There is a popular saying about this.
If it’s black, fight back: American black bears are often curious or defensive, and fighting back can deter them.
If it’s brown, lie down: Brown or grizzly bears are typically defensive; playing dead (lying face down with hands behind your neck) is recommended to avoid further provocation.
If it’s white, say goodnight: Polar bears are predatory and highly dangerous, implying that survival is unlikely without immediate, aggressive resistance or specialized tools like bear spray.
My saying is "carry a 10mm".
You are going to need a lot more than a 10mm for at least 2 of those. Otherwise you are just going to make them more mad.
It's better to be killed by a cat than a bear. A Cat starts eating you AFTER you are dead. The bear starts eating you when it can.
Basically the complete opposite of humans and subhumans.
10mm and 12ga slugs are the antithesis of all these solutions. But as always shot placement is most important.
Knew a guy that trained Oregon Parks and Wildlife Officers started carrying 10mm S&W 610 (moon clips) as the side arm for Rangers, and a 12 ga with slugs as backup. 2 man officer teams usually, and the SOP was if a bear attack happens hug the bear, and the partner (behind) would shoot at the head, empty weapon, then transition to the 12ga, then put it under the bears neck and drive the shotgun through the bear's skull while unloading.
They said that strategy worked in all cases where deployed with minimal harm to the guy getting a fur hug....hearing loss aside!
That sounds. Horrifying. Functional but also, wtf. Carry something bigger.
Apparently you haven’t investigated the energy of 10mm. And what’s bigger than a 12ga slug? 10ga?