Best first rifle for hunting

[Slim]

I'm talking about handgun rounds though, and not hunting rounds. Is there a difference?

Yes there is. Defensive handgun rounds are designed to be deployed at a fairly close range. 7 yards is the average distance for a gunfight. Hollow point rounds work very well at creating a debilitating wound channel without over penetration.

For hunting, the shot ranges are much greater, and aside from the fact that hollow points pack less kinetic punch at those distances, the actually hollow point nose of the bullet makes it a ballistic nightmare because no two rounds act the same way when traveling down range. Not a good thing for accuracy.