Thanks James for your agreeable comment, most others disagreed with me, except a person whom has also lived in the Copper Basin.
The reason I am down on shotguns; in Glennallen, years ago, a fellow had a small gunshop, he had been a member of I think the Air Force Rifle team, hunted a lot. There was a Griz that was ravaging garbage in town, needed to be shot, showed up in his yard he was ready with slugs and buck shot alternated in his magazine. He said the buckshot didn't even slow the bear, slugs didn't put it down either, he had to reload to finish it off, this under perfect conditions not the field. 
He said never again with a shotgun. 
If you carry a pistol for bears check the ft. Lbs. of energy and compare with say a 30-30, or a 30-06.
Steve Herrero, Canadian bear attack researcher, looked into deployment of defenses, I think less than 50% were deployed, bears are very fast.
I see grizzlies every night at work, have been charged by both blacks and Griz.
Sorry for family.