Keep in mind that's it's incredibly easy to referee a game one doesn't see or play in but IMO.......Steve should have had his gun in his hands and hot well b4 he got to getting to it! Darn lucky on that deal that someone didn't have tracks and claw marks on them.
IMO, and IME fights with bears are one or two shot deI als. Time is very much of the essence and it'll happen so quickly you just can't imagine. CNS hits are the only way to stop, I'd not count on a body hit to stop or turn a bruin. I've had two black bears get after me, both had been hit prior to them coming for me. One came at 9', I shot him just under the chin with a 25/06, second bruin came at me from 15', I stopped that one with one shot under the chin with my 22/250. Both were black bears, the one that launched from 9' came really fast, the second one quickly but not fast and hard. Neither were particularly big bruins but make no mistake they were coming to take me out!
Far and away I believe that most all are better off with bear spray. If one is carrying a rifle I'd not bother with a handgun, bear spray though isn't a bad back up. I know it isn't in vogue for us macho men to carry bear spray over a handgun and I know there's been cases of bears coming thru the spray but I feel that all but the most experienced hand gunners are way better off with the spray.
The vast majority of guys in the woods with a handgun have little to zero experience in shooting them, deploying them quickly and shooting them accurately under pressure.
UDAP is making a little clip on holster now, you can clip the holster to about anything. I clip it on the belt of my fanny pack, where I can quickly get to it with my left hand and I shoot it from the holster. I don't take it out of the holster to shoot it. I'm pretty handy with guns be it lefty or righty though.
The chest holsters for handguns are wonderful! I"m way more a fan of the Glock 10 than the bigger wheel guns. Try handling and getting back on target with those really big boomers. One or two perfectly placed shots will end the affair rather quickly. Those big buggers can travel 30 yards or so in a second or two...
Practice practice practice in getting you choice of defense into action asap and safely!