You might want to consider carrying the .45 anyway. If you ever actually need a gun you'll be glad you brought something full size (I wouldn't be giving you that recommendation if I didn't practice what I preach). Carry the LCP as a BUG available to your weak hand. I carry my BUG in a front pocket so that I can put my hands in my pockets and begin my draw while looking totally casual. When doing so the big gun then becomes the BUG. Two guns will give you options, including the fastest reload, the New York reload, that one gun will never give you.

As far as those Hydra-Shoks go, those test results look impressive to me. Only you can decide how much penetration is enough. I stick to 12"-14" (FBI protocol, IIRC), but will live with a little more or less. 10" generally is enough for civilian self defense, since shots are more likely to be frontal and less likely to involve barriers (excepting arms) than law enforcement scenarios. 12" gives you a little fudge factor. Those expansion numbers look ideal for a .380. IMO, a .380 JHP shouldn't expand more than that because a larger diameter will have a greater parachute effect and cause less penetration, and like I said earlier 12" is about ideal. You have to choose a balance between deep penetration, and the risk to bystanders. None of us really know what we will need ahead of time, so the best any of us are doing is making a SWAG (scientific wild *** guess).

The most important factor in selectin carry ammo is that it's 100% reliable in your gun. Second is accuracy and hitting POA. After that, gelatin gymnastics is the thing to consider last.