What he really said was one I posted in the quote. You stated your opinion of what he said ,which was quite different than what the author intended to convey.
LOL! What the author intended to convey was to mask his selfishness in being upset that a deer got past him and his elderly father shot it.
It could just as easily be said that you'd defend anyone who takes issue with AR's and rationalize just about anything said by anyone who supports your anti AR agenda.
Saying his heart
sank when his father shot betrays the words he used to cover for it in his next line. Again, an unselfish hunters heart would have been filled with joy that dad got an opportunity at the buck that got past him.