Guides' advice is intended for the guy who might not be really able to do proper shot placement. Six inches or so in the wrong direction might be okay with a .338, maybe. With a .300 Savage, life might become exciting.
Six inches POI off (even much, much less) is not going to make one iota of difference between a 30-06 and a 458....even less on an enraged wounded bear...
Look at the wound channel diameter between a 30-06 and 375 striking at the same velocity (assuming same bullet shape and contruction)....we are not talking about inches of difference.....
The only situation I can imagine on a big bear (again , assuming proper loads) where, for example, the use of a 375 vs a 30-06 may remotely be the only differentiating factor is extremely bad shooting angles where the penetration edge of the 375 would get you where you want to get....however that would be a bad shot that you should not get, regardless of the caliber.
A super magnum high BC cartridge (like a 338 RUM or 338-378 Wby....definitely not a 375 H&H or a 458) obviously is the only way to go if you want to engage in extreme long range bear hunting....which is unethical anyway and you should not do it IMHO.
You cannot take this 1016 yards black bear shot (375 Allen Magnum),with a 30-06 (or a 375 for that matter) ...IMHO nobody should, no matter the caliber...but, again, that's my opinion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daDk...03696CBA&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=18
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