Lots of black and brown black bears around here. It’s bear season now. With it being so dry they’re coming around for food and water. I’m always on alert. Never had an incident where I needed to shoot one except one time I shot over its head to scare it off. Thank God there’s no Grizzleys around here. I carry a .357 with hollow points just in case. A pistol is better than a long gun. Although I’d rather be able to swing my assault rifle around if need be with the 30 round magazine and armour piercing rounds
If I may, I suggest jacketed soft points rather than jacketed hollow points. Hollow points are designed to promote expansion which is not ideal for bears. Penetration is more important.
I remember seeing an Inuit/Eskimo man on a documentary, describing how he had to defend himself from a polar bear attack, using an M16 (from the national guard armory, IIRC?) He survived the encounter, the bear did not.
At the opposite end of the 'hardware' spectrum, was the guy back east who grabbed a single-shot .410 when he heard his chickens making a racket out behind his house. Expecting to find a fox or similar, he was more than just a bit surprised when a black bear charged him, straight out the chicken coop door. He shouldered his gun and fired, more instinct than anything else - and the bear dropped dead (guess God was looking out for him, and he hit it in just the right place ;^)...