Sighting apparatus for use with a firearm that discharges ammunition having multiple projectiles

The sighting apparatus of 1, wherein the dot-shaped beam has a higher intensity than the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 1, wherein the cone-shaped beam has an annular-shaped cross-section so that the illuminated sighting reference projected by the cone-shaped beam on the target is annular shaped.

The sighting apparatus of 1, wherein the means for outputting the cone-shaped beam comprises:

• a light generator outputting a column-shaped beam of light;
• and
• a light ring generator that receives the column-shaped beam from the light generator and produces therefrom the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 4, wherein the light ring generator includes an axicon lens into which the column-shaped beam outputted from the light generator is directed.

The sighting apparatus of 5, wherein the means for outputting the second beam is a truncated conical face of the axicon lens that projects the second beam at the central region of the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 1, the sighting apparatus further comprising:

• a cone angle adjuster operable to adjust the cone angle of the cone-shaped beam, wherein the cone-shaped beam passes through the cone angle adjuster, the cone angle adjuster is movable to a plurality of cone angle adjustment settings, the cone angle of the cone-shaped beam at a first of the cone angle adjustment settings is different than the cone angle of the cone-shaped beam at a second of the cone angle adjustment settings, whereby at a fixed reference distance from the sighting apparatus a diameter of the illuminated sighting reference projected by the cone-shaped beam on the target at the first cone angle adjustment settings is different than the diameter of the illuminated sighting reference projected by the cone-shaped beam on the target at the second cone angle adjustment setting;
• and
• means for correlating the cone angle adjustment settings to different shot pellet ammunition capable of being discharged from the firearm.

The sighting apparatus of 7, wherein the light emitting unit further comprises a housing and the correlating means comprises indicia on the housing that correlates each of the cone angle adjustment settings to a corresponding one of the cone angles of the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 7, wherein the means for outputting the cone-shaped beam comprises:

• a light generator outputting a column-shaped beam of light;
• and
• a light ring generator that receives the column-shaped beam from the light generator and produces therefrom the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 10, wherein the cone angle adjuster includes a beam expander into which the cone-shaped beam outputted from the light ring generator is directed.

The sighting apparatus of 10, wherein the light ring generator includes an axicon lens into which the column-shaped beam outputted from the light generator is directed.

The sighting apparatus of 12, wherein the means for outputting the second beam is a truncated conical face of the axicon lens that projects the second beam at the central region of the cone-shaped beam.

The sighting apparatus of 1, wherein the light emitting unit is a laser light emitting unit and the cone-shaped and second beams are laser beams.

The sighting apparatus of 1, wherein the sighting apparatus is installed on the firearm.