MOA vs MRAD

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 4/29/2019 | S Coffman

[w1n1]

Which is Best for Long Range Competition Shooting?
So, what do the acronyms M.O.A. and M.R.A.D. mean to shooters and what is the difference between the two? Well, the answer to that question is that M.O.A. indicates Minutes of Angle whereas, M.R.A.D. indicates Milli radians and both are angular units of measure.

Because they are both used to measure the length of a section of a circle’s circumference, shooters use either Minutes of Angle or Milli radians for measuring the adjustment range of their rifle scopes.
Although, there is no inherent advantage to choosing one over the other, some shooters do have a distinct preference for Minutes of Angle over Milliradians and vice versa. However, you should be aware that they each have both advantages and disadvantages that make each type of measurement better suited for different types of shooting situations.

How does a Long Range Rifle Scope Work
It should also be noted that long range scopes are available with both different types of reticles and different types of turrets.
Consequently, standard rifle scopes are designed with reticles that are specifically designed for relatively close range shots and turrets that are designed to enable the shooter to adjust the position of the reticle by first removing a turret cap and then using a tool such as a coin to adjust the position of the reticle.

However, long range scopes designed for shooting at extended ranges (aka "tactical scopes") often feature both range-finding reticles and quick-adjust turrets that enable a shooter to easily adjust the position of the reticle with their fingers and then, return the reticle to its original point of aim by simply pressing down on the top of the turret.
So, while standard rifle scopes are often the best choice for shooting at slow moving or stationary targets at relatively close ranges, shooting at extended ranges at non-stationary targets often requires the shooter to make rapid adjustments to their scope’s point of aim and thus, tactical rifle scopes are often a better choice for this type of long range shooting.

Which is best for long range competition shooting?
So, if you own a 6.5 creedmoor rifle and you are a long range competition shooter rather than a hunter, choosing a 6.5 creedmoor scope with Milliradian reticles and Milliradian turrets over a rifle scope with Minute of Angle reticles and turrets is a wise idea.

once you get used to using Milliradians, doing so will not only make it easier for you to make precise adjustments to the point of aim at extended ranges, it will make it easier for you to determine the appropriate number of turns to adjust your turrets for minor differences in the range at which you are shooting. Read the rest of MRAD vs MOA.

[Manly Warrior]

As a military man, I like to reduce things to the simplest form-then resolve it.

When it comes to MOA v. MRAD, I kinda figure in the linear measurements to targets as well. I used to think in meters, and mils would make sense (one mill is one meter at 100o m), but now I think in yards, feet and inches, so when I need to range or adjust, I find that MOA is the best fit for me. I shoot regularly to 800 yards, so not really long range I suppose.

Knowing that every 100 yards increases the subtension of both my MOA reticle hashes and the movement of a bullet, it becomes a simple equation to either range or adjust. For example- a known sized target at an unknown range- 24 inch plate appears to be 4 MOA tall- how far is it? 600 yards. If it appeared to be 24 MOA, it would be 100 yds, if 2 MOA, then 1200 yds. Now, let’s say my optic has 1/4 MOA clicks- so every 100 yards it grows by that factor- 600- a factor of 6, so one click at 600 moves the bullet 1.5 inches, 800 yards? 8 times 1/4=2”. Okay, I do admit the concept of quick adjustments using much coarser click values makes a bit of sense- but then not really- if I have to shoot a mover, I am doing the ballistics math in my head, for range and wind, cranking knobs for a dead hold, then holding off for lateral/angular movement with the reticle hashes. I do not know of many if any precision shooters who would do otherwise- cranking the knob to adjust for movement? No way.

Wind- do you think of wind as moving in FPS, MPS or KmPH? Yeah, MPH, me too and the rest of us ‘Mericans. Wind doping may a non issue with any click format as we usually know the common drift per unit speed and distance and could memorize that in any format another. But again, I think in MPH wind speed and drift in inches,and inches at a given range easily convert to 1/X MOA clicks...

Caveat- of course I know that a true MOA is not one inch at 100 yds- rather it is 1.047xxxx inches, but unless I happened to be shooting sliver dollars at 400 plus yards, that error would not make me miss- my aging eyes and slowing reaction time coupled with deteriorating hand/eye coordination would have already made that issue moot. However, for standard PRS plates or critters other than p-dogs, I think I am okay with 1/4 MOA clicks and mental MOA computations.

Finally- did you know that there are least 5 variations of mil/MRAD? NATO mils are 6400 increment in circle, Russian are 6200 (or was 5800?), MRADs are as described ( what were they again?) and more....that I don’t even bother to recall these days. Be careful what you buy-not all optics are true MRADs as expressed in this article, and if you ask customer service, the couldn’t tell you either, most likely..