Angular Measurement — Mil vs. MOA — What You Need to Know
Visit PrecisionRifleBlog.com for a discussion of MIL vs. MOA.
Many guys getting started in long range shooting are confused about what kind of scope they should buy — specifically whether it should have MIL-based clicks or MOA-based clicks. Before you can make that decision, you need to understand the terminology. This article, with a video by Bryan Litz, explains MILS and MOA so you can choose the right type of scope for your intended application.
This March-FX 5-40x56mm Tactical FFP scope features 0.05 MIL Clicks.
You probably know that MOA stands for “Minute of Angle” (or more precisely “minute of arc”), but could you define the terms “Milrad” or “MIL”? In his latest video, Bryan Litz of Applied Ballitics explains MOA and MILs (short for “milliradians”). Bryan defines those terms and explains how they are used. One MOA is an angular measurement (1/60th of one degree) that subtends 1.047″ at 100 yards. One MIL (i.e. one milliradian) subtends 1/10th meter at 100 meters; that means that 0.1 Mil is one centimeter (1 cm) at 100 meters. Is one angular measurement system better than another? Not necessarily… Bryan explains that Mildot scopes may be handy for ranging, but scopes with MOA-based clicks work just fine for precision work at known distances. Also because one MOA is almost exactly one inch at 100 yards, the MOA system is convenient for expressing a rifle’s accuracy. By common parlance, a “half-MOA” rifle can shoot groups that are 1/2-inch (or smaller) at 100 yards.
What is a “Minute” of Angle?
When talking about angular degrees, a “minute” is simply 1/60th. So a “Minute of Angle” is simply 1/60th of one degree of a central angle, measured either up and down (for elevation) or side to side (for windage). At 100 yards, 1 MOA equals 1.047″ on the target. This is often rounded to one inch for simplicity. Say, for example, you click up 1 MOA (four clicks on a 1/4-MOA scope). That is roughly 1 inch at 100 yards, or roughly 4 inches at 400 yards, since the target area measured by an MOA subtension increases with the distance.
MIL vs. MOA for Target Ranging
MIL or MOA — which angular measuring system is better for target ranging (and hold-offs)? In a recent article on his PrecisionRifleBlog.com website, Cal Zant tackles that question. Analyzing the pros and cons of each, Zant concludes that both systems work well, provided you have compatible click values on your scope. Zant does note that a 1/4 MOA division is “slightly more precise” than 1/10th mil, but that’s really not a big deal: “Technically, 1/4 MOA clicks provide a little finer adjustments than 1/10 MIL. This difference is very slight… it only equates to 0.1″ difference in adjustments at 100 yards or 1″ at 1,000 yards[.]” Zant adds that, in practical terms, both 1/4-MOA clicks and 1/10th-MIL clicks work well in the field: “Most shooters agree that 1/4 MOA or 1/10 MIL are both right around that sweet spot.”
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Tags: Angular Measurement, ballistics, Bryan Litz, Long-Range, Mil, Milradian, MOA, Optics
My advice is to pick one or the other and stick with it for all your scopes, because once you get used to MOA, it’s hard to think in MILS and vice versa.
For hunting it makes little difference.
For tactical competitions, MILS are faster and it’s probably what your fellow competitors are using.
For precision based competition like F Class or bench rest MILS are very rare at least from my experience, and MOA with 1/8 click are popular, as competitors are looking for the most precise aiming point.
a radian is also a measure of angle. One radian =57.3 degrees or one milliradian is 3.44 minutes. or one click on a scope with .1 mils turrets is .344 moa. versus the usual one click.25 moa turrets.
Not the best explainer in the world.
However… I suppose one of the key messages I have taken away from scope developments over the past decade or so, is the rise and rise of useful high magnification scopes.
The days of cross hairs blocking out the target are over and that calls for a rethink in how we approach scope use.
There is also a global divide here, where the metric system offers more precise and easier to calculate hold offs based on a decimal system that translates nicely into the the MIL system’s subtensions. Having that same subtension throughout the power range is a massive simplifying step.
At our shooting range you are considered silly if you have a mil scope. MOA is so much handier and more useful there is no comparison.
Scopes that use left-hand screw direction are another pain in the bum.
Why is this topic done to death on a regular basis? In essence, they’re just a different unit and both are proportional to distance. What’s the big deal?
mil for tactical, 1/8 moa for sport, 1/4 moa for hunt
some even have 2,5mm/click, 1/10 moa, 1/6 moa, 5mm…