sidearm caliber in bear country

Safety with big bore

Leave the spray at home. Learn how to effectively handle and shoot a portable 50 caliber handgun with at least 440 grain hardcast bullets.
500 wyoming express
500 jrh
500 linebaugh

You and your companion(s) will be much safer.

I am guessing that you've all heard the story about the Ranger in Yellowstone and the Japanese tourists out for an early morning hike? They had heard the Ranger's lecture about making noise and letting the bears know you were coming, wearing "bear bells", etc. The ranger asked if they knew how to tell the difference between black and brown bears.. He said "By the scat. Black bear scat is full of berries and grubs. Brown bear scat is full of bear bells and smells like pepper spray".

whether you choose spray or handgun , one must realize both have advantages and disadvantages. bear spray is effective to an extent, if you are downwind, spray won't be effective, except to put seasoning on yourself, above certain elevation or temperature the distance the can will spray is greatly reduced, and as i understand most Alaskan bush pilots won't even allow bear spray on their plane. as for handguns, proficiency is key. caliber choices are also important. if you carry a 44 magnum or 454 Casull, but aren't as proficient with it as you are with your 357 or 40 s&w, then carrying the 44 or 454 is pointless. whichever caliber you choose, a good hard cast bullet is preferred.you want as much penetration as possible. i realize most will never come into a situation with an agitated bear, but it's always good to be prepared. as with most responses posted, a rifle is probably one's best option.

If you're going to carry both, I recommend carrying the spray where it can easily be accessed with your non-dominant hand, and handgun accessed with dominant hand. It requires practice. IMO you want to have both in your hands as quickly as possible should you have an encounter. Doesn't make much sense to carry both if you have to fumble around and try to switch hands.