you're right will.. the hollowpoint round mushrooms out more so that the impact transfers as much kinetic energy to the target as possible, which is generally why those that have been shot with a hollowpoint round come out looking like hamburger:bigok:

as far as range ammo goes, unless you reload rounds yourself, just get the cheapest thing you can find. if you're lookin for home defense rounds, just buy a box of each type that you can find and pop them off at the range to see which ones you like the best. ammunition is just like firearms, it's all about personal preference when choosing one.