When all hopes of teaching her daughter to shoot seem to be dashed, a basic single shot to save the author

Written by Hal Herring, Richard Mann | Published at 2:00 PM, November 11, 2021

When my daughter first learned to shoot, she faced a challenge. In most cases, she is a left-handed. But we don't have a left-handed rifle and can't afford it. She played our old Remington Gamemaster Pump 0.22 very well, that is, the used cartridges flew past her sight when ejected. Shooting the family deer rifle, the Remington VII with the 7mm-08, is another matter. We shoot paper, we shoot balloons, we shoot steel. She missed a lot.

There does not seem to be a consistent reason for success or failure. She was frustrated and didn't want to go to the shooting range with me. I try my best to practice patiently. I encourage, coax, hug, never scolded. This is a crucial battle. It must win.

I discussed this with an old friend from Mississippi, and he sent us a Rosie triple combo, a basic external hammer type single-shot three barrels-one 0.22, one. 243 and a No. 20 shotgun. In addition to the gun, he also sent a Burris red dot sight, which is easy to install on the 0.22 barrel, my goodness, how does that little single-shot edge fire print.

My daughter and I traveled long distances to take pictures of Rossi while walking. We threw some dry cow pie on a pothole with almost no icing, and then smashed them into pieces. Through the red dot, she can see the difference between where she is aiming and hitting. She switched to her right hand position, aimed with her right eye, and the hits became consistent instantly. With a single shot, there is nothing to manipulate, no bolts to run. Only the posture, aiming, trigger pull, and the comforting blow of the bullet accurately hit the target. She became a shooter that day.

When her first deer season arrived, she was like my son, so did my nephew, and I hope my grandchildren will do the same. She learned to pull the bolt with her right hand, and since then we have experienced some adventures. In the last moments of my earthly life, I will remember these adventures with a smile.

Rossi is known for its simplicity and accidental arrival when everything seems to be lost, and is now a family truck gun. When it is placed under my 1997 Sierra seat, it will be placed in a cardboard box to hold the tire chain. Now it undergoes annual cleaning in the kitchen. The firewood season in September is approaching, the start of the grouse season, and maybe snowshoe hares, all of which are part of getting firewood. When Rossi drove, he placed the barrel on the hump above the transfer case, and the butt was supported on the seat. I will say to the dog for the 500th time, "Hey! Watch out for Rossi. Hush, you would think you clowns have never ridden a truck with a gun before!"-Hal Herring

The term truck gun has evolved from the 0.30-30 leverage in the rear window frame to a series of specially designed guns designed to deal with everything from predators on the prairie to bad guys who don’t take your best interests at heart. Unless you take Make a living by shooting a gunfight or shooting coyotes in the ranch, otherwise your truck gun should be more suitable for general tasks than professional tasks. The hunter's truck gun should be suitable for the geographic area where they live, and at least suitable for self-defense.

Although Jeff Cooper did not call his universal rifle concept a truck gun, he did intend to let his light and compact reconnaissance rifle answer almost all possible questions about the rifle. The Scout Rifle seems to be the ideal blueprint for a truck gun, but unless you often shoot big games on the side of the road, the .308 Winchester may be a bit too much for most outdoor people.

When I started to imagine my truck gun, I thought about what I would most likely do with it as a hunter. The hills and farmland I frequent in West Virginia need something for bites and small games. It needs to be suitable for sniping ground squirrels, impromptu squirrel hunting, shooting crows, calling foxes, and even driving away deer I might hit on the road. In the worst case, it should also be something I can use—except for my hidden portable pistol—to prevent two-legged predators. The truck gun should pass the 3-F test: it should provide fun, provide food, and at least have moderate combat capabilities when necessary. 

For me and most hunters across the United States, 0.22 Magnum seems to be a practical answer. No, it is not a cartridge for gun battles, but if the bullet is placed properly, it will stop the bullet. However, for entertainment and food, it provides trigger pulls at an affordable price and can handle most small animals in most places. The situation will of course be different. A friend of mine in Kodiak, Alaska put 0.45-70 in his truck because he is most likely to encounter a big bear. Similarly, the leveler may need a greater range than 0.22 Magnum can provide.

I built my truck gun on the 0.22 Magnum Compact Ruger American. It is short enough to be easily dragged out from behind a truck seat, accurate enough to poke a coyote in the eye 100 yards away, and strong enough to repel injured deer or change the minds of bad guys. In the Scout Rifle fashion, I equipped it with an aperture scope and a scout mirror. This provided me with two sights to choose from as needed and a spare sight, just in case the sight was damaged. I also used the hollow butt and filled it with life-saving supplies, such as lighters and sharp blades. I took a few 25-round magazines with me, just in case.

Obviously, depending on your needs, wishes and wishes, other types of truck guns may be more suitable for you. For those who like highland games, a compact and versatile shotgun will be a better choice. Others, who live among the locals who are infested with wild boars, obviously want something more impactful. In any case, a real truck gun is not just a gun in your truck; it is a well-thought-out solution to many potential problems. And, if you think in your own way, then this is not an heirloom or expensive gun that you cannot bear to lose. More than 700,000 cars were stolen in 2019, and nearly 2 million cars were stolen.

Read next: 4 best truck guns for survival, protection and general use

To pay tribute to its scout rifle series, I call my modified American Rimfire Mini-Cooper. I am very satisfied with it as a truck gun, and it has won its favor. But I must admit that there is also a 0.30-30 lever gun behind my truck seat. It is impossible to get rid of the habits of some hillbilly. --Richard Mann

From the early muskets to today's long-range shooting games, these rifles have earned a reputation for hitting where hunters are aiming

F&S sent the author to visit expert shooter Aaron Miesse for a shooting class-see how far a person’s personal motivation can take them, desperately

Before the far-reaching magnum, the deer hunters shot white-tailed deer at close range-they used these cartridges to do this

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