Loaded for bear, I expect.
To shoot your hiking buddy in the foot...
338 Win Mag rifle
Ruger Alaskan 44 mag revolver
870 = 7 in the tube, plus 1 in the chamber.
I have a 458 Magnum safari grade with mussel brake that kicks about like a 30-06 with a 500 gr bullet. 375 Mag with mussel brake and 300 gr bullet still tears my shoulder off.
So, basically any 12 gauge shotgun in working order.
Even though I’ve been reading this type of article for 60 years, I always learn a tidbit or two.
I have a couple of Mossberg’s. I prefer autoloaders over pumps but, that’s just me. One of them is designed for close-quarters home defense.
I live in Alaska and spent much of my time in the bush, actually just got back from a caribou hunt this past weekend were we were 30 miles off an unimproved Road. I carry a Keltec KSG. Its a 14 round capacity short, tactical shotgun. One tube I carry lethal, the other tube semi lethal. I want to have the option of hitting a bear and driving it away before it becomes an issue. The selector is always set to lethal, if I need to I can select semi lethal (rubber bullets) and use those. Love the gun!
For protection; black bears: 3030 Marlin 336
For protection; big bears: 45-70 Marlin 1895
For hunting; any big ol’ cannon with a scope
"The Taylor knock-out factor, also called Taylor KO factor or TKOF, is a formulaic mathematical approach for evaluating the stopping power of hunting cartridges developed by John "Pondoro" Taylor in the middle of the 20th century. Taylor, an elephant hunter and author who wrote two books about rifles and cartridges for African hunting, devised the formula as a means of comparing the ability of a cartridge to deliver a knock out blow to elephant from a shot to the head when the brain is missed." - Wikipedia
Confidence comes with practice and I just wouldn't fire enough rounds of .44 mag. or larger to attain that confidence.
Experience tells me that I can fire 3 rds. of 357 in the time it takes to fire 2 rds. of .44, and with far greater accuracy.
I once heard, when researching the Winchester Model 71, that may experienced guides North of the US/Can border or in bear country would choose that model if they could only carry one gun. You can hunt dear etc and it’s big enough cal to kill a bear.