Reading this is much like reading internet discussions regarding the most effective broad head for bowhunting deer. Lots and lots of opinions but the capability to actually prove anything just doesn't exist because of the number of variables. One thing is certain: the R&D and Marketing Depts. of companies that manufacture and sell bullets and broadheads are out there doing something every day...whether the product is improving or not.
I have never (thank goodness) shot a human being. I have shot a lot of deer with centerfire rifles in several different flavors. It is impossible to predict the result of even a well-placed hit. Very, very few actually "drop in their tracks", even when shot through both lungs...never mind a hit in the paunch. Beyond that, it's a crap shoot. Some go 40 yards and some go a half-mile. My reading suggests that human reaction to gunshots varies widely as well.
Nothing wrong with shooting the latest FBI favorite, but it seems to me the design of your bullet (assuming it doesn't fragment) might be way, way down the list of important factors in surviving an exchange of pistol fire. Stuff like recognizing the threat, gaining separation (who wants to exchange fire at arms length?), reaction time (training), accessibility of your weapon, ambient lighting and even the clothes that you're wearing (I'm going to start wearing lots of denim!) come way before bullet section. IMHO.
I am pretty sure about this: deer hit anywhere with a 300 Win Mag react more than one shot with a 243. They flinch, buck, stumble, get knocked off their feet, whatever...but whatever they do is more than they do when shot with a "light" caliber. I think that's what I'm looking for, since I'm not out to kill anybody. I just want them to react as much as possible in the hope that they will stop attacking.
So give me a bullet that is going to deliver some serious energy, in hopes that it imparts enough reaction to make the BG cease fire and retreat. That comes from mass X velocity, not bullet design (assuming the bullet doesn't disintegrate). In my opinion.