Gary asks "with a handgun"...

I've hunted New Hampshire black bear most of my adult life. Can't say how many I have encountered. Mostly small sows and 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 year olds, and cubbies. The one bear that I felt was of the size and quality that I desired to take field dressed just shy of the desireable 300 mark at 294 lbs. It was a healthy quality bear though (and sure "looked" more than 300 to me at the time!). I felt very deserving to have taken that bruiser as I still-hunted him the hard way just as I do big whitetails.
I have taken a number of heavy New Hampshire whitetail bucks with rifle and revolver. (They did not "all" have trophy size racks, not unusual for the severe winter climate of the upper northeast. Sometimes the bucks up here grow bigger, faster than the antlers are capable of catching up.) The largest with revolver was... I think the 230 lbs. He had a very wide rack with only 9 points (4x5) on heavy beams. When I was younger, the one and only doe that I have ever shot (black powder) dressed out at something over 150 lbs. I can't remember the exact weight but she was magnificent!
Then there was the time that this giant red squirrel sounded the intruder alarm on me while I was stalking crows on the edge of some cut corn with my 12 gauge, full choke and #4's...
I really don't know just how big he was, as after the crows scrammed I lost my composure and the squirrel evaporated!

Renster