Should beginners learn to shoot on a .22?

Starting on a .22 is the proven path — nearly every instructor does it. Cheap ammo, almost no recoil, and a mild report mean new shooters focus on fundamentals (sight picture, trigger control) without developing a flinch. Those skills transfer straight to bigger calibers. A 10/22 or a .22 pistol gives hundreds of rounds of trigger time for the cost of one box of defensive ammo. Begin on irons, then add optics.