I finally got my VERY gunshy fiance shooting. Bought her an SR22 and the only regret I've had is the toll its taken on my surplus of .22 Shes actually interested in getting a membership to the local range out here and possibly looking into concealed carry classes with another female shooter shes made friends with. I'm not a fan of .22 for self defense personally but when even a .380 scares her at this point I'll take what I can get.
My mom packs a P22, and shoots it really well. What good is a "Bigger Gun" if you can't keep it on target? We did some research and the CCI Velocitors with the Speer hollow points have shown to actually open and do some effective damage. (I know for a fact they make a mess out of the common rabbit) I don't recommend these as regular range ammo, though, as they are HOT and and bit pricey. I always thought a .22 Mag would be a nice next option. Sadly the semi auto options are few and quite bulky, but many revolver manufactures offer some nice options and Hornady makes Critical Defense rounds in .22 Mag.