Mike,
There's truth in what you say, however, I think you underestimate Tony's proficiency with a sidearm and his coolness under dangerous game encounter stress. If you will look through his past postings here and on other forums, you will find he's quite the character. A .44 Mag is not an ideal firearm for stopping a brown bear charge, yes I have faced charges and I've seen big brownies shot with .44's. However, if it is what you have, it's better than nothing. In my personal opinion, the only way to absolutely stop a charging brownie with a HANDGUN or sub 40 cal rifle is a direct CNS hit. Would a 44 with the proper loads give adequate penetration in the right place for that? Yes, it would. I believe Tony is practiced enough with his .44 and is cool enough in those type situations to use whatever he has to the best of his favor. Not many people are capable of that, but not many are willing to take on elephants less than 5 yards, either.

When working in the remote areas where the bears outnumber people or just about anything else, and doing things where I cannot carry a long gun in my hands (my personal opinion is a shotgun or rifle slung over your shoulder in the alder and devils club jungles makes you a spectator), I carry a large bore revolver, worked over by Hamilton Bowen for absolute certainty of it not malfunctioning. It is chambered for something more than a 44, but I carried a hot loaded 45 Colt for years.

With a handgun or just about any firearm, excluding a CNS hit, with a charging bear I believe you will get one shot to stop or turn the bear. A CNS hit with a 44 (with proper bullets) will stop a bear the same as a CNS hit with a rifle at those type of ranges. If you don't stop or turn the bear with your first shot, you aren't likely to get a second. I would never suggest someone that isn't well practiced and intimately familiar with their handguns to use them as bear protection. I do believe, though, for some, it can be a lifesaver.