Editing Reticle (section)

====Wire crosshairs====
[[File:Findot reticle.svg|thumb|right|Etched "FinnDot" reticle (a regular [[milliradian|mil]]-dot reticle with the addition of 400 m – 1200 m holdover [[stadiametric rangefinding|(stadiametric) rangefinding]] brackets for 1 meter high or 0.5 meter wide targets at 400, 600, 800, 1000 and 1200 m). Reticle illumination is provided by a tritium ampoule embedded in the elevation turret.]]

Originally crosshairs were constructed out of hair or spiderweb, these materials being sufficiently thin and strong. Many modern scopes use wire crosshairs, which can be flattened to various degrees to change the width. These wires are usually silver in color, but appear black when backlit by the image passing through the scope's optics. Wire reticles are by nature fairly simple, as they require lines that pass all the way across the reticle, and the shapes are limited to the variations in thickness allowed by flattening the wire; duplex crosshairs, and crosshairs with dots are possible, and multiple horizontal or vertical lines may be used. The advantage of wire crosshairs is that they are fairly tough and durable, and provide no obstruction to light passing through the scope.