The S&W Victory 22 is a great target pistol to learn with straight out of the box. It’s easy to add an after-market barrel from Volquartsen and the picatinny rail is there for an optic...I have a C-More railway on mine and this turns it into a tackdriver...
Another .22 to consider is the Walther PPQ in 22LR, it’s ergonomically almost identical to the 9mm version and I’ve taught my grandkids to use it without any of the recoil issues the larger caliber presents them...
Learning to shoot a pistol in .22 is smart, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise...for stopping power though you will have to go heavier caliber unless you can put two in the hat consistently...in a dark room while tripping over the cat...
If you are planning to join a group, see what they shoot first.
Nothing wrong with that S&W Victory, but there are good reasons that you may find more Ruger 22’s than all other brands combined. Especially in target shooting competition.
But it doesn’t matter, because it won’t be your only gun for long.