Most important, one you can shoot accurately. I'm a 7mm short mag fan. I have never shot a brown bear but I have shot elk and a 350 lb black bear with mine and neither knew what happened. I'm in the camp of "It's not so much what you shoot them with but where you shoot them." Your mileage may vary.

2gbl

Funny thing, now when I thing back over the last 10 years, I 've killed maybe 5 deer out 65 or so with a rifle. The vast majority of my hunting these days is with bow or muzzleloader. Just a 2 week rifle season for deer in Bedford.

But there's just something about the allure of a good rifle. I've had the same bow since 02, probably won't replace it since it until breaks. I got an omega in 05 and that's a gun I swear by. But I have a few real decent deer rifles, just feel the itch to keep looking.

Personally I favor beautiful walnut stockeded bolt actions with a flawless action. Functional art. But they look to be on the pricey side. And is that really the rifle you want to take in a rugged hunt? If you have enough money to buy one and not care if it gets banged up, then I guess the answer could be yet.

But a synthetic stock seems more practical for hunting hard and not worrying if the rifle takes a few hits.

For now I'm going to hold off and keep looking. It's crazy though some of the prices on custom rifles. A lot of mark up in some of the names. Some of them though seem to take the art of rifle making to phenomenal heights.

You need two guns for sure!

If you were to throw out the brown bear idea, then you could shoot everything with a 7 MM or 300. Weatherby in a 7MM would be my choice, but you would have to pay.

If you can afford a brown bear hunt, then just buy a big gun or borrow a big gun when that time comes, it will only be a small portion of the total cost of the hunt if you buy one then!