My opinion..... I would not try to shoot anything other than a varmint with a .410 pistol.
Home defense.... Shotgun with some sort of Flite Control wad is #1 choice. I wouldn't fault anyone for choosing an AR. If you;re looking for something to carry on-body, a reliable semi-auto pistol with 10+ rounds beats 5 or 6 rounds of .410.
YMMV