Talking “proper” calibers is the equivalent of what Linux distro is best. It comes down to how accurate and quickly can you shoot under pressure. By most standards a .22 is too light a round to stop someone, unless you can precisely hit the head and potentially multiple times. A 9mm is kind of gold standard starting point for self defence. Like someone mentioned, if you aren’t a great shot, or feel like under pressure you wouldn’t be accurate, grab a shotgun. Just racking one can stop some people from attacking.
Talking “proper” calibers is the equivalent of what Linux distro is best. It comes down to how accurate and quickly can you shoot under pressure. By most standards a .22 is too light a round to stop someone, unless you can precisely hit the head and potentially multiple times. A 9mm is kind of gold standard starting point for self defence. Like someone mentioned, if you aren’t a great shot, or feel like under pressure you wouldn’t be accurate, grab a shotgun. Just racking one can stop some people from attacking.