if your in a full blown surprise attack, I doubt either will be much help, hence the word surprise?
the odds of hitting a vital that will STOP a bear is a small target that is moving fast!
either weapon NOT at the ready will become nothing but a object that gets slapped out of your hands
the long gun MIGHT help in stopping some bites as it might get in the way when it bites down on it IF it gets that part in its mouth!
a rifle or handgun is IMO mostly a piece of mind item in bear country
as if your NOT hunting them, your only time you can kill one is in an attack, and again, an attack is 99% something not seen coming
there basically from when you startle a bear, by getting too close to it, before it knew you were there, getting in between a sow and its cubs, and or a starving bear, that deems you as food.
pepper spray kept handy I think will more likely get a bear off you than a poor placed shot, which I think will just piss it pff more
the point behind pepper spray , is it causes the bear to react to something and it breaks there mind set, and many times that mind set break is enough to cause it to stop and back up, or leave
a poor placed bullet, again, IMO< will just make the bear more pissed at what it thinks just hurt it?
I have been about bears a LOT over the past 30+ yrs, trapped tagged, and hunted in all types of bear country, read a lot about bears,. learned about bears from some of the best bear biologist's out there
bear attacks are rare, even with the literally millions of folks every yr in bear country!
I'd carry a container of pepper spray and keep it handy and be sure I know how it works, I'd also maybe carry a hand gun, for like reasons others have said, if on your BACK in an attack, its easier maybe to get to than a shotgun/long gun!
making noise when in bear country (non hunting of course is the best idea of them all, gives bears a chance to leave before things get too close)
I have seen bears get shot with rifles, shotguns and handguns
very very very few dropped a bear in its track, and NON were being attacked at time of shooting
try shooting a foot ball someone throws at you as it passes by,(be safe here)
and see if you can hit it
as a bears head is about that size and will be moving about that fast in an attack!!
Good luck!
I shoot quick draw matches and I wouldn;t want to HAVE to make that shot! and I doubt in an attack you would be half as ready as shooting in a match or as calm!