bb and pelet guns are deadly too... anything that shoots a prjectile should be treated with the same respect.
youre missing the point of what ive said. if youre buying one handgun for both carry use and plinking id suggest you not buy a .22. a 9mm or .40 is a much better defensive weapon and they are still semi affordable to shoot.
It's a good point, but that's where I step in. I have exactly what you pointed out, the .45acp for defense and the .22lr for plinking. You can bet your ass I will trust my life with either caliber in either situation. I have about 6-7 .22's it's my main source of target/small game. I could hunt deer with a .22, but one, their illegal to hunt with and two, distance is limited, but if I'm within bow range,75 yards or so you can bet whatever is at the end of my barrel is dead.
Remember, your training you, not the gun. A .22 will be one of the most reliable guns, if you take proper care of it.