Reticle including windage aiming points adjusted for distance to a target

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to target acquisition and related devices, and more particularly to telescopic gunsights and associated equipment used to achieve shooting accuracy at, for example, close ranges, medium ranges and extreme ranges at stationary and moving targets.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A reticle comprising:
 a primary horizontal cross-hair;   a primary vertical cross-hair that intersects said primary horizontal cross-hair;   a plurality of drop hold markings positioned on the vertical cross-hair, each of the drop hold markings corresponding to a predetermined drop hold value for a target at a particular distance, and   a plurality of aiming points vertically aligned with each of the drop hold markings, the aiming points having a horizontal spacing that corresponds to regular increases in windage effects, wherein the horizontal spacing between aiming points at each drop hold marking is different and increases as the distance to the target increases to compensate for the windage effect over the particular distance, the windage effect being larger when the distance to the target increases.   
     
     
         2 . A reticle comprising:
 a primary horizontal cross-hair;   a primary vertical cross-hair that intersects said primary horizontal cross-hair;   two or more lines of graduated length spaced at regular intervals on said primary horizontal cross-hair;   two or more lines of graduated length spaced at regular intervals on said primary vertical cross-hair;   a plurality of aiming points vertically aligned with a first of the two or more lines of graduated length on the primary vertical cross-hair, the plurality of aiming points aligned with the first line of graduated length each being spaced from the vertical cross-hair and each other by an equal first spacing; and   a plurality of aiming points vertically aligned with a second of the two or more lines of graduated length on the primary vertical cross-hair, the second of the two or more lines of graduated length on the primary vertical cross-hair being positioned vertically lower than the first of the two or more lines of graduated length on the primary vertical cross-hair, the plurality of aiming points aligned with the second line of graduated length each being spaced from the vertical cross-hair and each other by an equal second spacing greater than the first spacing.   
     
     
         3 . The reticle of  claim 2 , wherein the reticle comprises a third line of graduated length positioned on the vertical cross-hair between the first and second lines of graduated length, and a plurality of aiming points vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length on the primary vertical cross-hair, each of the plurality of aiming points aligned with the third line of graduated length being spaced from the vertical cross-hair and each other by an equal third spacing greater than the first spacing and less than the second spacing. 
     
     
         4 . The reticle of  claim 3 , wherein each of the lines of graduated length positioned on the vertical cross-hair correspond to a drop hold value that corresponds to the drop hold necessary for a particular range to a target, and wherein the first spacing corresponds to equal increases in windage effects at the particular drop hold value of the first line of graduated length. 
     
     
         5 . The reticle of  claim 4 , wherein the second the second spacing corresponds to equal increases in windage effects at the particular drop hold value of the second line of graduated length, the equal increases of the second spacing being the same as the equal increases in the first spacing. 
     
     
         6 . The reticle of  claim 5 , wherein the third spacing corresponds to equal increases in windage effects at the particular drop hold value of the third line of graduated length, the equal increases of the third spacing being the same as the equal increases in the first spacing and the second spacing. 
     
     
         7 . The reticle of  claim 6 , wherein a first aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on a first side of the vertical-cross hair, a first aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on the first side of the vertical-cross hair, and a first aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on the first side of the vertical-cross hair are aligned along first line that is not parallel to the vertical cross-hair. 
     
     
         8 . The reticle of  claim 7 , wherein a second aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length, a second aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length, and a second aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length are aligned along second line that is not parallel to the vertical cross-hair or the first line. 
     
     
         9 . The reticle of  claim 3 , wherein a first aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on a first side of the vertical-cross hair, a first aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on the first side of the vertical-cross hair, and a first aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair closest to the vertical cross-hair on the first side of the vertical-cross hair are aligned along first line that is not parallel to the vertical cross-hair. 
     
     
         10 . The reticle of  claim 9 , wherein a second aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the first line of graduated length, a second aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the second line of graduated length, and a second aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length on the vertical cross-hair adjacent to the first aiming point vertically aligned with the third line of graduated length are aligned along second line that is not parallel to the vertical cross-hair or the first line. 
     
     
         11 . The reticle of  claim 10 , wherein the reticle further includes a plurality of reference indicia vertically aligned with each of the lines of graduated length positioned on the vertical cross-hair, the reference indicia having equal horizontal spacing such that the reference indicia vertically aligned with a first line of graduated length are horizontally aligned with the reference indicia vertically aligned with a second line of graduated length.