If your main use case is home defense then you should get a shotgun.
Discussion
I know, but my rationale:
https://primal.net/e/note1yyflwlcqkg2uwe6e57h883lf70me5he0sqgd9knxedzf58xyte0q0ru26k
That’s reasonable. I still would rather have a shotgun with little experience than a handgun in a high stress situation where I may not be able to aim properly under pressure. It’s difficult to miss the threat with a shotgun even with little experience using it. Good luck though!
Yeah, I don't disagree. Hopefully my comfort level will get there eventually.
Also hoping at least some of my gymnastics training translates. I was terrified of all my high level skills and got super nervous for competitions. But I was an incredibly solid, consistent competitor regardless. Obv different kind of threat and stress reaction, but for many of the skills it was still a life-or-death matter. That mental discipline to power through it has served me well over the decades.
But no way of knowing if that will kick in when it really matters.
You can only put yourself in the best position to succeed and hope for the best. With that being said, your comfort won’t improve until you face that fear and practice shooting with it.