It is not a question of winning. It is a question of boots in the field experience as opposed to internet experts that learned everything on the internet.
I have been studying bear for about 54 years, all across Canada, Alaska and some of the lower 48 states. I have written several papers on bear behavior. I live with bears, When they are out of hibernation they live in my yard, both Brown Bears and Black Bears. I do detailed studies of bear density, and travel behavior.
Where I live there are some of the larges Brown Bears in Alaska, I have studied then all over Alaska, including Kodiak Island, and Afognak Island. I have had as many as 30 to 45 Brown Bear encounters per day, day after day after day. I have had Brown Bears come into camp and sleep right tight against the tent, several time. I have had as many as seven Brown Bears in camp at the same time. I have wacked them on the nose with gun barrel, sticks, oars, canoe paddles, and fishing rods.
I have had a huge brown bear on top of me when I had no firearm, I have had the break into my cabin when I was sleeping, I have had them wait for me outside the cabin door. I have had them follow me when I was hand broadcasting oats and barley, the follow and lick up the seeds. I have had thousands of close bear encounters, some funny and some not so funny.
I have watch several brown bears stalk me. Sometimes me and clients.
I know something about bears from living in their habitat for the last 50 years. A lot of what is stated as fact on the internet is just plain wrong. Sadly that is where the bear experts, who often have never seen a bear other then in the zoo or on TV or in a movie, pass on their flawed knowledge.
There is a saying that goes something like, "When the government is telling lies, it is dangerous to be telling the truth". There are two types of knowledge. Knowledge derived from internet or books or magazines, word of mouth, etc..
The other type on knowledge is First hand personal experience, What I call "Boots in the Field" experience.
When the masses believe what is taught them, by people who learned what they are stating as fact from the internet, and then they run quick like a bunny to a different forum, and state what they know as the truth or the way it is based on what they know and learned from the different survival forums and blogs......."In that environment it is pointless and dangerous to state what you know from first hand experience......with boots in the field.
In this "Information Age" there is a tremendous amount of information that is totally believed, everyone knows is true , common knowledge.....that is wrong to varying degrees, from totally wrong, to just a small partly inaccurate.
If there are 50 people in a discussion on a thread, stating what they think, and what they think is based on "ZERO" first hand or Boots in the field experience.......and someone enters that discussion who is old and has 50 or 60 years of first hand experience day in and day out living that subject of that thread. they will be called, "Troll" and shouted down.
The masses rule.
People without "First Hand" or Boots in the Field experience can not accept the truth, they want to believe what they have believed for a very long time. They will fight savagely to defend what they believe, even as they have zero first hand experience.
Kind's Sad.
I would have to say....a black bear is very small compared to a brown or a griz..but there is a different method to determine the animal type......its the whistle in the brown crap....
and here is a washed out coastal black....with a 2506 cartridge...just a little bear....
But you win.....it doesnt show claws.....therefore they must be "sheathed"...