Best wheel gun setup for griz protection?

[Wyoming Nimrod]

While bow hunting for black bears over, my wife and I were charged by what I assumed to be a mating pair of grizz in the spring. We were walking into the bait site and heard something on the bait already. I had my wife nock an arrow and get ready thinking it was a black bear and it would have been her first bear. It was a good sized sow grizz.

The sow charged and all of my practice kicked in instinctively and my bow got thrown to the ground and my 454 came out. Once she crossed my arbitrary 10 yard comfort threshold for an animal that can run 35 mph I started shooting. The first shot slowed her down significantly but I decided to give her took 4 shots total before she stumbled off into the thick brush to my right. I didn't see the second bear, so I opened my cylinder to remove the empties and top off with new rounds. I got the empties out when I heard my wife say something to the effect of "Oh sh*t, another one" quickly followed by the distinct sound of an arrow leaving her bow and hitting something. I slammed the cylinder shut happening like hell the remaining two rounds were lined up. He was coming in hot and almost to the same spot on the trail where I shot the sow. I pulled the hammer back as I presented the revolver and pulled the trigger as soon as my sights came into view. It was a pleasant relief of pain to hear and feel the 454 go off and a large bear laying motionless at around 10 yards. I was sure glad the round lined up correctly and that he only needed one shot. After all, I only had two rounds left and the sow took four. We got the hell out of there for a few hours before coming back in with a dog and more ammo to asses the situation.

It seemed as though the sow was on the bait and the boar was hanging around for her to come into heat. When he heard the commotion of her getting shot, he decided to come in on us up the same trail. We never did find that sow. My wife's arrow hit the boar in the leg and my 300gr swift revolver a-frame hit him just slightly left of center of his chest barely hitting the left scapular and exited near his right hip. He was 7.5' squared. Unfortunately the hide and skull had to be turned over to ADFG, it was a damn good looking bear with an even better story to tell people who would've seen it.

I sold that 454 after that fun filled encounter and picked up an FNX 45 tactical converted to 460 Rowland. 15+1 with quicker follow up shots sure seemed appealing. I'll be carrying an FN 510 this summer and I'd be grateful if I don't have to use it.

First of all, nothing but respect to you and your lady for working together as a team and keeping your heads straight in a very serious and quickly escalating situation. I’m sure there was an element of luck there, but you guys did everything right are alive and unharmed as a result. Thanks for sharing. I can’t imagine there is a very long list of people who have been in that situation let alone lived to tell the tale.
There is a lot to learn here for all of us who are interested and reading. It is awesome that you chimed in with perhaps the most relevant story of all to share, and extremely interesting too that after that incident you are going to switch to a semi auto chambered in .460 Rowland, ie a bit less kinetic energy firepower but more capacity firepower and likely faster follow up shots. It all says a lot. Thanks again, admirable job, and hopefully the last time you have to do that. Certainly not the last time you’ll be asked to give your account in detail. Cheers