I’d rather have a large caliber revolver under my pillow and then let the bear decide whether it wants to break off the attack.
I don’t need others telling me what won’t work.
So, your protests are moot, aren't they? And people who know firearms, know that no handgun caliber will stop a determined carnivore that happens to weigh in at around 3/4 ton. That's the polar bear.
My favorite handgun caliber is 44 mag, and even that caliber is inferior in ballistics to even the anemic (in the minds of most) 30-30 rifle.
The "what caliber handgun for bear" debate is constant. Somebody's always asking that over on The High Road or The Firing Line. And the conclusion is that if you go into brown or polar bear country armed with only a handgun, you'd better save that last bullet for yourself.