Which tight cover deer/bear gun
 

selling my Ruger Gunsite and getting a new gun...im looking at 20" or shorter barreled guns for the most part...would consider 22"

None of the choices. I'd choose my Marlin 1895M in 450 Marlin. Now that's a short range thumper.

no need for all that

Marlin 336 based on your choices. I find it interesting that you make no mention of a caliber. I'm thinking .35 Remington.

im not asking about caliber, just platform. its deer and bear, it doesn't take much to kill them. bolt guns ill get 308, 270 or similar. lever gun is 35

Well, you asked what platform I'd use and I told you. It meets your requirements of short barrel with enough stopping power in heavy cover. If you have an issue with it then rephrase the question. For what it is worth a pump 12 ga firing slugs would probably be the very best but you didn't list that either. Didn't mention double rifles either. I used to have a William Evans in 450/400 3 1/4 Nitro Express that would have been good.

Or are we only limited to the choices you give us? Because if that is the case I simply vote no.

PAnative, what part of PA are you going for Black bear in? I ask because the Black Bears in some parts of PA are getting bigger on average than they have been in the past. No it doesn't take a lot to KILL one, but it can take a pretty good bit to STOP one! And in heavy cover, you want to choose a good caliber with a good bit of "thump" to put one down efficiently not only for ease of finding your animal, but just in case that 250-450 pound critter decides to take you with them! So in essence, Flags suggestion was actually spot on! The Marlin 1895 in .450 Marlin is a fantastic cartridge as is the .45-70, Both have excellent STOPPING power and more often than not, they don't leave a ton of blood shot meat.

northeast PA. biggest bears in the world. we kill a bunch of bears each year. 30-30 and 35 are most common calibers in the gang and nearly everyone runs a lever gun.

most shots at bears are under 30 yards, but since i want a multi purpose gun (also to be used for deer where longer shots are possible) a 12ga or 450 isn't my top option, id like something flatter. My longest kill to date is only 74 yards, so i don't need a long range banger, just something that i can go 200 if need be. even though 200 is probably never happening

So if 75 is your longest to date and maybe out to 200 in the rare chance, you are still looking at 12ga rifled slug gun would be my choice. Short and plenty of power. And if you had to have a lever gun, Marlin in 45-70, 444 Marlin or as Flags said, the 450.