Some of the comments regarding options are not as prudent as one would think.
Placing yourself in harms way with a false sense of security is not a very wise decision. It's like buying a pre-folded/packed parachute from Ebay and planning to use it in an emergency without checking it out first. Sure you think your safe flying that little plane now cause you have a parachute right?
If you think that buying a gun for bear/lion protection is so important that you must have one to venture into the areas your interested in traveling. Then why go with something that is not a decisive and proven performer. Going into a known problem area( your opinion) with less then the right choice is just silly!
I read and hear people all the time talking about handguns and shotguns for the river in AK or BC where bears frequent the salmon streams. If you really think that the risk is worth the reward you better have a dedicated guy with a gun handy guarding the people fishing. Take turns fishing but somebody better be at the ready if you really think it's a problem that justifes a gun to begin with.
This comes from a guy who has been pinned to the ground and chewed on. With a 44 mag and hot handloads, enough to kill any bear alive. Yet I could not unbutton my coat and get that gun out to use it. Each time I tried to move to get the gun I was shoved down and attacked with great vigor by that bear.
No matter what you choose it must be ready and available, not over your shoulder with a sling, not in a holster, not under your coat, but at the ready. Other then that it's simply a false sense of security. These ideas that having this gun in your backpack, under your coat, over your shoulder just invite trouble and will put you into places you should not be going with that false sense of security.
When I was hit and knocked down from behind the wind was knocked out of me and I could not breath for about 30 seconds. Getting my hands on the gun was not my first priority, getting air into my lungs was. After that blocking the back of my head from the biting was. Then after some time, I cannot measure under the stress of the moment, I was able to think about my revolver. However any movement by me just increased the intensity of the bears aggression. So regardless of the gun you choose, you better decide that it must be at your fingertips in an instant. You cannot fish, cannot daydream, cannot enjoy the moment.
If you seriously consider that the place you're traveling to dictates the use of a gun, then you better make that the priority and act with a military level of preparadness. If you don't think you can or want to use that mindset to enter into the place that worries you, then stay out of there. No firearm you carry will help you when a problem occurs if your not expecting it all the time. Lions don't attack from the front. You will not likely see it coming. They will run up and hit you from behind so fast and with such rage and intensity that you will never draw the gun anyway. With the wind knocked out of you and four 1" teeth stuck into your nack It's a little to late for pulling the gun out of the holster. Do you really trust your friends and or family to shoot at a moving lion or bear that is on top of you? You want a bullet impacting and penetrating clean through an animal on top of you? Hard cast and solids seem quite a bit less attractive in this situation. At least to me. Actually the skill set of the shooter in a huge panic seems a bit risky as well. Bears can do the same but usually provide better survival time lines, or in other words just a bit more notice. Still not with enough time to unshoulder and aim a rifle or shotgun, or dig out from under your buttoned or zipped coat to use a gun.
When you think that the area your traveling in is going to be a problem, then you better go with the intent that you better have the gun in your hands. Otherwise it's just a pound and a half of metal weighing you down. This is a fact, coming from a guy who has lived through it once, and seen the problems several times.
Far to many people have some kind of gun and feel invincible. This gets them into places they should never have gone anyway because they feel safe with a very misguided sense of security.
