New to bears

[Braz475]

Hey fella's I am a newbie to bear hunting but have been deer and elk hunting for the past few years.  I just decided to go down and pick up the Bear/cougar combo tags this year since it's the only season going on right now in washington.  I have a couple questions about how to prepare for my first hunt, do I need to know anything specifically when setting up my equiptment?  I do not want to go out and buy another firearm so my choices are limited to .30-06 model 70 featherweight, Mauser Argentine rechambered in 7.62mm, .357 magnum winchester model 94, or 12 guage benelli (I have limited experience with the shotgun, but have heard slugs are very effective).  I would like to hear your input on what I should carry and any other details I need to worry about for my first hunt.  Thanks guys!!!

[Geno]

all will work in the right conditions. My choice of these would be the 30-06 with a good 165 through 200 grain bullet (Like a Trophy Bonded, Hornady Partition or the like). I dont know what the hunting conditions are like where you are at but open sights or low power optics should work well. If hunting heavy timber keep in mind that black bears, black sites and black forest floors make your target difficult to see, especially at low light. 12 gauge with slugs would be my second choice of the calibers you offer. Good luck on your hunt, no need to buy new or bigger equipment unless you want to.