BigGameHoundsmen.com

I like a .32 winchester special, model 94. does a pretty good job and since it is a trappers carbine its small enough that I carry it on a pack frame in a scabard. really works pretty slick. Here is a pic of a bear we shot last year and me packing it out.
I also like to carry a .44 mag. its killed several bears and you dont have to worry about a long gun.

Marlin Lever Action .35 rem.

I to like my Marlin 1895G guide gun Chambered in 45-70 Govt, My wife shoots a Marlin 444, that we had cut down to an 18 1/2 " barrel and had it ported. For the 45-70 I load a few differant bullets 500gr Speer semi jacketed flatnose and the Hornady FTX in 325gr aswell as the Hornady XTP 350gr JHP. For the 444 I load the FTX and the XTP, the FTX is 265gr and the XTP is a 300gr. Those two put the lights out on anything you point it at a squez the trigger on. I also like the 35 Rem in a Marlin Model 336.

I actually hate seeing a bear get killed. All i do is for people with out dogs let my dogs tree them and leave. Than when my dogs hunt I just let them tree and I dont kill.

marlin guide gun, stainless, 45/70. Short, light, comfortable to shoot and plenty of punch. And if you don't load the loads to hot you don't have to worry to much about it exiting and hitting a dog on the other side. When your shooting 405 or 500 grain chunks of lead they don't have to be going all that fast to pack a wallop. And when things get hairy I want a rifle in my hands not a pistol. Even if I have to lean back to get room for the gun barrel between me and the bears head (has happened a couple times) I would rather have a rifle, at close range I'm 100% confident with a rifle, any farther away than touching it with the gun barrel I'm not that confident with a pistol on a moving target.

10-4 on the guide gun, mines the early ported model in 444, nice and short and gets the job done. Mike

its all on the shot placement. ive had to finish bear before that had been shot with a 450 marlin with my model 94 winchester 30 -30. if you aint sure about the shot dont take it. its better to let it go than to get your dogs hurt.

Taurus ultra-light 44 mag.
Ruger alaskan in 375 RUGER.
Haven't killed a bear yet but I should be ready if I ever decide to.......

Always open sights!
30-06 is my gun of choice it is plenty of power without going to the extreme.
I hunted with a 30-30 for years I liked how light and compact it was but did not think it killed quick enough to suit me.

I don't like taking guys hunting with 270s or 44s the 270 and guns of that type go through the game and that is very dangerous when hunting with hounds. I love my 270 but it is a deer rifle for me. The 44s I've seen where not enough gun. Scopes can also be a problem in thick brush. Many people are not used to having to choose there shots based on the hounds and it is easy to get tunnel vision with a scope. It is also easy to knock a scope off when crawling into a bay up.

I have a friend on the Klamath River in Calif.[hopi Rev] told me he has killed 289 bears in his life time [that was in 96] and the most was killed with a Luger with wad cutters.

I went up there every year for 15 years straight and seen him kill a bear, this one was a big bear on the ground ,he ran up close [bear stand up] shot him in the throat seen his head jump up looks like 2 inches. dead before he hit he ground.

ever year he would say bring me some 9-mm wad cutter when you come back.

you can killem with a .22 if you put the bullet in the right spot but i like my 94 win. 30-30. it seems to work pretty good as long as you choose your shots and not shoot like a wild man.

I love my short 45-70 Marlin Guide gun but tend to use my 44 Ruger Sup. Blackhawk more..

444 marlin lever action cause for my opinion its a good all around biggame gun

12 gauge 3 inch slug, great in the thick brush and it really pounds em.

i just carry a picture of my neighbors wife... the sight of that broad could kill anything.