<XMP><BODY></xmp>New Sniping Sighting System




Added 19-3-10
Updated 20-3-10

Auto-Ranging Sniper Sight


        One of the interesting features of the M21 Sniper Rifle was that it was fitted with an Auto-Ranging Telescope (ART) sighting system using the Leatherwood System. The vertical crosshair had two marks, the distance between the marks corresponding to 30”. The sniper would adjust the magnification of his scope until the upper mark was level with the top of the target’s head and the lower with his belt buckle. When the scope was set to x3 the target would fit between the marks at 300m, while when set to x9 the target would be at 900m. Altering the magnification also manipulated a “Ballistic Cam” that changed the scope’s elevation. If the target was correctly sandwiched between the two marks the scope was automatically zeroed to the range the target was at.

        The proposed sighting system design updates this idea. The sight picture has an inverted “T” shape. The width of the horizontal bar of the T is equivalent to the shoulder width of a man. The height of the vertical bar is equivalent to the height of the head and neck of a man. Half the width of the horizontal approximates the depth of a human torso viewed from the side.

        To use the sight the sniper places the T over the target and manipulates the magnification until one or both of the lines of the T are the same apparent size as the relevant body part on the target. The scope is then correctly zeroed to fire at the range the target is at. The sniper then only needs to choose his intended point of impact and allow for lead and wind.

        The T itself can be used for quick sighting. When correctly matched to the size of the target and placed over the shoulder/head region a round will impact in the middle of the brow line of a standing target facing the shooter.

        This design of sighting system also has a conventional crosshairs with a Mil-dot measuring scale. The distance between each dot from centre to centre is one Mil, while the distance from the centre of the crosshairs to the start of the thickened section of post is 5 Mils. Each dot on the scope reticle is ¼ mil diameter and the distance between the edges of the dots is ¾ mil. Half Mil increments are marked by short lines, the equivalent of ¼ Mil long. One Mil is equivalent to 1 metre at 1000m range, half a metre at 500m etc. Half a metre is approximately the shoulder width of a man. This provides an alternate ranging system and can also be used for compensating for lead and wind.

        One minor complication of the proposed system is that the apparent size of the T will need to remain constant as the magnification is changed. The Mil-dot scale will have to change with magnification, however. This shouldn’t be too hard to achieve. The crosshairs will be engraved on a lens ahead of the magnification system while the inverted T will be marked on a lens behind it.

        It would be useful if the magnification system can be linked to a readout in metres. When the T is correctly sized on an individual the range can be read off this meter directly and the information used to direct other combat systems.

        There are plans to adopt a variable power 3-25x scope for the M24 sniper rifle. Use of the proposed sighting system would greatly ease the sniper’s workload.

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