I have a 700 in 7-08, wonderful. No experience with bear, but hogs and deer tend to fall quickly after the report and light recoil of this rifle. I have had good results on game to 300 yds, and paper to 800. A bit of a sleeper in that it does not have the fame of, say the .270, but if you use it in the same reguards as the .270, it works excelent. Remember, if you reload, it is not a 7MAG, keep bullet weights at 150-160 or less. I heve never needed much beyond 139ers.
~z