"I suspect a 35 Whelen with a decent 250-280 grain bullet would work just fine -- 'mo betta' than the ought six, perhaps."
Sundog, I like the way you think.
Think the 225 gr. Barnes TSX at 2600 to 2700 FPS depending on what the rifle likes and think dead bear. My .35 Whelen has a 24" barrel and will push the 225 gr. TSX at 2710 FPS. I've shot that bullet almost lengthwise through a cow elk at 150 yards aand I've never seen an animal go down so fast. Barnes does not make a 250 gr. TSX and frankly, I don't see the need. The rifle is a custom Mauser with a 1 in 14" twiste that I picked up at an estate sale. One of those deals where it was love at first sight and the love affair hasn't stopped yet.
I also have a Remington M700 Classic and Ruger M77RS in .35 Whelen so yoi know what I like.
I would not feel poorly armed in big bear country if all I had was a 30-06. Dunno what the standing is in the books on inland Grizzly Bears is today
but a fellow in Canada was crossing a gully on a log wearing a large back pack when grizzly Bear ecided it wanted to cross too. There was no way for the man to turn around risking a potentially fatal fall so he shot the bear with his M94 Winchester carbine 30-30 killing the bear. When the skull was measured, it tied the then current world record but B&C would not allow it because of the bullet hole in the skull. If truth be known, I wonder just how many of the great bears have been killed with firearms considered too puny to do the job? IIRC, "Old Ephraim", a cattle killing Griz was killed with a 25-35 Winchester. Yeah, I know. Not my choice as well.
It was mentioned that the 30-40 Krag with 220 gr. bullet at 2000 FPS was a good bear gun. I have loaded the .308 Win. to 2310 FPS with W760 and the 220 gr. Hornady round nose. I kept hearing thata the .308 didn't do well with the heavier bullets. So much for that old wive's tale. That's only 90 FPS slower than advertised velocity for the 30-06.
No matter what you're carrying, you still have to put that bullet in the right place.
If I were lucky enough to get a chance at one of the great bears,I'd probably leave the .375 H&H at home and take either the .35 Whelen or 30-06 depoending on which one was the lightest in weight, Recoil has nothing to do with it. I consider the kick of the .375 to be a firm push more than a sharp blow. I'm more concerned about the roughly two pound difference in weight.
My .375 weighs 9.5 pounds with scope, the .35 Whelen 7.5 pounds with scope and the 06 at 7.25 pounds with scope. Which one would you rather carry at the higher elevations?
Paul B.