What is MOA and how to use it?


So, you just bought a scope or a red dot and you bumped to the abbreviation MOA. Don’t panic! We’ve got you covered!

MOA - means Minute of Angle. The same way one hour on your watch has 60 minutes, the angle has 60 minutes too.

How much is 1 MOA - for those of you using yards the answer is approximately 1 inch at 100 yards. For those of you using meters it is approximately 2.9 cm at 100 meters. As you have noticed I say approximately because it is not exactly 1 inch or 2.9 cm but the rest of the numbers after the point doesn’t matter when it comes to hunting.


How does 1 MOA change with the distance - it’s pretty simple

1MOA @100yard = 1 inch or 2.9 cm @ 100m

1MOA @200yard = 2 inch or 5.8 cm @ 200m

1MOA @300yard = 3 inch or 8.7 cm @ 300m

And so on….


How to use it when adjusting the turret - there is one rule which you have to follow - always think of how much is 1 MOA at the target’s distance. Let’s say your bullet drops 4 inches at 200 yards. So you need to adjust your scope 4 inches, knowing that 1 MOA @200 yards is 2 inch, it is easy to calculate 4/2=2MOA. There you go! Just adjust the scope with 2MOA and you are in the target. It’s a bit complicated with the meters and cm, however many shooters consider 1MOA 3 cm @100m for distances up to 300-400 meters and more powerful calibers but for longer distances and smaller calibers it is better to stick to the right numbers. You can have a note with you and write down the measurements so that you won’t lose time in calculating your adjustments every time.


Formula


Bullet Drop/1MOA @ the distance = MOA to adjust

With the above mentioned example at 200 yards: 4/2=2MOA

How much MOA is one click - check the user manual of your scope or red dot as there is no rule of this. However most scopes and dots have 1/4 MOA per click.

Now, run to the shooting range!