I suspect if you had been handed a .22 instead of a .38, you would have hit the target every single time. A .22 has no perceptible recoil. I can’t say that for a .38. IMO, that’s the true advantage of a .22, for someone who doesn’t spend much time at the range. It might not have much stopping power, but a larger caliber with more stopping power that misses all the time, due to recoil issues (in turn due to lack of range time), is distinctly inferior to a .22 that is more-or-less point-and-shoot, that usually hits the target. The .22 is preferable to a .38 for someone with no time to practice.
Maybe not, but it could certainly slow someone down long enough for you to get into a position to get a better shot at him. ;o)
It was more an unfamiliarity with revolvers and the desire to shoot extremely fast. Some people are naturals that shoot very well with minimal training. Most improve by an order of magnitude with just a little coaching. I could shoot 3 inch groups at 50 feet one handed with a target .22 in national match rapid fire. I, in my youth and inexperience, simply didn't think I could miss a big target like that at 15 feet. It is easy to do though, If you yank on that double action trigger really fast without having learned to compensate.
I recommend that my students get a .22, and I almost always start them out with one. The ammunition costs make them affordable for lots of practice. If you can hit well with a .22, you can hit well with a .45 or a .44. The principles are the same. The only difference is the time that it takes to recover from the recoil and blast. It isn't recoil that causes people to miss, because by the time the gun is recoiling, the bullet is already out of the barrel. It is the anticipation of the recoil and the blast that cause people to flinch or anticipate the shot. That can be overcome with training. In a deadly fight for your life, people seldom notice recoil or blast.
I am not really disagreeing with you on this, just trying to elaborate a bit and to be very specific. A .22 that you have confidence with is much better than a .45 that you are afraid to shoot.
I carried a .22lr for years and practiced on average once a week. Practice is the key to shot placement, regardless of caliber. A .22lr from a three inch barrel of a semi-auto should always have one or more follow up rounds, regardless of first shot hit. That is one of the beauties of the .22lr, the recoil is so negligible that second and third rounds usually go where they need to. I guess I’m disagreeing with you; even more practice is needed if such a small caliber is carried.