Well, you will dance with what brung' you. A rifle leaning up against a tree while you are gutting an elk north of Yellowstone is of little use. Rifle shots are dinner bells to the grizz around here and though a handgun is a poor substitute for my 9.3x62, the fact that it never leaves my side might mean the difference between just being maimed and being dead.

I've guided in Yellowstone National Park and the Park service takes a dim view of anything except bear spray. I can say with some pride that I've never had to use it, I always managed to avoid any confrontations with bears or resolve them at a safe distance. It is far better to never get into trouble than to get out of it. The problem is that the later leaves you with no good stories.

Back up? Phil and the rest of the guides that regularly walk up to large bears with the intent of doing them harm trump anything anyone else might say for me. Back up rifles would start with my 9.3x62 and go up I'd think (As I recall Phil carried one for back up in one of his articles). I am very familiar with that rifle so it would be my first choise. I've seen a 286gr NP go length wise through an elk and rip it to shreads inside. I think it would be a good starting point. I've shot elk and a black bear with a Marlin Guide Gun in 45/70 with 350gr slugs, works well. Might be a good choise for someone who uses a lever gun a lot. Handles nice, but I found the recoil too much with any useful load.

Best back up? No back up. Good first shot. Stay alert. Be prepared for and expect the worst and you'll be surprised how often it turns out you have no good stories.