Using a .22lr in the defensive role is iffy at best because hollow points lack good penetration and solids penetrate but do not create a significant wound channel. My personal choice of ammo for rimfires is a 40gr solid for almost everything I use my twenty two's for. I do carry a small Taurus PT22 during the summer months when making a quick trip to the store during daylight hours, and its always loaded with CCI Mini Mag 40gr Solids.
A 36gr hollow point can possibly be stoped by a rib bone, it will hit, expand and most likely stop before getting to the internals. The 40gr will most definitely penetrate a rib bone and punch right thru to the internals. Some years ago I tested this theory by shooting into a pressure treated 2x4 from a 16" barrel rifle at about 15 feet. The 36gr HP round hit the board and stopped immediately, it went maybe 1/8" below the surface and I was able to dig it out with a small pocket knife. I shot the same board with a 40gr solid and it was a thru n thru shot, thinking it was a fluke I repeated this about 5 times and came up with the exact same results each time. So... I use 40gr solids for everything now, except for very informal plinking then I use bulk pack hollow points because they are dirt cheap.
Main reason I use the CCI ammo is reliability. Cant ever remember getting a dud round with Mini Mag's in all the years I have been shooting rimfire guns. Mini Mag's also cycle great in all my semi-auto's and tend to turn in some of the best accuracy for general purpose use.
rimfirehunter