US 3,948,587 AGranted

Reticle and telescopic gunsight system

OwnerPaul E. Rubbertinventor

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Abstract

Disclosed are telescopic gunsights for aiding shooters to achieve proper "hold-over" when shooting at targets of estimatable heights at long ranges. The reticles in the preferred telescopic gunsights comprise two or more superjacent target-spanning and aiming apertures of differing heights. By comparing the height of a target image viewed through the sight to the height of one or more of the apertures, the shooter can determine the aiming sight picture which produces the hold-over necessary to strike the target. Using the preferred variable power scopes of this invention the shooter can rapidly make adjustments so that the scope will be "calibrated" for any one of a plurality of target heights and/or trajectories, and for trajectory variations caused by altitude and ambient temperature variations and for angles of fire differing substantially from horizontal.

Claims91

Dependent claims

In combination, a firearm capable of propelling a bullet along a substantially predeterminable trajectory and a telescopic sight for aiming at targets of known or estimatable heights mounted on said firearm, said sight including power varying means for varying the power of magnification of images viewed therethrough and a reticle comprising means defining first and second vertically aligned target-spanning and aiming apertures located proximate the center of the field of view of said sight, the height of said first aperture being greater than the height of said second aperture, and the lower margin of said first aperture being coincident with the upper margin of said second aperture or vertically spaced from said upper margin by a distance not exceeding the lesser of (a) the difference of the heights of said apertures and (b) one quarter the height of said first aperture, the reticle being so positioned within the sight that the apparent angles subtended by said apertures vary inversely to the power of magnification, and said sight being so angled relative to the bore of said firearm and said apertures being so vertically dimensioned that:

there is a first power of magnification to which there is a related first target height h.sub.1 and when said firearm is discharged while said sight, at said first power of magnification, is aimed at a firs target of height h.sub.1 located at a first distance from said firearm such that the upper and lower margins of said first aperture respectively coincide with the upper and lower margins of the image of said first target, the bullet discharged will strike said first target;
and when said firearm is discharged while said sight, at said first power of magnification, is aimed at a second target of height h.sub.1 located at a second distance from said firearm substantially greater than said first distance such that the upper and lower margins of said second aperture respectively coincide with the upper and lower margins of the image of said second target, the bullet discharged will strike said second target;
and when said firearm is discharged while said sight, at said first power of magnification, is aimed at a third target of height h.sub.1 located at a third distance from said firearm whereat the height of the image of said third target appears substantially smaller than the height of said first aperture and substantially greater than the height of said second aperture, aiming of the sight being such that the point midway between the lower margin of said first aperture and the upper margin of said second aperture is aligned coincident with the center of said third target, the bullet discharged will strike said third target.

In combination, a firearm capable of propelling a bullet along a substantially predeterminable trajectory and a fixed-power telescopic sight for aiming at targets of known or estimatable heights mounted on said firearm, said sight including a reticle comprising means defining first and second vertically aligned target-spanning and aiming apertures located proximate the center of the field of view of said sight, the height of said first aperture being greater than the height of said second aperture, and the lower margin of said first aperture and the upper margin of said second aperture being commonly defined by a single, opaque reticle element and being coincident or vertically spaced apart by a distance not exceeding the lesser of (a) the difference of the heights of said apertures and (b) one-quarter the height of said first aperture, said sight being so angled relative to the bore of said firearm and the heights of said apertures being such that:

when said firearm is discharged while said sight is aimed at a first target of height h.sub.1 located at a first distance from said firearm such that the upper and lower margins of said first aperture respectively coincide with the upper and lower margins of the image of said first target, the bullet discharged will strike said first target;
and when said firearm is discharged while said sight is aimed at a second target of height h.sub.1 located at a second distance from said firearm substantially greater than said first distance such that the upper and lower margins of said second aperture respectively coincide with the upper and lower margins of the image of said second target, the bullet discharged will strike said second target;
and when said firearm is discharged while said sight is aimed at a third target of height h.sub.1 located at a third distance from said firearm whereat the height of the image of said third target appears substantially smaller than the height of said first aperture and substantially greater than the height of said second aperture, aiming of the sight being such that the point midway between the lower margin of the said first aperture and the upper margin of said second aperture is aligned coincident with the center of said third target, the bullet discharged will strike said third target.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.