I thought that was the point of a back-up pistol when bear hunting. So you can shoot your partner, or the guide, in the foot and slow him down just enough...The key to hunting bear with a stick is to hunt in pairs and ALWAYS be the fastest runner.
I don't have a brake on my 338 Win Mag either but mine isn't a longer range accurate rifle.
.300 win mag will solve all your problems270 Winchester short magnum might be perfect for me where I live in the South. But the farther North you go the more that 270 grain bullet moving over 3000 fps becomes what you really want for your do all rifle. For elk moose and grizzly bear that 338 caliber bullet fits the bill a whole lot better. Of course that means you have to deal with whatever added weight there is in your platform. And I still prefer 22 long rifle for squirrels in South Arkansas. But you won't catch me taking my squirrel rifle on a bear hunt.
If you were in Europe, you would see a lot of 6.5x55 recommendations. Here in the USA, there is a good argument for a 30-06.If you had to choose one rifle to hunt everything from antelope to elk, what would it be? This rifle must use components that are readily available. It must also be a caliber that is inherently accurate. No need to waste 600 rounds of 1000 round barrel life doing load development. I want to build a rifle but can't decide what to build.
On a different note, where do I find one of these women that uses a 338 Win Mag to hunt critters to 500 yards that isn't already married or otherwise committed to a long-term significant other? Heck, even a good woman that uses a 12 gauge for Ducks would be good with me!
and use a pointy stickThe key to hunting bear with a stick is to hunt in pairs and ALWAYS be the fastest runner.
I thought that was the point of a back-up pistol when bear hunting. So you can shoot your partner, or the guide, in the foot and slow him down just enough...