In West (By God!) Virginia, we have a ridiculous amount of wild animals of every kind in every place, except black bears (thank God!). I'm scared of bears.
While this state has plenty of them, black bears have not invaded WV suburbs, unlike deer and everything else. You generally have to go into the woods to see bear. (But I have spoken to folks with bears in their yards, tearing up bird feeders and eating all their dog food.)
If I was going to get a .357 snub, the Speed Six would be my choice, as it is a very strong little gun.
The top gun is a custom Service Six with a true 3" barrel and round butt. The bottom gun is my wife's stock Speed Six, with a 2-3/4 inch barrel:
To the OP - if you can get a Speed Six for $350, I'd snag it. Those little Rugers are getting very expensive - I've seen them sell go for more than twice that price.
If I was carrying a .357 for bear, I don't think I'd use 158 JHP - I'd use a heavier, hard lead SWC bullet, or at least a full metal jacket. And you'll want rubber grips for full house loads out of a Speed Six.