While I’m certainly not going to recommend carrying a 10mm in big bear country I would suggest only doing it with the heaviest of loads for max penetration. Buffalo Bore has a 200 grain flat nose load that gets 32 inches of penetration in ballistic gel. Given equivalent weight bullets the 357 Magnum provides more penetration. Stay away from self defense ammo like some of the flying ashtrays on the shelf now. Those are designed for a totally different situation. I carry a 5 1/2 inch Ruger Black Hawk in 45 Long Colt running Buffalo Bore 300 grain jacketed soft nose rounds. Those run just over 1300 ftps and close to 1200 ft-lbs energy. I’ve hit big boar hogs (300+ lbs) with this round and got complete penetration through both shields. Haven’t had to use it on a bear yet and hope I never do. Let me also add that if I’m in big bear country I will be carrying an appropriate caliber rifle. Plus side for the Ruger is it’s convertible to 45 ACP with just a simple cylinder change.
Years ago I carried a hand load of 255? Grain flat nosed loaded to long colt specs in a .45 ACP Springfield XD after reading a very interesting GOA article about it where the author tested the firearm’s ability to handle the load. I never shot anything living during the time I carried it, but if I were in bear country, oh wait, I am!!! Just down the street they caught a big mamma bear on a security cam in a back yard! Sorta hope she eats the thief that’s been going around our neighborhood at night...
Anywho, the ARs I got handy will kill a bar just fine with a few judicious 30 round mag dumps.
Good info .......