Sighting in my 10/22

[Alphakat]

Hello gentlemen.  I am new here and am looking forward to my first appleseed weekend this summer in Ohio.  I am really excited about it.

I have my 10/22, and since I am older and my eyes can't see the front of the sight on the barrel I will be using a scope.  I do have a question and hopefully you can answer it.  In my area we only have indoor ranges which is fine, I have one I shoot at regularly.  But, the range has skinny little shooting tables.  I'd like to sight in my Ruger.  How do you deal with skinny little tables where you can't put a full sized rest on it.  I'd like your advice on how to best sight in my rifle in this situation.  I have already laser bore sighted the rifle.  I am just frustrated wit the small table.  All of the videos I watch they are all outside with plenty of room for rests, bags, etc.

Your advice is greatly appreciated.

[Nashville Stage]

Hello Alphakat, and welcome! I'm glad to see you're attending an event; you'll have a blast.

Don't worry about not having space for one of those full-sized rests; you can sight in a rifle just fine without one. As a matter of fact, Appleseed teaches field-style shooting, where you can make accurate hits using nothing but your rifle and the sling that's on it.

When at your indoor range, pull up a chair behind the little bench. Rest the rifle on anything soft, whether it's a little sandbag or just a rolled-up jacket. Then proceed to zero in your rifle. Don't sweat it if your shots aren't all perfect; try to get your average point of impact within a few inches of the bullseye. We cover how to sight in a rifle in-depth during the class. If your range goes out to 25 yards, that's even better. Standard Appleseed events shoot at 25 meters, so you'll be ready to go.

Good luck! We look forward to seeing you this summer.

[Not Sure]

Using anything, even roll of paper towels, if you don't have a shooting bag of some sort as a rest is good idea. 

I only had access to a 15 yard indoor range to sight in my 10/22 before heading to an Appleseed event.  I had used an online trajectory calculator at airguns.net to calculate that my rifle should shoot about 1/2" low at a 15 yard range if it was sighted in correctly at the Appleseed range of 25 meters.  Only a minor adjustment was needed when I finally got to shoot at the correct 25 meters.  My suggestion is to get some 1/4" graph paper and make a row of dots to use as aiming points with smaller dots 1/2" below as actual targets.  The 1/2" could be more or less if you have very high rings or very low rings, but it should get you quite close either way.

[TrapperPete]

here are some targets you can down load https://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=9833.msg83223#msg83223

if your close to on the square on the 5 square target you will be fine.

don't worry about exact elevation that is an easy correction later if your on at whatever range you have you will be fine.

if you haven't already lock tight all your screws , an Appleseed event often tests the equipment and people , loose screws don't need to happen but they do all the time.

practice getting down into prone each day start with a couple and work up down into prone then up to standing ,once your down and comfortable stand again and repeat  , you will find these are some muscles you don't use a lot in normal days if you start slow you will build them without the pain of finding all those new muscles the same day.

[Alphakat]

Thank you for all your help!  I laser bore sighted it at home in my back yard.  So hopefully I'll be on paper.  My range does have a used bag, I'll ask if I can use that.  Hopefully it will go well and I won't sweat no being perfectly centered, I'll save that for the appleseed shoot.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[Captain]

Hey Alphakat, since you're starting your preparations in advance of the event, there is one other item you might find worthwhile . . . and that is to mount your scope far enough forward so you can have comfortable and proper eye relief. We always try to help shooters achieve a consistent and relaxed position behind the rifle which we teach by having you stretch out you neck and then drop your cheek to the stock (you may hear the phrase "turkey neck - cheek weld"). Ideally, you'd drop your cheek to the stock and your eye would be perfectly aligned behind your scope at the proper distance for a perfectly clear picture (eye relief). Using the stock scope mounting, this is nearly impossible. Almost every 10-22 will need an extended scope mount rail and/or a cantilevered scope mount. A search for "10-22 extended rail" will bring up several options such as this.


Also since the scope will be higher than the normal iron sights, you will also likely want to build up the cheek height on the stock (most of us use a little cut of pipe insulation foam held on with "vet tape"). The main thing is it's pretty easy to help someone zero a scope at an event, but difficult to make a change to the mount if it's not far enough forward (and it will result in neck/back pain if you do much practice prior to your event  )

Have fun getting ready for your event. It's enjoyable and means you'll get even more benefit from your Appleseed!

[TrapperPete]

Captain makes a good point about scope mounting.

many of us who shoot Appleseeds and Appleseed style have found mounting optics to suit our style of shooting a challenge with much of the previously offered rails and mounts , it is getting better some companies are listening like EGW

turkey neck and cheek weld puts your head far forward on the stock a decent optic with 3-3.75 inches of eye relief puts it way out there , being comfortable in prone is important.

EGW makes an extended rail to get you there

here is a picture of one of my 10/22 and how the scope is mounted

[Not Sure]

Captain and Trapper are giving excellent advice. 

I had my 10/22 setup using weaver base rings on the stock scope rail.  The rings were as far forward on the rail as they could go and the scope was as far forward as it could be positioned within the rings.  I tested it out in standing position and wished I had a little more room, but thought this ought to be good enough.

It was acceptable for shooting standing, but I learned the hard way that I should have tried the seated and prone positions while mounting the scope.  I fought it for two days at my last Appleseed.  Now I have an extended rail that I need to try out.

[Alphakat]

Thanks guys!  I have been reading up on Ruger 10/22s for Appleseed for awhile now.  I bought a UTG Bugbuster scope and mounted it on my rifle taking into account "turkey neck" and mounted it forward.  I also, since the scope is higher bought a riser to put on my rifle.  I've always been one to tinker and to enjoy learning new things, so I have been learning how scopes work - its a learning curve and I think I have a handle on sighting in.  Years ago, back in the early '80s, my father gave me his 1930s Remington "target" rifle with the rod to load the .22s and it was a bolt action.  Using just the sights, I could hit a 2x4 iron target at 75 yards and a beer bottle floating down the river on a bluff.  My friends called me "Deadeye" - LOL.  I loved that rifle, then it got stolen in the 2000s.  I also had various handguns but I have always loved and preferred rifles, I don't know why.  My AR-15 is awesome.  I am glad to be getting back into simple rifles now.

I will be going to the range this week to sight it in.  I will let you know how it goes.  I had ordered a bipod for it and installed it today.  So I plan to use that this week and next week, I will use a bag to see if there's a difference.  I will let you know how it goes.

I really appreciate all of your advice!

Oh, I should reveal, I am an older woman in her mid 60s.  I have a couple of friends who are interested in Project Appleseed - I have been spreading the word!

[Alphakat]

Trapper Pete, your rifle looks great!  I'll post some pics of mine shortly for all of you to critique

FlyinLead, when I bought my rifle I bought a picatinny rail to go on it and that's what I mounted my scope on.  I followed the instructions and properly torqued it with my F.A.T. gun torque wrench and did the same for mounting my scope.  It turned out well.  I mounted it as far forward as possible.

I've learned alot from this site and appreciate all of your advice!