There are clearly a lot of opinions on the best weapon for self defense in the home and in different situations every one of them is best.

But i'm gonna quote from another post (Reloading--Best bullet for bear country: grizz007) "the best weapon is between your ears.)

I think what he means isyou need to makethe right decisions before the confrontation so you can avoid the confrontation. Or if you can't avoid it, you can at least survive it.

Do you have a safe room? complete with a phone, a weapon and a first aid kit? Can you turn on all the lights in your house from your bedroom? What about a strategically placed mirror that lets you see the open areas in your house without exposing yourself?

Do you have an escape route? does your family know the drill in the event of an emergency. where do they go, who do they call?

I'm a firm believer that the best firearm is the one that will hit what you shoot at. If you're more comfortable with a handgun than a long gun then thats your best choice.

But don't think that having a gun on the nite stand makes you safe. It might help, but it's just one piece of the puzzle.

When my kids were at home, I kept a short barreled Browning light 12 loaded with 4 rounds of #4 shot. now that they're gone, I prefer my Marlin lever gun in 44mag. Short, sweet and (with 240grJHP's) very much to the point.