CCI Velocitor all the way! Don't take MY word for it; try it yourself.
A .22 will work great for self defense if you can place multiple center mass shots in rapid succession or take a head shot. This is impractical, not impossible, but mostly foolish. Personally, my choice for home defense is a S&W N-frame model 629 .44mag. If you hit a target anywhere on their torso or center mass with (1) 300 grain .44mag hydra-shock, regardless of their size, they are done...even a grizzly bear is done! I do, however LOVE the .22 round. It has its place in the world beyond plinking. My 10/22 loaded with CCI Velocitor, supersonic (1435fps) 40 grain hollow points is a formidable weapon within 85 meters. Think I am crazy? Try it yourself. Find a hefty phonebook and saturate it with warm water. Set it out at 50 meters, and stand it against a flat, firm backstop like a piece of plywood. Shoot one side of the book with a CCI Velocitor. Next, shoot the other side with a CCI Stinger (32 grain, 1640 fps hollow point.) See for yourself how the two .22lr rounds compare. For me it was a no brainer, despite the CCI Stinger's speed, it just didnt have the energy to penetrate completely. The Velocitor on the other hand, with it's 40 grain Gold Dot hollow point was a devastating thru and thru with really nice cavitation and a surprisingly large exit hole. I do believe that a well placed shot to the head with a CCI Velocitor will take down a deer or a large man. To the best of my knowledge, hunting deer anywhere in the USA with ANY .22lr is illegal, and for good reason. Most people would merely injure the deer and let it run around for a week and die a slow painful death. This is not to say that a proficient shooter in a life-or-death survival situation could not feed himself REALLY well with a handful of CCI Velocitor rounds, and/or defend himself adequately. I have not yet tried the Aguila 60 grain .22lr, but when I do, I will definitely let you all know what I discover. For all of you who love to shoot 5.56 but dont want to send 2 quarters down range each time you pull the trigger, I recommend the Ruger 10/22 with any number of aftermarket stock/furniture options. Nordic Components even makes a very high quality "AR-22" conversion kit which is sure to please any "black gun" enthusiast. High quality, modified .22lr bolts and magazines for the AR-15 are also available. I hope you found my little bit of research helpful. Happy shooting Everyone!