MOA vs MRAD: Inches per Click at Every Distance

MOA vs MRAD comes down to click size: a 1/4-MOA click moves 0.26 inch at 100 yards, a 0.1-mil click 0.36 inch, and both grow with range.

Originally published: November 3, 2026

MOA vs MRAD is the choice between two ways of measuring the same thing: an angle. MOA (minute of angle) is 1/60 of a degree, and MRAD (a milliradian, or “mil”) is 1/1000 of a radian, so both describe how far a scope moves your point of impact, and that distance grows the farther the target is. A hunter who zeros at 100 yards and holds dead on lives happily with either one. A shooter who dials for distance or holds with hash marks feels the difference on every shot. The right system is the one your reticle and your turrets both speak, at the distances you shoot.

Unload the rifle before you touch the turrets on the bench (check the chamber twice, then once more). Then set the scope’s unit from the label on the turret cap, not from the box, because one model is often sold in both versions.

MOA vs MRAD: Inches per Click at Every Distance

MOA and MRAD are the two most common angular units used for scope adjustments, and understanding how much each click moves your point of impact in inches at different distances is essential for making precise corrections in the field. Because both systems measure angles rather than fixed linear distances, the amount of movement one click produces grows larger as the target gets farther away. A 1/4 MOA or 0.1 MRAD click that shifts impact only a fraction of an inch at 100 yards can move the bullet several inches at longer ranges.

This section breaks down the inches-per-click values for both MOA and MRAD across common shooting distances so you can quickly see how the two systems compare and choose the one that best matches how you prefer to think about adjustments. Whether you shoot primarily at the range or in the field, knowing these numbers helps turn the clicks on your turret into predictable, distance-specific corrections.

Computed from the exact definitions our ballistic calculator uses: 1 MOA covers 1.0472 inches at 100 yards and 1 mil covers 3.600 inches at 100 yards, multiplied by the range in hundreds of yards and rounded. A click is an angle, so its size on paper grows in a straight line with distance.

Read it this way. Find your distance, then look across. At 500 yards a quarter-MOA click is 1.31 inches and a tenth-mil click is 1.8 inches. If your group sits 9 inches low at that range, that is about seven clicks on a quarter-MOA turret or five on a tenth-mil turret (round to the nearest click and shoot again).

What MOA and a Mil Measure

MOA stands for Minute of Angle. One MOA is simply a tiny slice of a circle — there are 360 degrees in a full circle and 60 minutes in each degree, so one MOA is 1/60th of a degree. At 100 yards, one MOA equals roughly one inch of movement on the target. That simple 1-inch-at-100-yards relationship is why so many shooters find MOA easy to visualize.

A Mil (short for milliradian) is another way of measuring the same kind of small angle. One full circle contains about 6,283 milliradians, so a single mil is a slightly larger slice than one MOA. At 100 yards, one mil equals about 3.6 inches. Because the mil is based on the metric system, many shooters like it for its clean decimal adjustments (usually 0.1 mil clicks) and the way it pairs with range estimation. Both units simply describe how wide an angle is, which is why the physical distance one click moves on target gets bigger as the target gets farther away.

Which Is Finer, a Quarter-MOA Click or a Tenth-Mil Click?

A quarter-MOA click is finer than a tenth-mil click. At 100 yards, one MOA equals roughly one inch, so a ¼-MOA click moves the point of impact about 0.25 inches. A full mil equals about 3.6 inches at the same distance, which means a 0.1-mil click moves the impact roughly 0.36 inches. The smaller number shows that the quarter-MOA adjustment is the finer of the two.

This difference stays consistent at every distance. Because both systems scale the same way, a ¼-MOA click always produces a smaller movement on target than a 0.1-mil click, whether you’re shooting at 100 yards or 1,000 yards. For shooters who want the smallest possible correction with each click, quarter-MOA turrets offer the finer resolution.

The Same Miss, Counted Both Ways

Let’s run one real number through both turrets. Our .308 ballistics chart lists the Federal Gold Medal 168-grain match load at 102.2 inches of drop at 600 yards with a 100-yard zero and the scope 1.5 inches over the bore.

• In MOA: 102.2 ÷ (1.0472 × 6) = 16.3 MOA, which is 65 clicks on a quarter-MOA turret.
• In mils: 102.2 ÷ (3.6 × 6) = 4.7 mils, which is 47 clicks on a tenth-mil turret.

Same bullet, same drop, same hit. The mil shooter says “four point seven” and turns 47 clicks; the MOA shooter divides by 1.0472 and counts 65. That is the whole argument for mils in one line (fewer, bigger numbers in base ten), and it matters most when somebody beside you is calling your misses.

Click Values on Real Scopes

The per-click number is only half the turret. The other half is how much elevation one full turn of the dial covers, because losing track of which turn you are on is how a 600-yard shot lands at 300. Here are five current scopes, read off each manufacturers own spec page.

Leupold publishes both units for total elevation; where a maker gave only one unit, we converted at 1 mil = 3.4377 MOA and labeled it “our math.” “Dial stops at” is Leupold’s listed dial travel limit. This is a click-value reference, not a buying list.

Look at the two Mark 5HD rows. They are the same 5-25×56 model with the same 120 MOA (35 mil) of total elevation, but one turn of the mil dial covers 10.5 mils, which is about 36.1 MOA, while one turn of the MOA dial covers 25 MOA. Run the 600-yard example again: 16.3 MOA stays inside the first turn on either one. On the VX-3HD, Leupold lists the one-turn dial’s travel limit at 14.5 MOA, so that same 16.3 MOA is more than the dial gives you, and the rest becomes holdover (or a farther zero).

Match the Reticle to the Turrets

Here is the mistake I see most: a mil reticle in the scope and MOA clicks on the turret, or the other way around. Every hold you read off the reticle then has to be converted before you can dial it, and that is a lousy thing to do with a buck walking out of the timber. Savage puts it plainly: “Always use scopes with matching reticle and turret systems to avoid conversion confusion.”

If your reticle is a simple crosshair you hold dead on, the mismatch question barely comes up (you dial or you hold center). The trouble starts with hash-mark reticles. Leupold’s TMR has marks every 0.5 mil, tightening to 0.2 mil at the edges, and its PR1-MOA grid runs in 1 MOA steps. Pair each with the turret in the same unit and a hold of “two mils” or “eight MOA” becomes a dial setting with no math at all.

Remember, your rangefinder and your ballistic app should speak the same unit too. Savage gives the same advice for rangefinders, and our calculator’s MOA and MRAD tab reports both units so you can check either way.

First or Second Focal Plane Changes the Reticle Math

Hash marks only mean their printed value at the right magnification. In a first focal plane scope the reticle grows and shrinks with the picture, so a mil is a mil at 5x or 25x; both Mark 5HD reticles are first focal plane. In a second focal plane scope the reticle stays the same size, so its marks are true at one power, usually the top end, as our LPVO scope guide explains with drawings.

Leupold describes second focal plane reticles as a fit for low-light hunting and for scopes that do not use hash marks for range estimation. If you shoot a second focal plane scope with hash marks, learn which power makes them true and write it on the turret cap with a paint pen.

Mil vs MOA for Hunters: My Pick

For a deer rifle zeroed at 100 or 200 yards with a duplex reticle and capped turrets, stay with MOA. You will turn the turrets at the range to zero it, and our guide on how to sight in a rifle scope already speaks quarter-MOA clicks, four to the inch at 100 yards.

If you are buying a scope to dial for distance, or you plan to shoot with a partner calling corrections, go mil and buy it mil-mil, first focal plane. The numbers are smaller, the math is base ten, and Leupold’s own TMR description calls mil systems “the current military standard.” What I would NOT do is buy the mixed version because it was cheaper that week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is 1 MOA at 100 yards?

One MOA covers 1.047 inches at 100 yards. The “one inch” rule of thumb is about 4.5% short, which adds up to almost half an inch per MOA at 1,000 yards (10.47 inches against 10).

How many MOA are in one mil?

One mil equals 3.4377 MOA, and one MOA equals about 0.29 mil. To convert a correction, multiply mils by 3.4377 to get MOA, or divide MOA by 3.4377 to get mils.

Is MOA or MRAD more accurate?

Neither one is more accurate. They measure the same angles with different rulers. A quarter-MOA click is a slightly finer step (0.26 inch at 100 yards) than a tenth-mil click (0.36 inch), but both are far finer than the shot-to-shot spread of a hunting rifle at distance.

Do military snipers use MOA or MRAD?

Leupold describes mil-based systems as “the current military standard” on its TMR reticle page, and Horus Vision calls MRAD the dominant system among military and law enforcement shooters. Horus’s own example of a spotter’s call is in mils: “Impact was 0.4 mil left and 0.2 mil low.”

Can I use a mil reticle with MOA turrets?

You can, but every hold has to be converted before you dial it, at 3.4377 MOA per mil. Scope makers sell matched versions (both Mark 5HD models above are matched), and Savage tells buyers to keep the reticle and turrets in the same system.

Pick the unit your reticle speaks, dial the turret in the same unit, and keep the table above taped inside your scope cover. Our shooting tools page has the calculator for everything past 1,000 yards, and if the math still bugs you, come see us and bring the rifle.

Sources: NIST, “Guide to the SI, Chapter 5: Units Outside the SI” (minute of arc); NIST, “Guide to the SI, Chapter 4” (radian); Savage Arms, “MOA vs. MRAD: Scope Sighting Differences”; TRACT Optics, “MOA versus MRAD: Which Is Better for You?”; Horus Vision, “MOA vs. MRAD Reticles”; Leupold, VX-3HD 4.5-14×40 CDS-ZL Duplex; Leupold, VX-Freedom 3-9×40 CDS Duplex; Leupold, Mark 5HD 5-25×56 M1C3 FFP PR1-MOA; Leupold, Mark 5HD 5-25×56 M5C3 FFP TMR; Burris, Fullfield IV 3-12×42mm.

James "The XDMAN" Nicholas

The XDMAN has a talent for taking complex firearms subject matter and breaking it down into an easy-to-understand format that all experience levels can relate to. James is an 07/02 NFA Firearms Manufacturer, a Professional Gunsmith with over 20 years of experience, and a Firearms Writer, Photographer and Firearms Expert. Connect with him on Instagram, X, and Facebook as @therealxdman.

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