A couple of different agencies went back and looked at 100s of bear attacks. In the incidents where bear spray was used, there was a very very small % of injuries, almost none. Were firearms were used, the injury rate was, if I remember corruptly over 90%. The sheep hunter that is the topic of this thread was carrying a firearm. The two Texas hunters in Montana last year or the year before couldn't stop the bear with their rifles, and one man was mauled, and then shot accidentally by his hunting partner.
Spent a Saturday a couple of weeks ago visiting with a very avid and successful hunter who had worked with MT FWP doing grizzly research- They put their faith in bear spray. Have friends who have guided fishermen in Alaska and have used bear spray, successfully. There are 100's if not thousands of documented cases where bear spray has been used successfully to deter grizzly charges.
I have never had to stop a bear charge,but I am going to go with the knowledge of the guys that work in bear country every day and who have had to stop bear charges, and who have had to pick up the pieces of people who have tried to use guns to stop bears.
