Owning a gun is not just a right; there are responsibilities that go along with it

[NickB79]

25. Because you want the threat stopped as fast as possible

If someone is about to attack you, you want them to stop. Immediately. A regular bullet could certainly do that if it hits the right area (heart, spine, head), but a hollowpoint makes it more likely that a less-than-ideal shot will still get them to stop.

Who says the first gunshot is supposed to lethal in a self-defense situation?

Like I said, you shoot to stop the threat as quickly as possible. That means shooting center-mass to ensure that as many bullets as possible hit the target, and where they'll do the quickest amount of damage. Bullshit Hollywood moves like "shoot to wound" or "warning shots" are a quick way to either end up dead or in prison yourself. If you are going to resort to using a firearm, you've already made the decision to potentially kill someone. No point dicking around trying a trick shot that could then be used against you in court to say you weren't truly in fear for your life. This woman in Florida found out that doing so can get you 20 years in prison: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/justice/florida-stand-ground-sentencing

And yes, you should exhaust all non-lethal means first. If you have pepper spray, use it. If you can run, by God run like hell. If you can lock yourself in a room, do so. That's exactly what I did when I was 17 and was forced to point a loaded rifle at my enraged father after he almost murdered my mother. Thankfully, the sight of the gun DID act as a deterrent, but it was really, really close.

Maybe a regular bullet would have defended Zimmerman, made his point without ensuring the victim's death.

Per the news reports, the bullet fired by Zimmerman pierced Martin's heart. A regular bullet would have killed him just as dead as a hollowpoint (was Zimmerman firing hollowpoints? Not sure I ever read that).