09jisaac,
I also think CCI is tops when it comes to .22LR ammo: CCI "Stingers" are all I use for "serious" carry in my Beretta 21A. But for just plinking with my 21A, I use a variety of other brands and bullet types -- even the "bulk boxes" of .22 ammo sold at the Big Box stores -- since for casual plinking it doesn't matter if you have any malfunctions. Surprisingly, however, most work better than expected, but of course not well enough to trust 100% (and become CARRY ammo) as the CCI Stingers.
Of course, my 22 RIFLE (Marlin M60) will shoot them all without any problems, so those "other brands/bullet types" are never wasted. My Ruger Mark III shoots Stingers well, too (but IIRC, Ruger recommends lower-powered stuff for it so I prefer to use a "target" ammo for the Mk.III instead).
I have one of those Ciener .22LR conversions for my Colt Government 1911, but don't recall what it likes or doesn't like, except that CCI Stingers have always worked.
I carried a small .22LR handgun (2 different ones) FOR YEARS (for several reasons, not to be made public) as my main carry gun, and since I COULD hit what I aimed at, I wasn't AT ALL worried, but most people have to have something bigger. There are several reasons for that, but stating them would only make for a "lively debate" here which I do not have the time nor inclination to see out. Nor do I want to interact with the ignorant since no matter what is said, they will persist in their erroneous beliefs re: the .22LR caliber.
Personally, I don't under-rate the .22LR whatsoever.
So considering how many people ARE so ignorant/misinformed about the .22LR (not just here in this Forum but on the street as well) I would advise you [EDIT: and other pro-.22LR people such as the OP SickPythons] not to get into any "debate" with them as that would be a completely futile effort -- their minds are made up already -- so just let them remain in their ignorant bliss.
But you know, most "gun owners" in general are pretty ignorant about guns (and tactics especially), so they're not much more "informed" than the average Joe. They're more interested in how "sexy" a gun is (how stupid is that), how it looks or what movie it was used in instead of anything of real substance. And re: calibers vs. performance, it's what they've heard other people say/post and just parrot that same info whether it's true or not. Pretty pathetic and disappointing really, but true nonetheless.