From Guns.com:

Which is best for home defense: pistol, rifle, or shotgun? It’s an age-old question, but why? Possibly because every 30 seconds a burglary takes place in the U.S. That is a lot of home invasions even when you consider the fact that not all burglaries are in the home. Also, if a home invasion is not for a burglary, then the situation is probably much more critical.