Another option is to take a 357 or 44 mag and load a snake load for the first shot in home defense. That would certainly get a person’s attention. These, especially in 44 mag, can create quite a mess with animal tissue. I suppose this would hold true with a human also. Even shot out of a 38/357 these could hurt and confuse an intruder and give you more time for your options. I’m sure there are times when a killing first shot is required. Bottom line is that you can’t always predict what is the best option for a particular incident.