I'm a little late to this thread, but I do have some experience shooting animals with 9mm.
I work in the woods and carry a Beretta 92 every day. I carry various cheap 115 gr hollow points as I tend to do alot of impromptu shooting. I've shot everything from squirrels and rabbits to deer and pigs. I have noticed that small game seem to run like I shot them with a fmj. Deer on the other hand act just like I shot em with a bigger gun. They kick , run, and pile up 50 to 100 yards away with a blood trail. (Except once with a golden saber that didn't exit, but violently expanded)
I just assumed that my bullet needed some target mass for the bullet to expand.

That seems to kinda line up with what Greencountypete said. Guy might get more splash with a lighter/faster bullet.

I do realize there’s a huge difference between small game and self defense vs a bipedal predator. But watchin guys shoot gel blocks just ain’t enough for me. Figure fur ain’t worth much and varmints are still varmints…

Golden sabers have long been known for Jacket separation as part of their expansion

the difference in SD ammo is every foot pound the bullet takes with out the back of the target is a waste in SD ammo

in hunting you generally want a guaranteed exit for a blood trail so it isn't a waste

in SD anything that leaves the target is a liability

in hunting anything not leaving the target is a liability that you won't find the game because no blood trail and you wouldn't take the shot if there was a danger behind your target.

if you like to see what some bullets do in a flesh target while catching the bullets for inspection , watch this

this one is 38spl but the same guy had videos with a bunch of different ammos in different calibers , the golden sabers shed their jackets more than half of the time in 9mm


you could build these targets yourself for not that much money
fleece goes on 50% off sale or pickup old blankets at good will , the bungee cord keeps you from chasing the fleece after each shot

watch enough of these videos , and a lot of the time the T shirt on the back of the target catches the bullet if the bullet got good expansion

I've watched most of Paul Harrell's videos. He is responsible for getting me away from gimmicky SD ammo. I do still carry golden sabers in my short barrel carry guns because they do expand at slower velocity than others, and I don't care about jacket core separation...and I own a case of it.

yup as he calls it , designer ammo , too expensive to want to shoot

find something that works decent on your targets of opportunity like coons that you can afford to shoot a bunch of

for me it is XTP 124gr the local store carries them

here is something that might interest you , lots of ammos tested
https://www.luckygunner.com/labs/self-defense-ammo-ballistic-tests/#9mm

For sure, a fmjbt 55 GR in .223 drops them every time

Rules of a gun fight:

1- Don't get dead.
2 - Avoid situations that will get you into a gunfight, while protecting yourself and loved ones, whenever possible. (Live with situational awareness.)
3- Bring a gun.
4- Be competent with that gun. (Train)
5- When the moment arrives, do not hesitate and do not stop until ALL threats are neutralized.
6- Whenever possible, use movement and cover to increase the likelihood of success.
7- See 1-

I say your 9 is perfect. It comes down to shot placement and capacity IMO