Look up the Reagan shooting.
IIRC, 5 shots fired, 4 grown men taken to ground, one almost permanently, one left a paraplegic. Not one thought it a be sting.
Not the best, but only hits count. A hit with a 22 short is better than a miss with a 44 mag.
I can put a lot of .22 LR down range and chew up a target. I have no doubt that my target pistol with its red dot would mean a hit with every trigger pull.
But I am trained and practiced. My wife and daughters are not. They are familiar with the guns. They are trained with safety and usage.
In a home defense situation, I am trading a little accuracy for some confidence in execution.
And the guy that shot Reagan was crazy.
I believe .22lr leads the pack in murders in this country. Very deadly - never understood the mythology that it can be stopped by a heavy coat, etc.
The shooter used “explosive” ammo. All failed except the one that nailed Jim Brady. The exploding bullet exploded when it hit his skull and if NORMAL ammo had been used it would have penetrated his brain and killed him.