Just to change things up... if you were hunting other than BB's, with whatever rifle you hunt those other species with, would having a .454 (.44 mag, .460, et al) backup, completely negate this thread?
I've read a lot of stories by mauled (and rifle armed) hunters who said they had absolutely no time to swing and fire at the charging bear. I'd have to say a big pistol would make me feel much more confident in my abilities to get the gun actually pointed and fired (even if the bear was already attacking).
Then again, this is just a hope-I-never-get-certification-theory!
