statement.

Dr Fatguy

If you had to limit to one for everything you listed. I'd take a close look at the new 325WSM. Recoil is the same as the 300Win Mag, but you can shoot heavier bullets for the grizzlies.

I would be more concerned with underkill on a grizzly than I would be with overkill on a deer.

the 308win will do anything you need it too and would never have to reload to do it.

i have never gone grizzly hunting or brown bear, the biggest thing i am currently hunting is moose, and for that i use a 30-06. i am just wondering why you guys think that the 30-06 wouldnt be big enough to hunt the brown and grizzly. is there just not quite enough umph??

one other reason i ask is because where my spouses parents live there a grizzlies around and we go for walks in the bush (the town is kinda in the middle of nowhere pop. 5000) and i was gonna start to carry my rifle with me, but wont it do the job if one came too close for comfort, or should i be maybe looking at something bigger? i dont want to really buy another cause my 06 does everything i need it to do.

For a close-in defence against bears and such, I would think the larger you go the better. I'm looking into a big bore lever action for that type of shooting.

I just have to laugh...

The notion of the "one gun man" is laughable at best. If you are hunting deer in TX, elk in NM, Caribou in Canada, Moose and Sheep in the Yukon and gizz' in Alaska then I can promise you with 100% confidence that you have enough money to purchase more than one rifle!

I also have to laugh at the fellows on here who quote stories and reloading manuals with regards too big ol brown bears, they arent simply blackbears that have another 1/4 ton+ added too them. They have the potential to be as dangerous as just about anything in Africa and for the most part you aren't chasing dangerous stuff in Africa in cold climates at high altitudes. The BEST bear rifle? The biggest thing you can shoot half way decent. Yep I would MUCH rather be behind a fellow that can shoot a 460 Wby at bears and hit within 6" of the mark versus one that can shoot his lil deer rifle into a 1/4" target. Bears are like anything else, you CANT kill one too dead!!! But you CAN piss one off that can cover 100yds in a blink and will think not once about re-arranging your anatomy allover the mountainside.

That being said if you STILL had to pick only one rifle, then I would go on up too a 338 Win or 340 Wby. If you could only select two then either a 30/06 or a 7mag would do for the small stuff and I would then lay hand on a grand ol 375 H&H. The .375 isnt flashy, fast or pretty but it will flatout kill anything and do it with GREAT athority.
RA

ps
Forget carrying a rifle around for "offseason" bears, why not get one of the new 4.5" barreled super cannon handguns like a .454 Casull, .460 Ruger or the mighty .500 S&W. They are REALLY built for light carry in bear country without the cumbersome rifle banging around on your back. I would MUCH rather tote one of those on a summer hike trip or fishing trip in Alaska vs luggin a rifle and ammo around.

45/70 and if you dont reload get buffalobore or garrett ammo for da bears

Gopher, alot of guides out West won't take you up in the mountains with horses
if you don't have a minium of .338MAG, Grizz's love horse meat.
Back in 1965 I bought a BAR{FN} .338MAG for a guided hunt in Colorado.
Been back 1970,1975,1980 and 1990,might go again before my last Sunrise.