“Never understood why one would carry a pistol when they could carry a rifle.”
They’re easier to bring to bear, no pun intended, quickly in a situation like this. Increased ammunition supply could also be a factor. Most bolt rifles hold 3 or 4 rounds and are much more difficult to center on target quickly. Follow up shots are also much, much slower.
There’s more to the question than just muzzle energy here. If that were the sole factor a lever gun in 45-70 would be an obvious choice. But when 600 pounds of angry bear is closing in on you at 30 MPH an auto loading pistol in 10 mm with hard cast bullets designed for deep penetration is not a bad option at all.
L
Or a shotgun with slugs or buckshot. Obviously, not as quick to refire as a semi-auto pistol, a lever-action carbine or pump shotgun can refire quickly. But with the advantage of each shot having 4-5x the energy and because of the longer barrel, more likely to be accurate.
:o)