If your home is situated on a ranch or farm, or you live in the wilderness with neighbors more than a mile away, your home defense preparations should absolutely include a centerfire rife. But unless you expect to be shooting at a vicious pack of dogs at a distance, or an assailant who is armed with a rifle, this is not the tool of choice for routine urban self-defense at home.
A rifle certainly has its place in every self-defense arsenal, but it is not as versatile of a weapon as a tactical shotgun. Further, if a centerfire rifle is used in an urban environment, the penetration of the rifle bullet can easily become a major problem. For example, if used inside your house to shoot an assailant who has entered your home, there is a major risk of secondary penetration. You may stop the assailant, but that same bullet can pass through the criminal and still kill an innocent person in another room of your home, or even across the street inside your neighbor’s house.
So if you live in a rural area you may want to also purchase a self-defense rife. However, if your concern is self-defense in your home, and defending yourself outside in the immediate proximity of your rural home, then a shotgun is probably still your first-choice weapon. But not just any shotgun; you need a self-defense shotgun.