If a nuisance bear this spring/summer probably my 303 #1 Ruger, and this fall for meat my 257 Roberts. I have killed them wth everything from spears to fllintlocks, from 6.5 swede to 338 win mag. The slowest dying was the spear. It was also the most interesting as I had to stab it twice. Only did that once since it was at the door and the neighbours house would have been in the line of fire for a rifle.