I hunt in eastern carolina and we have a large black bear on the lease. Our wildlife agent has advised not going in the woods without a sidearm.

I don't own any handguns and need advice on a model that will be do the job with out breaking the bank. I probably will use the gun for some target practice as well.

Any suggestions?

Ever heard the one about filing off the front sight?

On a budget (or otherwise) it would be tough to beat a Ruger .44 Magnum. Single or double action. Can practice with light loaded .44 Special cartridges and work your way up to the "Bear Stoppers".

If I didn't have much experience with handguns, and seriously thought a bear might get me, I would carry a shotgun or a rifle.

I know very little of bears. Rugers are a good value in firearms. Single or double action is a matter of choice.
I would choose one in .410, .429,or .454 diameter and feel good about it.
It is true that a longarm would be better if "push came to shove"!
Handguns are handy and longuns are leaning aginst a tree when you need them.
Cheezywan

I've killed a few black bears with a handgun and found that the 41 mag and 44 mag work great, but, there is a learning curve to using these large bore magnum handguns.

If you can shoot these guns well then by all means carry one. Ruger, Taurus and Smith and Wesson all make fine ones. One point you might consider is get as heavy a gun as you can carry. The new ultra-light 41's and 44 mags are a handful to shoot accuratly.

I would go with one of the above posters suggestion and carry a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs if I wasn't really sure about my ability to shoot a handgun accuratly.

If you are dead-set on a handgun, you have been given good advice on previous posts. I will also add that you may want to check out the Taurus line of revolvers. The tracker serious is available in many chamberings including 41 Mag, 44 Mag, and 357 Mag. Prices are comparable to the Rugers, but Taurus has ported models that don't have the muzzle flip that I have found with the Rugers. I now have a 4" Tracker in 44 mag and really enjoy shooting it, although it can be painful without hearing protection, but not unbearable. If you go with the 44 you get 5 rounds, if you go with the 357 you get 7 rounds. Either cartridge should suit your needs.

If you did your own reloading, I'd say 45 Colt (from a biased opinion however) as it is common as grass for plinking loads. However, to find good bear loads, you need to load them up yourself. Cor-Bon and Buffalo Bore don't have enough kick for the raunchy things out there. They are better than 44 magnum, but still have some in reserve. 454 Casull is a round that was not needed to be. If you can do it COMFORTABLY (ie not tearing skin off your hands) with a 454, you can do it with a 45 Colt cheaper.

Sometimes or maybe often times a handgun can give the uninitiated a false since of security. Merely just having a large caliber side arm will not guarantee you security, practice and the right ammunition will. So if you do decide to get something like a 44 magnum practice practice practice and also learn a little bit of Bear Anatomy! hitting one in the rump is not going to accomplice your goal and might just serve to make you bear dung. You also might want to consider what I carry when venturing out in bear country a Marlin Guide Gun chambered in 45/70 kind of like want Teddy used to say about his favorite cartage the 405 Winchester, it's my medicine.

cj

I hope you guys get the rascal this year during hunting season. If you get him with the stick and string it will be that much better. I would be hoping to see him rather than worrying about an attack.

Carrying a firearm that you can't use with some level of proficiency does not help. Shooting a pistol at paper probably would not prepare any of us for defending ourselves against a deadly threat. If this bear is known to be aggresive toward people and he was on my lease where he would be a constant danger to me and my friends, I would try to ellminate the threat as quickly as possible so I could enjoy my favorite thing without this real threat that would hinder my enjoyment. If the bear is just a big bear that has been sighted, I would be looking forward to any sightings and sign I could see of him.

Going back and rereading your post, I think you just want a handgun to carry in the woods for protection. I would carry something light in 38 or better in a revolver or 9 or better in semiauto. Shoot and shoot more often. Again, I hope you see the bear.