Kerouac32,
The answer to this question is determined by the most common use of the weapon. I noticed that you said (a) range shooting and (b) self defense. In my opinion, those two purposes call for different calibers. If range shooting and plinking is the primary use, go with the 9mm. It has lower recoil and it is less expensive. It makes for a pretty fun trip to the range because it does not cause hand fatigue as soon. But for self defense I am not a big fan of the 9mm. I have and XD40 Subcompact and it shoots like a champ. Do to the additional recoil/muzzle flip I had to grow accustomed to shooting it, but that only took one trip to the range. As a result, all of my self defense semi-autos are .40 S&W. I chose it because it has a little more stopping power than a 9mm. Why have a "9" when you can have a "10" (.40S&W). But that's just me.
Heavy