A ballistic effect compensating reticle for rifle sights or projectile weapon aiming systems adapted to provide a field expedient firing solution for a selected projectile and indicate that firing solution with a vertical or elevation offset expressed in terms of downrange distance and a lateral or windage offset expressed in terms of velocity, comprising:
- (a) a multiple point elevation and windage aim point field (e.g., 350) including a primary aiming mark (e.g., 358) centered in a main horizontal crosshair indicia array (e.g., 352) indicating a primary aiming point adapted to be sighted-in at a first selected distance or range, wherein said horizontal crosshair indicia array have lateral aiming offset indicia corresponding to velocities or speeds (e.g., 366A, 366B), said horizontal crosshair indicia being spaced laterally from said primary aiming mark;
- (b) said main horizontal crosshair indicia array 352 being aligned along a horizontal reference axis and terminated or bounded on the left side by a thick or bold line segment (e.g., 370L) which provides a left side leveling reference and being terminated or bounded on the right side by a second thick or bold line segment (e.g., 370R) which provides a right side leveling reference;
- (c) said aim point field including an intersecting array of zero wind drop dots or secondary aiming marks (e.g., 354) spaced along a substantially vertical axis (e.g., 356) at progressively increasing incremental distances below the primary aiming point and indicating corresponding secondary aiming points proximate to said substantially vertical reference axis (e.g., 358) intersecting the primary aiming mark, the zero wind drop dots or secondary aiming points positioned to compensate for ballistic drop at preselected regular incremental downrange distances or ranges beyond the first selected range for the selected projectile having pre-defined ballistic characteristics;
- (d) said horizontal reference axis being perpendicular to said vertical reference axis (e.g., 356) and intersecting with said vertical reference axis at said primary aim point (e.g., 358);
- (e) said aim point field also including a first downrange array of windage aiming marks or wind dot line (e.g., 360U) spaced apart along a substantially horizontal secondary axis intersecting a first selected downrange secondary aiming point;
- (d) wherein said first downrange array of windage aiming marks (e.g., 360U) includes a first windage aiming mark ((e.g., 360U-L1) spaced apart to the left of the vertical reference axis at a first windage offset distance from the vertical axis (e.g., 356) and selected to compensate for right-to-left crosswind of a preselected first incremental velocity at the range of said first selected secondary aiming point (e.g., 360U-0), and a second windage aiming mark (e.g., 360U-R1) spaced apart to the right of the vertical axis at a second windage offset distance from the vertical axis selected to compensate for left-to-right crosswind of said preselected first incremental velocity at said range of said first selected secondary aiming point (e.g., 360U-0);
- wherein said first windage offset distance is less than said second windage offset distance;
- (e) wherein said first downrange array of windage aiming marks (e.g., 360U) defines a row of downrange windage aiming points having first and second offset distances which are a function of the direction of said projectile's stabilizing spin, thus compensating for said projectile's spin drift;
- wherein said windage aiming marks provide windage hold-points configured to account for crosswind deflection as well as spin-drift at said preselected incremental range;
- and
- (f) wherein said reticle aim point field is configured to be checked for level while aiming and compensating for spin drift and windage for opposing crosswind directions at a first preselected incremental crosswind velocity, at a first preselected incremental range corresponding to said first selected secondary aiming point (e.g., 360U-0).