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Simple to understand MOA vs MIL optics

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This video discusses the difference from MOA to Mil dot scopes.This explanation is tailored around someone who doesn’t know the difference between the two. This is not for the intermediate to advanced shooter.

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45 COMMENTS

  1. Thank you! I’ve been looking for a new scope and every one that I find is in mil. I don’t mind switching but I couldn’t find an easy explanation yet as short as it was I get it now…well once I go shoot I’ll get it but at least I’ll have an idea of what I’m doing

  7. The one actual advantage to milliradian scopes is in range estimation. With a mil scope, you simply measure the height of a known object in mils and then plug into the formula (Target height in UNITS) x 1000/(Target height in MILS) = (Target range in UNITS). This works for any UNITS: yards, meters, inches, etc. Just use the SAME UNITS for the known target height and resulting target range. With a MOA reticle the formula is harder to remember as it involves a constant: (Target height in YARDS) x 2.65/(Target height in MOA) = (Target range in YARDS). Not too difficult to remember the formula when using mils; you're going to need to write down the formula MOA a bunch of times before you can memorize it and if you want to use different units the "2.65" will change accordingly.

  9. BRO !…THAT WAS AN AWESOME EXPLANATION !!..NOW I GOT TO CHECK OUT ALL MY OPTICS AND SEE IF I HAVE A MIL RETICLE OR MOA…I DON'T GET TO SHOOT MUCH SINCE ALL THE YANKEE'S MOVED DOWN TO FLA AND BUILT HOMES EVERYWHERE 😖…. 30-40 YEARS AGO I USED TO BE ABLE TO HOP IN MY TRUCK AND DRIVE 10 MINUTES AND GO SHOOTING. NOT ANYMORE…BUMMER…ANYWAYS THX FOR THIS VIDEO !

  10. Lol, sort of have to laugh at the example though. 16 moa so click,click,click,click… 16 times. Lol, there isn’t a moa scope out there that clicks 1 moa at a time (usually 1/4) so 48 clicks. Now the 5 mil, click click click click click? Mil scope are in 1/10 mil. So 50 clicks would be needed. There’s a few more clicks needed in moa because moa adjustments are slightly smaller. I haven’t seen even one of these videos that really makes any sense for US shooters to use mil. I realize that it doesn’t really matter when correcting a miss shot because you just use the reticle. Missed 2 marks left and 3 up, doesn’t matter what the marks mean. But nrl and prs targets are all in yards not meters. So how are those calculations working for you? They aren’t, you use a dope card with yardages to mills on it that you figured out ahead of time. Maybe you like your reticle to have lower numbers on it. Plus, the fact that a lot of comp shooters are using mil makes talking to each other in the same language better. But US people can’t judge meters or cm by looking. Now onto the fact that mil is a 10 based system to doesn’t matter the units (just ratio) for example 1” adjustment at 100 yds is 10” at 1000yds. (Problem is your scope doesn’t adjust for 1”, you’d have to adjust for 2.54cm). In conclusion, imo, considering you’re adjusting your misses by the reticle markings and not by measurement and your dope card for yardage adjustment is your yardage “calculation” not moa or mil, reticle is your windage; the only real advantage here is for talking between competitors and smaller numbers in your scope

  11. To avoid confusion you maybe should use the short mrad vs MOA, not mil vs MOA. That how most manufacturers identify their scopes Mil is used also in reticle and that’s when it gets confusing with some users who confuse it with bdc reticles

  12. My understanding is that the WHOLE industry..that’s SERIOUS ABOUT SHOOTING, are all dealing in MIL equipment, ONLY Mil scopes or optics with the corresponding mil reticles. Supposedly as you gain experience THAT is exactly where you end up! (Direct info from ‘Paramount Tactical’..30 years exp)

  16. Thanks for breaking it down. I also grew up with MOA scopes. Everyone told me I needed to go to mil to compete because theres a reason everyone uses mils. When I went to my first PRS match the course of fire was all written down in yardage. Made it simpler to not have to convert haha.

  18. I would like to thank you for helping me understand it so much better. I would love to talk to you about guns range shooting different type of guns to have also setting up a new scope

  21. You are making a video to teach viewers. Don't use the poor teacher practice of thinking "everyone knows that". Serious misnomer. When you use analogies thinking you are helping people to understand you are failing. One, you are making a video for a large class (YouTube aka global) so to generalize is to fail. We are not all the same. When you add the concept of "think of it like this" you are distorting and convoluting what you want people to understand. If you don't think they'll understand the information for what it is, how are they going to get it when you add more information that doesn't even pertain. You are compensating for your inability to teach. Watch Cyclops give an optic class.

  25. Question – assume turret says 1/4" at 100 adjustment, isn't that actually off about .47 of an inch off, per MOA adjusted at 1000 – unless that scope specifically states it's a 1/4 MOA movement at 100? 1/4 inch moved at 100 is really a IPHY adjustment applied to MOA?

  26. I feel sad that I don't get it still when you say 625y is 17.5 moa I see that in the app but I don't see mentally how to get their, like when I calc it from what I understand which is wrong clearly I get 6.25moa cos 100yard Is 1 inch which is 1 moa. What am I not seeing

  31. Yes mill and MOA are functionally worked the same way period but one is actually giving you angle, and the other one gives you inches at given distance. Don't need to overcomplicate this thing

  41. I have 2 LR scopes that have Mil reticles with MOA adjustments, but I don't care, because I dont care about ranging with a reticle. If I am at a shooting range, I know the distance. If not, I have a laser range finder. Besides, in order to range with a reticle you have to have a reference at distance and that is not always available and often involves guesswork. Guesswork is guesswork, I don't need a reticle to accomplish that. There are other, and frankly better ways to gage distance.

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