I have always heard of everyone talking about MOA. I assume that is Minute Of Angle (?). Anyway help me understand MOA and how to use it. I am sure this question has been asked and answered a few hundred times. One more won't hurt.

Thanks

MC

MOA is indeed Minute Of Angle. After you cut through all the minor, insignificant, details it means 1 inch per 100 yards. For example 1 MOA at 100 yards is 1 inch. At 400 yards it is 4 inches. 3 MOA at 600 yards is 18 inches (3 x 6).

The reason most long range shooters speak in terms of MOA is because that is the way most sights and scopes are marked. Also, it is a lot easier at the extreme distances to talk in MOA rather than inches because of the size of the numbers involved. For example, if you are shooting at 1000 yards and your shots are hitting 35 inches to the right it is easier to refer to it as 3.5 MOA. You then adjust your scope or iron sight 3.5 numbered graduations rather than having to figure out how many clicks would add up to 35 inches.

It is kinda confusing at first but after you get used to it it comes naturally. But for most shooting and/or hunting where 500 yards is a long distance it is just as easy to talk in inches. And as we saw in the thread on the 280, it makes a difference depending on who you are talking to. Another long range shooter would have recognized my numbers as MOA whereas a guy sighting in his hunting rifle, like you or AZ 223, would be confused as to why they are different than what he expected.

Now, to make things even more confusing, the military uses a system of mils which is similar but not the same thing. There are web sites that would probably explain this better than I did. If you Google Mils or MOA you will probably get more hits than you care to look at.

Maybe someone reading this who is more articulate can explain it better?

Ray

You are correct, Minute of Angle or 1/60th of a degree.
While it is actualy 1.047"/100yd, most people round it off to 1" even.
Measurments are taken/given from the center of the bullet hole.
As it is a angle, a 5" group at 500yd is the same MOA measurment as a 1" group at 100yd (or a 1/4" group at 25yd).
In theory, a 1 MOA rifle/ammo combo will put each bullet within 1/2 MOA of the expected impact point.

MC

Tailgunner made a good point in favor of using MOA. That is, it is a good way to compare group sizes at different distances. In his example, which group is better, a 1 inch group at 100 yards or a 5 inch group at 500 yards? Answer. They are both 1 MOA groups and comparitively equal. In theory anyway.

ray

It's the sin.01667 degrees, times 100 yards times 36inches per yard.

.000291 x 3600= 1.0476" as previously stated. roger

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
It's the sin.01667 degrees, times 100 yards times 36inches per yard.

.000291 x 3600= 1.0476" as previously stated. roger

bartsche, Good job describing/calculating a Minute-Of-Angle! Now how about a Milliradian?

You guys are good. Amazing how fast we can get things answered on this site. Great to know. I always hear about a gun which shoots sub-MOA at 100 yards and now I know what that means.

My guns don't shoot sub-MOA, but I have never tried to do that. I guess it is time to get out the sand bags. My guns do shoot elk, mule deer, coyotes, whitetails, and other creatures DOA.

Thanks Again.

MC

Those are called MOE, MOD, MOC, MOW = Minute Of Elk, Minute Of Deer, etc etc.

Just as good as MOA, IMHO.

Ray

quote:

Originally posted by Cheechako:
MC

Those are called MOE, MOD, MOC, MOW = Minute Of Elk, Minute Of Deer, etc etc.

Just as good as MOA, IMHO.

Ray

Then, MOA is Minute of Antelope....?

quote:

Originally posted by RaySendero:

quote:

Originally posted by bartsche:
It's the sin.01667 degrees, times 100 yards times 36inches per yard.

.000291 x 3600= 1.0476" as previously stated. roger

bartsche, Good job describing/calculating a Minute-Of-Angle! Now how about a Milliradian?

Hey Roger, since there are 2 Pi radians in a circle (2 X 3.14159) then there are 360 degrees divided by 2 Pi radians in a circle and a radian is about 57.3 degrees. and since we asked about milliradians the result is divided by 1000 and the milliradian equals .057 degrees
A minute of angle is 1/60 th of a degree or .017 degrees so a milliradian is about 3 3/8 MOA.

Just be thankful Ray didn't ask about Gradians!!!

OK, this is really getting way over my farm-boy head. Is a milliradian the same as a mil? It's my understanding that a mil is the angle whose tangent is 1/1000, that is the angle subtended by 1 unit at a distance of 1000 units. 1 yard at 1000 yards is 36" which is 3.4 MOA (approx). So to convert mils to minutes you multiply by 3 3/8 ??

Ray

I'm so confused! roger

quote:

Originally posted by duikerman:
.......so a milliradian is about 3 3/8 MOA.

Just be thankful Ray didn't ask about Gradians!!!

Thanks - I wanted to know about milliradians because one of my scopes is a "mildot" and thus is calibrated in milliradians.