Gary Reeder
several below are saying the 480 but if something
Monday, February 24, 2020, 10:34

jumps out at you you won't feel the recoil at all. You will have a death grip on the gun. Go with the most powerful handgun you can handle. Forget the 480. Go with either the 475 Linebaugh, 500 Linebaugh or my 510 GNR. I shot a big bear in Alaska at kissing distance (literally) twice and he ran off and I had to go into the alders to finish him off. Probably due to the heavy dose of Adrenalin I didn't even feel the recoil.

Bears can be extremely hard to put down. Coming at you with their head down is an extremely hard target as the bears skull is slanted and very thick and hard and the bullet will often skim off his head giving him even more reason to chew on your ass. On a charging bear your best bet is to put as much lead in him as you can to at least make him change his mind. But forget anything less than a 475 Linebaugh. Having danced with 3 bears in the past I know first hand that they can be extremely hard to stop once they start that charge.

And forget the snubbies like the Alaskan as it doesn't burn enough powder in that short 3 inch barrel to make it even somewhat equal to a full size 475 Linebaugh, 500 Linebaugh or 510 GNR. We were the ones that designed the Alaskan Survivor 25 years ago, later to become the Alaskan Survivalist, which is the gun Ruger currently puts out as their Alaskan. It is a good handy gun for critters like wild hogs and such and maybe a Black Bear but not for a Grizzly. Go with at least a 4 inch barrel, or better yet a 5 or 6" barrel. That little extra powder you will burn may be enough to make the difference.