I carry both, and I hunt in grizz country every year. I have yet to run into one while hunting. If ever a grizz were to charge me I would go the pepper spray first. I agree with Dan, that few hunters could hit a bear during a charge. If you draw your gun first I would honestly try to fire a missing shot in front of it in attempt to kick up dirt in the bears face. Or well out in front of it so the bear can see it and hopefully become frightened. Like I said before I plan to spray first, I know it will slow the bear down, and more than likley send him in the other direction. If he shakes it off and is still in the mood to pursue, then I will shoot to kill with my sidearm.(be it my .41Mag, .44Mag, or my .454 Casull)After I sprayed the bear, hopefully I will have calmed down a bit collect my thoughts and will be able to make a accurate shot.

I have been very close to black bears a few times,in two of those instances sows with cubs.Similar situation as Fran's sneaking along slowly only to find myself in a location I didn't want to be in.I came up on a snoozing sow with two cubs (also snoozing) a few years ago,I was within 20 yards.I was like oh crap I am way closer to these guys than I would like to be.I snuck away slowly and never woke them.
I fortunately have never been chased or bluff charged or had one pop it's jaws at me.I understand the running to get out of it's personal space zone but I always feared that would ilicit a predatory response and encourage a bear to chase.
With pepper spray they suggest that the bear be almost on top of you before you release the stuff,hopefully my adrenaline filled brain would be able to wait that long.If I hunted in grizzly or brown bear country I would have the biggest semi auto that browning makes (.338?) pepper spray and a serious side arm.Oh yeah and my bow.
Two years ago I arrowed a black bear was walking up to it after watching it fall and saw a very large boar about 50 yards away,with me standing about 5 yards away from the bear I killed.I didn't like that feeling! I clapped my hands and he took off like he was on fire.

Bear spray is not just pepper spray its a substance which law enforcement and military use is situations that doesnt warrent deadly force. Its whats Called OC (oleoresin capsicum)spray if you have ever been hit by it you will understand that if you have that its enough, but yet I still would carry the gun. OC spray I have been sprayed by. You have to get sprayed before you can carry it. I and a 100 other military guys will tell you this I would rather get kicked in the nuts 10 times before getting sprayed with this stuff ever again. The pepper spray we buy in a store is week compared to the levels of OC in bear spray. The military can carry alot higher of a content of OC then the general public but the bear spray to my knowledge has the same OC content has military OC spray.

Just to put a different spin on bears and bear country..

In Canada there are far more people out hiking, biking and fly fishing in grizzly/black bear country then archery hunters. Every day there are hundreds of thousands in the summer out in their habitat either unarmed or armed with only bear spray. Relatively speaking few encounters happen, and out of those encounters, few turn into a charge and most charges are mock charges.. Bear attacks do happen but it is still a rare event, thanks to the fact that the bears are keeping away from us as much as we are from them.

Personally I feel much safer in the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies with bear spray than I would in some neighborhoods in East Calgary with bear spray.

My friends (hunting and non hunting) and myself have had bear encounters, but in every case they ran off and it never got to the point of needing bear spray. And with all the gear I already carry while bow hunting, up and down and up ridges again, a canister of bear spray is much easier to carry around and keep on your body (quick access) than a .375 Holland & Holland or a Winchester Defender.

While hunting on foot for elk, bear pray is far more practical, smaller, lighter and effective.

Sorry, but option A ain't going to cut it where really big bears live... in the rain and wind. I'll take option B every time and this is one of those cases where bigger is definitely better; if my finger doesn't fit down the bore, it ain't big enough (.450 or .500 Alaskan)!

I know several people that have been mauled though and every one of them will tell you that it just doesn't matter. You're not going to get it out in time to do anything with it anyway. Option C: curl up in a ball, protect your head, and hope for the best.

In answer to the original question, I think the bear spray is more effective than most handguns - definitely a .357 Magnum. The real big bore hand cannons are the exception, but they are quite a load to lug around all day. If I am seriously concerned about the issue (like hunting in Alaska), I (or someone in my group) would probably be packing a short barrel 12 guage as well as some bear spray.

I have personally seen the bear spray deployed. One of my fellow park rangers and I encoutered a medium size black bear inside a5 yard dumpster once, feeding on garbage. The other ranger gave him a shot of the OC spray and he came out of that dumpster so violently that his claws creased 1/8" steel and actually tipped over the container. He ran right into a tree, made a course correction, and left the area in a death rattle panic.

Better not do that with a black bear.....or the last thing you'll hear is yourself being eaten for dinner.[8D]

I like this option.[:-]

I can believe that with the bear you guys have up there. No dought!

This is my only real problem with option A. Not all days are still and sunny. Granted I know the stuff will still spray in the general direction you want it to but I'm sure some (if not a lot) of it will be deflected by the weather........I know a "big ole slug" is not.

What happens if the day your luck runs out the rain is coming down sideways?? You gonna trust that spray is all going to go where you want it to? Plus, I believe you only have about 6 seconds of spray time. With a firearm, you can always reload. I bet it's not a comfortable feeling to have successfully sprayed away that big old Grizzly but now your out of spray....and you're STILL out in the middle of nowhere perhaps with a few more trips to get your fresh kill out??

Yeah....I'm packing a gun too.