"It's a poor craftsman that blames his tools".
I acknowledge many of the difficulties I had are the result of my choices. I hadn't owned a .22 since the late 80's. When I saw the 10-22 on one of the outdoorsy/gun cable channels, I thought, Hmmm, I'd like one of those.
I saw the story on Appleseed http://appleseedinfo.org/ on "Shooting Gallery". Mental note to self: That's something I'd like to do.
1: With the 10-22 Takedown Case provided by Ruger, there's minimal room for a scope. I bought a TRUGLO #: TG853932B http://www.midwayusa.com/product/45..._-Service_Emails-_-ShippingConf-_-ProductLink 11.5" long scope. Find a shorter scope.
2: The Scope sticks out past the end of the stock when the rifle is broken down. Positioning the Scope as far back as possible barely allows the case to be zipped shut.
3: The Majority of the Appleseed course is taught from the Prone position, relying on using a "GI" sling. Although I had enough distance from my eye to the scope, (Eye Relief) while standing, from prone position, the scope was TOO CLOSE. I was resorting to holding the rifle 2" forward of my shoulder, essentially turning it into a pistol.
4: Appleseed is shot entirely from a distance of 25 yards, using smaller targets to simulate increased distance. I never needed a scope for Appleseed, and in my situation, it made for an unpleasant experience.
5: During the Lunch Break, I was allowed to move my scope forward. I stapled a sheet of newspaper behind the little Appleseed target to be able to tell where I was hitting. The part of the course which covers scope adjustment was way too late the first day. We were not permitted to make scope adjustments prior to that. My rifle will not fit back in the case with the scope forward enough for PRONE shooting !
6: Finding a "GI" sling with quick detach isn't simple. The 10-22 Takedown foregrip Barrel Ring is plastic, I used 80 grit sandpaper to thin down the non-recessed side, (opposite the Nut Recess), to allow for a quick detach connector. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/78..._-Service_Emails-_-ShippingConf-_-ProductLink For the rear, drill an undersized diameter hole. The Butt Plate can be removed to epoxy the screw from inside the stock. The material in the stock is THIN. I had to carefully scrape off a gummy substance, (Glue ?) before replacing the Butt Plate.
7: Look for online videos on shooting prone with a sling before purchasing one. Like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrKyU2mPWIY (added 09/05/2013 "Reviewer2").
8: I'm in my 50's and wear bi-focal glasses, I already knew I can't shoot with bifocals. I took my non-bifocal glasses to shoot with. If you wear bifocals, (or even glasses), try the PRONE shooting position prior to going to Appleseed. It proved very difficult for me, and the strain on my neck was considerable. When we finally got to the seated position towards the end of the 1st day, I did much better than the Prone position.
9: It poured for an hour when I took the course. Take a SHOOTING MAT that can get wet, and something to cover your rifle. We were not permitted to put our rifles in our cars. The instructors had to move rifles that would have been under water to non-puddle parts of the range.