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Not muzzle loaders, although I have built a few of them too. I put together custom bolt action hunting rifles and long range competition rifles. Upon retiring from the military I attended a local college and completed their gunsmithing course. It's not enough of a business to keep up with the bills but it does fill in when I'm not in the mountains working. I've read some comments in here about using a handgun of bear. This is not a good idea, not a good plan, and is not a good bet for survival. If that is all you have then it is much better than nothing and you might come out OK. A 357 is at best marginal in an already “ify” situation. I carry a 45LC loaded with the corbon +P ammo. This brings it up into the 454 ballistic category. The handgun with this ammo will almost rip your wrist off when you pull the trigger but is still marginal on stopping a charging bear.
ZULU.
The 06 round is a good round and the garand is a good rifle but you do’t need to worry about cycle rate and how many you can put down the barrel. Hunting bear or stopping a problem bear is all about where you put the first one. If you are hunting as soon as you shoot that bear is either going to drop to the ground if you have broken his neck or head shot him, or he is going to be gone. If the bear is attacking you will probably only get one quick shot and you had better make it count. This story is very different. Bear very seldom attack people in this manner. I have only been involved in two bear attacks in over twenty years of working, packing, hunting, and camping in the mountains. I usually do everything wrong according to the Game Wardens. I don't hang my food in trees and I don't cook and eat several hundred feet from where I sleep. Unless I'm hunting and out alone, I always have dogs with me. If a bear is harassing my horses and mules I shoot them. I have a legal right to protect my livestock. Even this is a rare situation. Wild Black Bears are notorious chickens and usually leave as fast as they can if they know you are in the area. This bear is what I call a garbage bear. They have lost their fear of people and would rather eat people food than scrounge for their natural food. Even these bears usually won't mess with a person unless you get in the way. The only thing that makes since to me is that the kid had some food in the tent with him. I feel sorry for that family but when you are visiting the bears you better be able and ready to take care of your own security.

“Not muzzle loaders, although I have built a few of them too. I put together custom bolt action hunting rifles and long range competition rifles.”

You must be quite a craftsman. I have built muzzle-loaders but never tried making a modern gun.

“the bear is attacking you will probably only get one quick shot and you had better make it count.”

Where is the best shot for an attacking bear? What kind of dogs do you use? I heard Plots are best on bears.

Too many people don;t really understand how unpredicatble an animal can be. I think the more intelligent an animal the more difficult it is to predict their behavior. A rattlesanke hasn’t got mush upstairs and they generally act like rattlesnakes always do.

Bears, wolves, people, are pretty complicated critters mentally and that makes them more unpredictable.

I really like Muzzle-loaders, but I think I have developed a bad case of Garanditis. But I have to get an original unsporterized Springfield 1903 model before I buy any more Garands.