If you can't afford real bullets then just get a bb gun at walmart. Shooting with a 22 pistol is all but pointless. It's too weak for reliable self defense. You cannot hunt with a 22 pistol for the same reason...and being a good shot with a 22 means nothing if you're not used to the recoil of a MAN'S weapon like a 45 or 10mm...so it's not like you can practice with a 22 to improve your skills with a non-pussified weapon.
Oh, this post is so full of fail it isn't even funny. Nowhere in the OP does he mention self defense or hunting, so why even go there? But since you went there - a .22 is perfectly suited for small game (such as rabbits and squirrels) and my Buckmark has killed quite a few over the years. Your inability to improve skills with a .22 comment is equally silly, as the mechanics of the shot (stuff like grip, aiming, trigger control, etc) are (or should be, assuming similar ergonomics) fairly consistent across platforms. The whole "MAN'S weapon/non-pussified weapon" crap is just laughable, and makes it sound like you might be trying to compensate for something. I guess the fact that I enjoy the heck out of shooting my Buckmark and might put several hundred rounds through it in a day of shooting must make me a pussy...or does the .45 I carry daily make up for that?