A good young PH with whom I have hunted, Zimbabwean Cliff Walker, was hunting in Ethiopia last year when his client had a chance to take a problem lion that was harassing workers on a sugar plantation. His client wounded the lion, and it went into uncut sugarcane. I cannot imagine a more nightmarish situation, but I know Cliff, and I know he went in with a smile.

As I understand it, he and his hunter were back-to-back, scooting through the cane, when the lion charged from point-blank range. The lion was hit again inbound, but it mauled both men severely, then fell over dead. Cliff normally carries a double .577, but he was unable to bring it into Ethiopia so he had a borrowed bolt gun of much lesser caliber. Just perhaps that .577 would have saved a lot of stitches and orthopedic surgery--but that's a question that can never be answered.

BEAR NECESSITIES
The prevailing theory on bear rifles is that black bears are properly hunted with deer calibers, albeit with heavier, tougher bullets; grizzly, brown and polar bears require heavier cartridges and even tougher and heavier bullets. Aye to the latter, nay to the former. I've taken a number of black bears with .270s, 7mms and .30 calibers, and plenty of the big bears have been taken with these same cartridges. Yes, you can. Except all bears are constructed similarly, with corded muscles and heavy shoulders, and all bears are tenacious.

Alaskan brown and polar bears aren't as thick-skinned as a buffalo, but they can weigh as much. They are certainly several times heavier than a lion. Grizzlies are generally much smaller, and on average black bears are smaller yet. It's that "on average" that gets you. None of us goes on a black bear hunt hoping to take an average-size bear. We all hope for one of the big boys, and extra-large black bears can be found wherever black bears range. A really big black bear can be larger than most grizzlies. So why wouldn't you arm yourself for the bear you hope to encounter rather than the bear you will probably see?

Black bear cartridges, left to right: .358 Winchester, .348 Winchester, .35 Whelen, .350 Remington Magnum. Black bears can generally be taken with deer cartridges and tough bullets, and for close-range work the old brush-busters are perfect.

With black bear, the hunting technique tends to dictate the shot. When hunting over bait or with hounds, you know that the shot will be close, and my nod goes to large-caliber brush busters like the .35 Remington, .348 Winchester, .444 Marlin, .45-70 and .450 Marlin. In spot-and-stalk hunting you might need a bit more reach, so I like more versatile cartridges like the .325 WSM, 8mm Remington Magnum, .338 Federal, .338 Winchester Magnum, .358 Winchester and .35 Whelen.

Now to the big bears. The big lever guns are cool and have made a resurgence among Alaskan hunters. But, with apologies to Marlin, the problem is that you can't always pick your shot, and a tough, expensive hunt for a brown or grizzly bear might come down to one chance. Long-range shooting at bears is just as stupid as long-range shooting at lions, but you might need to reach out a couple hundred yards or go home empty.