MOA or MILs?

The age-old debate. It’s the Ford vs. Chevy, the 9mm vs. .45 ACP, the Coke vs. Pepsi of the shooting world.

If you’ve spent any time looking for a new optic, whether it’s a precision riflescope like our Kentucky Long or a versatile LPVO like the Warhorse, you’ve hit the fork in the road at some point: MOA or MIL?

Like lots of us, you may have arbitrarily chosen a system long ago; unknowingly entering a lifelong commitment to your “team,” much like choosing your favorite NFL team or coming up with a username for your Xbox account as a kid. Perhaps you’re here to make that decision a little more tactfully for your first scope, or maybe you’re here to even consider switch your “team.” Wherever you lie, this guide is intended to provide a deep-dive breakdown, so you have all the information you need to make an educated decision.

This choice is paralyzed by confusion. Some forums will tell you MOA is more precise. Others will scream that MIL is the only "professional" choice. So what’s the truth? There is no “correct answer.” Both systems are incredibly effective, provided you understand how they work.

We’re taking a deep dive into the mechanics, the math (don’t worry, we’ll keep it painless), and the practical applications of both. By the end of this read, you won’t just pick a side you’ll know why you picked it.

Before we talk about clicks and hashes, we need to clear up the biggest misconception in long-range shooting.

Scopes do not measure distance or linear size. They measure angles.

Imagine you are standing at the firing line holding a laser pointer. If you move that laser pointer up by one "click," you are creating an angle that starts at your barrel and expands outward. The further the laser travels, the wider that angle gets.

• At 100 yards, that angle covers a certain amount of space.
• At 1,000 yards, that same angle covers ten times as much space.

Whether you choose MOA or MIL, you are simply choosing which ruler you want to use to measure that angle.

What is it? MOA stands for Minute of Angle. It is based on degrees. A circle has 360 degrees. Each degree is divided into 60 "minutes." So, 1 MOA is simply 1/60th of a single degree.

The Math This is where the "inches" connection comes in, and why MOA is so popular in the United States.

• At 100 yards, 1 True MOA measures exactly 1.047 inches.
• For simplicity, most shooters round this down to 1 inch.

Why Choose MOA?

1. Familiarity: If you grew up thinking in inches and yards, MOA feels natural. If your bullet hits 4 inches low at 100 yards, your brain instantly knows you need roughly 4 MOA of adjustment.
2. Slightly Finer Adjustments: Most precision MOA scopes adjust in 1/4 MOA clicks. At 100 yards, that’s roughly 0.25 inches per click.
3. Hunter Friendly: Many hunting targets (vital zones) are measured in inches. Knowing a buck's vitals are 10 inches wide makes it easy to bracket with an MOA reticle.

The Downside The math can get a little messy at distance. At 475 yards, 1 MOA is 4.75 inches (or 4.97 inches if you’re using True MOA). Trying to do the mental gymnastics of "I’m 13 inches low at 630 yards, how many MOA is that?" under pressure can be a headache.

What is it? MIL stands for Milliradian. It is based on radians, a unit used in trigonometry. There are 6,283 milliradians in a circle (for shooting purposes, we simplify the math slightly, but that’s the geometric root).

The Math MILs use the Metric system's base-10 simplicity, which is why military and tactical shooters love it.

• 1 MIL = 1/1000th of the distance.
• At 100 meters, 1 MIL covers exactly 10 centimeters.
• At 1000 meters, 1 MIL covers 1 meter.

Wait, what about Yards? You can absolutely use MILs with yards.

• At 100 yards, 1 MIL equals 3.6 inches.

Why Choose MIL?

1. Base-10 Simplicity: Most MIL scopes adjust in 0.1 MIL clicks. If your shot is 0.6 MILs low, you dial 6 clicks. There is no dividing by 4 like in MOA.
2. Universal Language: If you shoot PRS (Precision Rifle Series) or tactical competitions, 90% of the field is shooting MIL. If your spotter calls out "Left 1.2!", you don't want to be doing a conversion formula in your head.
3. Range Estimation: Because of the base-10 system, using your reticle to estimate the distance to a target of known size is generally faster with MILs.

The Downside If you think exclusively in inches, learning that "one click equals 0.36 inches at 100 yards" is a steep learning curve. You have to stop thinking in linear inches and start thinking in angular MILs.

Is one more accurate than the other? Technically, MOA is slightly more precise.

• 1/4 MOA click = ~0.26 inches at 100 yards.
• 0.1 MIL click = ~0.36 inches at 100 yards.

However, in the real world, a difference of one-tenth of an inch is unrecognizable to 99% of shooters. Factors like wind, heart rate, and ammo consistency will outweigh that theoretical difference.

One of the most overlooked "superpowers" of a First Focal Plane (FFP) scope is the ability to use the reticle to estimate the distance to a target.

If you know the size of your target, you can use the hashmarks in your scope to determine exactly how far away it is. But this is where the MOA vs. MIL debate hits the calculator.

Let's look at the same scenario for both: Ranging a standard combatant (6 ft tall).

In the MOA system, because we are mixing inches (target height) and yards (distance), we need a conversion constant: 95.5.

• The Scenario: You spot a target that is 6 feet tall (72 inches). You bracket him in your reticle, and he spans 15 MOA from head to toe.
• The Formula: (Target Height in Inches x 95.5) ÷ Reticle Size in MOA = Range in Yards

The Math:

1. First, multiply 72 inches by 95.5. The result is 6,876.
2. Now, divide 6,876 by your reticle reading of 15 MOA.
3. Result: 458 Yards

Unless you’re a math savant, doing 72 x 95.5 / 15 under stress is fairly difficult without a calculator or a pre-printed data card.

MILs work seamlessly with the metric system, using a simple Base-10 formula that is much friendlier to mental math.

• The Scenario: You see that same 6-foot man. In metric, he is roughly 183 cm tall. You bracket him in the reticle, and he spans 4 MILs.
• The Formula: (Target Height in cm ÷ Reticle Size in MILs) x 10 = Range in Meters

The Math:

1. Divide the height (183) by the reticle reading (4). The result is 45.75.
2. Multiply by 10 (just move the decimal one spot to the right).
3. Result: 458 Meters

The Verdict: While both systems get you to the same answer, the MOA formula involves multiplying by a complex constant (95.5). The MIL formula is a straightforward division and a decimal shift. If you plan to range targets manually in the field, MILs effectively remove a lot of friction for the mental math.

Choose MOA if:

• You are a recreational shooter or hunter who shoots primarily alone.
• You think in inches and yards and have no desire to learn the metric system.
• You already own other MOA scopes and want to keep your gear consistent.

Choose MIL if:

• You are interested in PRS, NRL22, or tactical competitions.
• You shoot with friends who use MILs (communication is key!).
• You want to simplify the math for long-range holdovers.
• You are former military/LEO and trained on the system.

Ultimately, these are just rough guidelines to get you thinking about the pros and cons of each. MOA and MIL are just languages. Neither will make you a better shooter on its own; they are just tools to help you send bullets down range with precision.

The only "wrong" system would be the one that you don't commit the time to learn. Pick one and stick to it. Commit to a system, learn your DOPE, and get out to the range.

Ready to pick your lane? Check out our precision optics and choose the reticle that speaks your language.