The bola is mostly for tripping prey. Against a person running at you or away it will be effective in stopping them but you still have to deal with an angry person after he is stopped. People think that you can use it to wrap around the neck and choke them, Nope! It doesn't get tight enough to choke someone and there is nothing to press against the trachea to stop the breathing. The weapon has a broad use in China, Alaska and South America. It was popularized by the use of it by gauchos in South America for capturing cattle. It is not a weapon I would choose to use on a man (or woman) unless I was just trying to stop them and had the means to end their threat to me.
Your comfort level may be different but as long as I have a gun or a bow that would be my choice.