The advisability of a .357 is also going to depend on how one chooses to use it. I can virtually always have an SP101 with me here in Texas, along with another handgun. If I suddenly found myself invited to Alaska, upon reaching the wild country, I would swap the antipersonnel ammo for hardcast hunting loads, which I have indeed tried and found controllable. A small DA sixgun that can be inside my sleeping bag surely beats no handgun at all if I can't reach my Winchester Model 70 Safari Express at a given moment in time. I reckon it would be nice to have my Ruger Bisley loaded with hot .45 Colt ammo, too.
I have never walked among large bears, but hunt people for a living, wear a badge, and will usually have two handguns and a shotgun on duty, so the principle is the same. If an underpowered handgun is the best one has at the moment, use it in nasal spray mode, whether the opponent is human or ursine.
Edited to add: I really do want one of those Ruger SRH Alaskans in .45 Colt/.454 Casull, when money in my pocket coincides with availability of the sixgun.
I have never walked among large bears, but hunt people for a living, wear a badge, and will usually have two handguns and a shotgun on duty, so the principle is the same. If an underpowered handgun is the best one has at the moment, use it in nasal spray mode, whether the opponent is human or ursine.
Edited to add: I really do want one of those Ruger SRH Alaskans in .45 Colt/.454 Casull, when money in my pocket coincides with availability of the sixgun.