[elliptic]

I've spent most of my life in Alaska. I don't really know anyone who would hunt brown bear with that cartridge; it would possibly suffice for self-defense. Many "smaller" rounds are fine - plenty of locals hunt with 30-06, or even 270 Winchesters, but those rounds are much more heavily loaded. Also, the comment in TFA article about the "tumbling" being key against bears sounds off; the hard part is getting through the protective mass of fur/bone/muscle/fat.

That said, bears (and especially wolves) surely represent minimal risk as compared to the elements and more generally being in got-damn space. Funny thing to worry about.

[fit2rule]

Yeah, these are not your average bear hunters. Every little bit of weight counts, so I can see where being on the lighter side of the load would make a difference to the science teams putting together these survival packages. Hunting bears? Use what you like. Trying to survive long enough after 6 months in space? I'm okay with having the lighter load out ..