A ballistic effect compensating reticle for rifle sights or projectile weapon aiming systems adapted to provide a field expedient firing solution for a baseline ammunition with a selected projectile when fired in a pre-defined baseline set of atmospheric conditions, comprising:
- (a) a multiple point elevation and windage aim point field including a primary aiming mark positioned within a first horizontal crosshair array of aiming marks and indicating a primary aiming point adapted to be sighted-in at a first selected range;
- (b) said aim point field including a nearly vertical array of secondary aiming marks spaced at progressively increasing incremental distances below the primary aiming mark and indicating corresponding secondary elevation aiming points along a curving, nearly vertical axis intersecting the primary aiming mark, the secondary elevation aiming points positioned to compensate for ballistic drop at preselected regular incremental ranges beyond the first selected range for the selected projectile having pre-defined ballistic characteristics;
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- (c) said aim point field also including a first array of windage aiming marks spaced apart along a secondary non-horizontal axis intersecting a first selected secondary elevation aiming point;
- (d) wherein said first array of windage aiming marks includes a first windage aiming mark spaced apart to the left of the vertical axis at a first windage offset lateral distance from the curving nearly vertical axis selected to compensate for right-to-left crosswind of a preselected first incremental velocity at the range of said first selected secondary elevation aiming point, and a second windage aiming mark spaced apart to the right of the vertical axis at a second windage offset lateral distance from the curving nearly vertical axis selected to compensate for left-to-right crosswind of said preselected first incremental velocity at said range of said first selected secondary elevation aiming point;
- (e) wherein said first array of windage aiming marks define a sloped row of windage aiming points having a slope which is a function of the direction and velocity of said projectile's stabilizing spin or a rifle barrel's rifling twist rate and direction, thus compensating for said projectile's crosswind jump;
- (f) the reticle thereby facilitating aiming compensation for ballistics and windage for two crosswind directions at a first preselected incremental crosswind velocity, at a first preselected incremental range corresponding to said first selected secondary aiming point;
- (g) wherein said secondary elevation aiming points are configured with elevation indicia expressed in terms of range to a target and wherein said windage aiming marks are configured for use with the pre-defined baseline set of atmospheric conditions.