Yeah, it just depends on what you’re wanting. The benefit of a shotgun is that it’s suited for both hunting and home defense with a variety of loads/shells to choose from depending on the application and/or game. After thinking on your question a little more, I’d probably recommend a shotgun for the reasons mentioned above if you’ve never owned a gun, but depending on where you live, most (maybe all?) indoor ranges only allow pistol caliber long guns, i.e., .22, .357, .45, etc.. That could lead to difficulty finding a place to practice which is extremely important. If you’re in a city or suburb and you’ve already held an xd a few times, go for any caliber of that model. They’re all great performers IMO. I only went with the 9mm because I was familiar with them, and the deal was too good to pass up…again, you definitely want to hold/handle your final candidates a few times before you buy - it should feel natural, like it belongs in your hand(s). And if you’re entirely new to guns, proper training is an absolute must, even if it’s just from a well-versed friend. TLDR; a.) think about your current location and potential constraints on being able to practice, b.) hold/handle the final candidates a few times, c.) get proper training as needed.