To be clear I am a Spray over pistol person, but I am confident a .44 will work wonders on a human....
This. I carry a S&W Model 29 w/a 4" bbl in grizzly country. I carry spray too. I also hunt w/medium bore guns in grizz country for the energy they provide. When a size 13EEE doesn't fill in the back foot print, I tend to overcompensate.
Spray first, but when it's windy or you're cutting a critter up, there's a lot of comfort in 3 pounds of steel on your hip.