I would have to agree with the prior post about being more concerned about wolves than the bears. We have relatively good populations of both in and around my land and I've had encounters with both. I purchased my 9mm shortly after being followed out of the woods by a small pack of wolves while bow hunting last year. It was definitely an uneasy feeling. I chose the 9mm due to a higher ammo capacity and with good quality ammo, should offer a good defense against either species. The big thing is to choose something you are comfortable with and to practice with it a lot. Practice will lead to greater safety which is the most important thing.