I used to live in Valdez, Alaska and my old man went on more than one bear hunt up there. I never went because I was too young and hungry grizzly bears have a way of being ferocious in the middle of winter when they can't find food.
Anyone who thinks a 9mm with 50 rounds in a Custom Made Tripps Super-Duper Cobra mag is a good defense is, conservatively, out of their respective minds. No disrespect intended - I am talking in general terms here.
Let's just analyze section density here for a second.
Bears are covered in fur, I think we can all agree this is a fact. Fur is much thicker than your average human hair. I mean, you've felt a bear pelt, right? It's much thicker and comfy and better than my head of thinning hair.
Bears don't have central heating. That means their hair covers a tough hide that is protection against other attacks and the elements.
Beneath that hair and hide you have a layer of fat, that depending on the bear and how well it's been eating, could be 4 or 6 inches thick.
Now the design behind a hollow point is what? In it's most basic, Wiley E. Coyote School of Engineering? Launch small projectile into surface, projectile expands to twice it's size to create a wider wound channel and cause excessive bleeding. Basically that is the job of the hollow point round.
Do you know what a 9mm hollow point is going to do when it's traveling 1100, 1200 fps and it spins into heavy fur, then a tough hide and MAYBE gets to 4 inches of bear fat??
Yeah. It's going to expand, transfer energy in a stone thrown in a pool pattern, and NOT get into the vitals of an angry, protective and possibly hungry bear.
I am going to say that even with some really, really great marksmanship (which would be considered awesome in the face of a charging bear) you are going to be lottery level lucky to put a round in the right spot to kill this type of animal with a 9mm bullet.
But if you are going to go, can we meet up at my insurance agents office before your flight? I'd like to take out a really big policy on you. You know. For luck.
JD