Here's the dirty little secret about defensive ammunition. You're going to have a spend a dollar or two and actually do some testing. It doesn't matter what the local gun shop commando tells you, it doesn't matter what the latest gun rag tells you, it is downright foolish to carry a round that you have not extensively tested (200 round minimum) through the weapon.
Here is my personal routine. I have 3 loads that I start with, Gold Dots, Ranger SXT's, and Golden Sabers. I run 50 rounds of each through the weapon, and determine which load shoots best through the weapon based upon group size and POA vs POI. Once I have chosen the load to test, I proceed to run an additional 200 rounds of that load through the weapon to verify reliability. Only then do I consider it for carry.