Firearm target with lock on pattern

Abstract

A firearm target is specially adapted for the purpose of sighting in a scoped firearm. The scope has a reticle with horizontal and vertical lines forming crosshairs. The target has a cross pattern in contrasting colors with a cross shaped gap. The gap is highly visible and may even be in a reflective color. The gap size is selected to match the crosshair thickness and the targeting distance. Aligning the crosshairs to the gap significantly or completely hides the gap. Misaligning the crosshairs to the gap causes the gap to become more visible because of the gap's highly noticeable and contrasting colors. The target thereby provides a lock-on functionality for a marksman.

Claims

1. A firearm target comprising: a substrate; a background comprising a background color; four trapezoid pairs comprising two right trapezoids wherein each right trapezoid has a long edge, a pinnacle, and an angled edge, wherein the right trapezoids are arranged with parallel long edges separated by a trapezoid separation; a cross pattern comprising the trapezoid pairs and a center point; four wedges wherein each wedge comprises a first angled side, a second angled side, a vertex between the first angled side and the second angled side, and an axis bisecting the vertex, and wherein the wedges are symmetrical along the axis; a wedge pattern wherein each vertex is at the center point and wherein the two axes of two of the wedges are perpendicular to the two axes of the other two wedges; and a foreground comprising a foreground color, the cross pattern, and the wedge pattern.

2. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the background color is a yellow color specified as Pantone card 1.3c Yellow.

3. The firearm target of claim 2 wherein the foreground color is a red color specified as Pantone 1795c.

4. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the foreground color is a yellow color specified as Pantone card 1.3c Process Yellow.

5. The firearm target of claim 4 wherein the background color is a blue color specified as Pantone 311c.

6. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the background color is produced with a reflective ink.

7. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein each vertex has an angle of 34 degrees.

8. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the trapezoid separation is 5/16 of an inch.

9. The firearm target of claim 1 further comprising a separable layer overlaying the substrate wherein the substrate is colored with the background color, wherein the background color is produced with a reflective ink, wherein the foreground is patterned on the separable layer, and wherein a projectile impacting the target at an impact point causes the separable layer to separate from the substrate in a halo around the impact point.

10. The firearm target of claim 1 further comprising a separable layer overlaying the substrate wherein the background and the foreground are patterned on the separable layer, wherein the substrate is colored with a substrate color, and wherein a projectile impacting the target at an impact point causes the separable layer to separate from the substrate in a halo around the impact point.

11. The firearm target of claim 1 further comprising a separable layer overlaying the substrate wherein the background and the foreground are patterned on the separable layer with the background in the background color and the foreground in the foreground color, wherein the background and the foreground are patterned on the substrate with the background in the foreground color and the foreground in the background color, and wherein a projectile impacting the target at an impact point causes the separable layer to separate from the substrate in a halo around the impact point.

12. The firearm target of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of offset marks in the wedges wherein the offset marks are in the background color.

13. The firearm target of claim 1 wherein the foreground color is produced with a reflective ink and the background color is produced with a different reflective ink.

14. The target of claim 13 wherein the reflective ink is not black and wherein the different reflective ink is not black.

15. The target of claim 1 wherein the trapezoid separation is zero, wherein each trapezoid pair forms an obelisk and wherein each obelisk has a cross thickness.

16. The target of claim 1 wherein each vertex has an angle greater than 32 degrees and less than 36 degrees.

17. A firearm target comprising: a substrate; a background comprising a background color; four obelisks arranged in a cross pattern with a center point wherein each obelisk has a cross thickness; four wedges wherein each wedge comprises a first angled side, a second angled side, a vertex between the first angled side and the second angled side, and an axis bisecting the vertex, and wherein the wedges are symmetrical along the axis; a wedge pattern wherein each vertex is at the center point and wherein the two axes of two of the wedges are perpendicular to the two axes of the other two wedges; and a foreground comprising a foreground color, the cross pattern, and the wedge pattern.

18. The target of claim 1 wherein each vertex has an angle greater than 32 degrees and less than 36 degrees.

19. The firearm target of claim 17 wherein the background color is a yellow color specified as Pantone card 1.3c Yellow and wherein the foreground color is a red color specified as Pantone 1795c.

20. The firearm target of claim 19 wherein the foreground color is produced with a reflective ink and the background color is produced is produced with a different reflective ink.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which are incorporated in and form a part of the specification, further illustrate the present embodiments and, together with the detailed description of the embodiments, serve to explain the principles of the present embodiments. The figures are not necessarily to scale or full scale.

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates a target having a 5/16 inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a target having a inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a right trapezoid in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a target having a inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a target having a inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(7) FIG. 6 illustrates a target having a inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(8) FIG. 7 illustrates a target having a 1 inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(9) FIG. 8 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a 5/16 inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(10) FIG. 9 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(11) FIG. 10 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(12) FIG. 11 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(13) FIG. 12 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(14) FIG. 13 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a 1 inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments;

(15) FIG. 14 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a 5/16 inch cross thickness, and a center structure such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; and

(16) FIG. 15 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a 3/16 inch cross thickness, and a center structure such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments; and

(17) FIG. 16 illustrates a target having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a inch cross thickness, and a center structure such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(18) The particular values and configurations discussed in these non-limiting examples can be varied and are cited merely to illustrate at least one embodiment and are not intended to limit the scope thereof.

(19) The embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which illustrative embodiments of the embodiments are shown. The embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used herein, the term and/or includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

(20) FIG. 1 illustrates a target 100 having a 5/16 inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Four trapezoid pairs 102 having two right trapezoids 101 are arranged in a cross pattern marked as element 201 in FIG. 2. The target 100 also has four wedges 106 having a first angled side 110, a second angled side 111, and a vertex 105 that is the angled tip between the first angled side 110 and the second angled side 111. An axis 112 bisects the vertex. The axis 112 is illustrated as a line bisecting a vertex 105, but such a line is not visible in all embodiments. Each leg of the cross pattern 201 has a cross thickness 104 equaling the trapezoid separation 103 plus two of the base lengths of the right trapezoid. The base lengths are the lengths of elements 302 in FIG. 3 below. Each of the wedges 106 has an offset mark 107 centered on the axis 112.

(21) Target 100 has a foreground 109 that can be blaze orange, fluorescent orange, or red such as the red specified as Pantone 1795c. Target 100 also has a background 108 that can be in a color that contrasts well with the foreground color. For example, Pantone card 1.3c Yellow contrasts well with Pantone 1795c. Another example would have a black foreground and white background while yet another example would have a white foreground and a black background.

(22) Target 100 has grid lines 113 arranged in a grid. The illustrated grid lines 113 are black. The black gridlines 113 are visible against both the foreground color and the background color. If the gridlines 113 illustrated in FIG. 1 are spaced by one inch, then target 100 is approximately 12 inches by 12 inches and the illustrated offset marks 107 would be approximately two inches in from each edge. The measurements become important because a reticle distance of 5/16 inch is well suited for sighting in a scoped rifle at 100 yards because the reticle of many scopes is sized to almost completely obscure the space between the right trapezoids of each trapezoid pair. A marksman aiming at the target is therefore able to lock on the target by almost or completely blanking out that space, based on marksman preferences. Slight offsets from the ideal lock on position are highly visible because strips of bright contrasting color appear in the marksman's sight image. This enables a shooter the ability to lock on and keep crosshairs on the center point of the target without wavering. Increased accuracy and ability can improve with repetitive use of the targets, thereby increasing skill levels.

(23) The target having the 5/16 inch trapezoid separation and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation can also work well for 50 yard distances for low power scopes such as a four power scope or variable power scope set to lower power. Similarly, a larger reticle distance, such as or even larger can be used by lower power scopes at longer ranges such as 100 yards or 200 yards. The key is matching the target's reticle distance to the thickness of the scope's crosshairs at the distance being shot at. Furthermore, a variable scope can be adjusted to achieve optimal blanking of the lock on pattern.

(24) Most reticles are black with the exception of certain reticles such as illuminated reticles. For constant reticle visibility, the foreground and background colors are ideally selected to contrast with the reticle color as well as with each other. It is for this reason that yellow, red, and blue have been selected as example foreground and background colors because they contrast with a black reticle.

(25) The shapes of the wedges 106 are designed to guide the marksman's eye to the center of the target and into the ideal locked on position where the scope reticle completely or almost completely blanks the background color strips running down the center of each leg of the cross pattern. Recall that each leg of the cross pattern is a trapezoid pair. Experimentation has shown that wedges having a 34 degree angle at the vertex produce excellent results.

(26) The offset marks 107 can be used by a marksman to test the mechanics of a firearm scope. Firearm scopes and their reticles are notoriously well known to those who enjoy, build, market, or repair firearms. A firearm scope is an optical sighting/aiming aid typically using lenses to magnify the image of a target and to display a reticle over top of the target. Returning now to the embodiments, a sighted in firearm should reliably place shots in the middle of the target at the center 202. Assuming that target 100 is 1212, the offset marks are four inches in each direction from the target center 202. If a scope has inch clicks, then a marksman can enter eight clicks right, eight clicks up, aim at the target center, pull the trigger, and hit the top right offset mark. By then, entering sixteen clicks left and shooting for the target center, the marksman hits the top left offset mark. It is by entering clicks into the scope and observing projectile impacts that a marksman can determine how well the mechanisms within the scope are operating.

(27) The foreground and background colors can be specified using color coordinates, as Pantone color numbers, or as colors on a Pantone card. For example, a target having a red foreground and a yellow background can be specified as having a Pantone card 1.3c Yellow background and a Pantone 1795c foreground. A different target having a yellow foreground and a blue background can be specified as having a Pantone 311c background and a Pantone card 1.3c Yellow foreground. Yet other embodiments can have a Pantone card 1.3c Yellow foreground and a highly contrasting background such as Pantone 311c blue. Note that Pantone card 1.3c Yellow is also known as Pantone card 1.3c Process Yellow.

(28) FIG. 2 illustrates a target 200 having a inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Four trapezoid pairs 102 form a cross pattern 201 having a center 202.

(29) FIG. 3 illustrates a right trapezoid 101 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The right trapezoid 101 has a long side 301, base 302, short side 303, and angled side 304. The base 302 has a length here called the base length. The long side 301 and the angled side 304 meet at a pinnacle 305. In the embodiments illustrated herein, the pinnacle is the point on the right trapezoid that is closest to the center 202.

(30) FIG. 4 illustrates a target 400 having a inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Recall that the inch trapezoid separation (plus or minus printing tolerances and minor deviations) provides an optimal reticle distance for many scopes at a 100 yard distance, particularly lower powered optics such as, for example, fixed four power scopes or 1-5 variable scopes. In addition, different scopes can have different thickness reticles depending on manufacturer or manufacturer's model.

(31) FIG. 5 illustrates a target 500 having a inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(32) FIG. 6 illustrates a target 600 having a inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(33) FIG. 7 illustrates a target 700 having a 1 inch trapezoid separation 103 and a reticle distance equaling the trapezoid separation 103 in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Notice that in this non-limiting example, the offset marks 107 appear approximately one inch square and that certain grid lines 113 appear to bisect the right trapezoids 101 along their long axis. The size of the offset marks 107 does not need to match the reticle distance 103. For example, 1 inch square offset marks 107 may be on a inch reticle distance target. As a further generalization, the offset marks 107 do not have to be centered on the target diagonals, on the axes of the wedges 112, or two inches from the target sides. It is preferable, however, that the number of scope clicks from the center 202 to the offset mark 107 is easy to calculate. As such, it may be better for offset marks 107 to be offset from the target center 202 by an integer number of inches.

(34) FIG. 8 illustrates a target 800 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a 5/16 inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. Here, the lock on principal is somewhat altered in that the reticle blanks, or nearly blanks, the entire cross pattern. The word blank is understood to mean obscures, hides, or completely overlays. Some marksmen prefer for the reticle to completely blank the cross pattern of this embodiment or the centers of the cross patterns of the embodiments of FIGS. 1-2 and 4-7. Other marksmen prefer nearly blanked over fully blanked.

(35) FIG. 9 illustrates a target 900 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(36) FIG. 10 illustrates a target 1000 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(37) FIG. 11 illustrates a target 1100 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(38) FIG. 12 illustrates a target 1200 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(39) FIG. 13 illustrates a target 1300 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation and a 1 inch cross thickness such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(40) FIG. 14 illustrates a target 1400 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a 5/16 inch cross thickness, and a center structure 1401 such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14 does not show the points of the obelisks because the center structure is at the center of the target. This can be achieved by, for example, overlaying the center structure over the obelisk points and therefore hiding the obelisk points. Target 1400 is similar to targets 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, and 1300 excepting that target 1400 does not have offset marks, but does have a center structure 1401. The center structure is four kite shapes, each approximately as thick as or slightly thicker than the cross thickness and meeting at the center 202. The foreground can be in a yellow color such as Pantone card 1.3c Yellow while the background is black. The center structure can be in a third color such as blaze orange. The grid lines can be in a fourth color such as a green color that is visible against both a yellow foreground and a black background. Note that the centermost gridlines of other illustrated embodiments are not present in the embodiment of FIG. 14 and, as such, the center structure is not overlaid with a grid line.

(41) FIG. 15 illustrates a target 1500 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a 3/16 inch cross thickness, and a center structure 1401 such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(42) FIG. 16 illustrates a target 1600 having a 0 inch trapezoid separation, a inch cross thickness, and a center structure 1601 such that each trapezoid pair becomes an obelisk and the reticle distance equals the cross thickness in accordance with aspects of the embodiments.

(43) The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.