Get rid of that silly J Frame. If I lived around bears (as in Black Bears) I would keep a M28 with a 6 inch barrel at hand all the time. About the most you can hope for with a 357 is 800 foot pounds at the muzzle, and you will need that longer barrel to get it as well as the heavier frame to control it. As everyone has said, Buffalo Bore with a hard cast lead bullet is the best way to go. Now, if I lived around the big bears (Browns and Grizzlies), the 12 gage slug would be a good thing to have on hand. Most of us don't have a 375 H&H or 458 Win Magnum, so the shotgun is a good compromise. We don't have a lot of bears where I live. I wouldn't want to shoot one anyway.

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Dr. B