I prefer low recoil 00 Buck. Yes, it is still penetrative, but at roughly 1100 fps, its not quite as much so as "standard" 00 Buck. Now, if "all I have" is birdshot or something of that nature, I will use it. But, again, I tend to go with the former.
I look at it this way. Given the close proximity of an HD encounter, I am far less likely to miss with a shotgun vs using, say, a handgun. Is it possible to miss with a shotgun? Sure. But, keep this in mind...most effective handgun loads used for HD (and many which are not) can also penetrate walls quite easily and in general, are much harder to aim well (effectively). How many of us use handguns for HD? Im betting plenty. Thus, this whole debate seems mute at times.
Sure, there is nothing wrong with minimizing risk. However, its a calculated risk at best. When firing a weapon in the home, in the middle of the night or whatever, you will ALWAYS have risk. It simply cannot be eliminated as far as Im concerned. This is where practice, awareness and a solid "mindset" come in to play.
Oh..and particularly within the home, do not freaking fire at a "target" unless you are absolutely sure it has been identified as a threat and is within reasonable range based on your current skill/ability. In addition, pay attention to the background (what is behind the "target"). To me, stuff like this means just as much, if not more, than what my gun is loaded up with.
So, whatever you decide to load in that 870 of yours, just be aware of the positives and negatives associated with it. Almost every load out there comes with both. Then, go out and shoot and then shoot some more. After all, you cannot stop what you cannot hit. In addition, try walking around the house... getting used to the layout. Become aware of "danger" areas, places/situations where a shotgun would be optimal, places/situations where a handgun may be a better choice and so forth. As you are doing so, think about the "what ifs?". It doesn't take long and can only help. Now, you do not have to get all "militant" about it, but just try to develop a general plan. Just keep in mind that even the best laid plans have a way of going to hell real quick!
IMHO, this kind of thinking (along with practice) can take you much further than spending most of the time worrying about what HD load you are using.