[GrumpyOldGuy]

Rifle is faster?? Not unless you are carrying it port arms or something. Well placed bear spray can be fired directly from your hip, still in the holster. For speed alone, I’ll bet on well placed bear spray every time. But you can’t have it in your backpack. Most effective, I’m not sure. Under pressure from a charging bear, you’ve got to be pretty cool to be accurate with a firearm, less so with bear spray. I’ve heard the spray is 90% effective, I guess it just sucks for the other 10%.

[Chainmail]

Wind direction is sort of important with bear spray too...

[marktwain]

Well placed bear spray can be fired directly from your hip, still in the holster.

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Such can be done, but it still has to be pointed at the bear. It still has to account for wind, if there is any. If can be done if you are carrying it without the safety engaged, which is not recommended. I don’t recommend practicing taking off the safety while it is holstered.

In practice, spraying while it is in the holster might work some of the time in certain configurations.

[riverrunner]

sounds like BS from a uninformed user of bear spray or firearms.