I'm another who is in griz country just about all the time. And the 329PD is exactly what I carry but my wife always has bear spray. The trouble I have with the gun versus bear spray statistics is that all gun encounters are weighed the same, whether it was a 22 or a S&W 500 mag (I have one of those too but it isn't something you want to pack to many miles). Another huge factor in those statistics is the proficiency of the user. If you don't have time to stay proficient with a hand gun by all means leave it home! Black bears? Problem? I've been face to face with at least a half dozen on our own place and have never had to use either spray or a gun.
All that said and as noted in prior posts, you're way more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the trailhead. But like buying insurance for auto, home, life, I'm not going into griz country without any bear insurance.