If you have spent any time on our YouTube channel or in one of our Long Range Shooting Schools, you have heard us throw around terms like MOA, sub-MOA, and minute of angle corrections. If those terms made you feel like you were behind, you are in good company. It is one of the most common questions we get from new shooters and hunters.
So here is the simplest explanation I can give you.
Minute of Angle is a measurement tool. That is it. It is how we measure accuracy and make adjustments on a rifle at distance.
Technically, one minute of angle is 1.047 inches at 100 yards. In our Long Range Shooting Schools, we round that down and call it one inch. The math is cleaner and for practical field application, the difference is irrelevant.
So: 1 MOA = 1 inch at 100 yards.
From there, the math scales in a straight line with distance.
Distance 1 MOA Equals
100 yards 1 inch
200 yards 2 inches
300 yards 3 inches
400 yards 4 inches
700 yards 7 inches
1,000 yards 10 inches
Every 100 yards you add, MOA grows by one inch. That is the rule. Once you understand it, everything else follows.
You have probably seen rifle manufacturers advertise a sub-MOA guarantee. The Benelli Lupo that we use in our Long Range Schools is a good example. Benelli guarantees a three-round sub-MOA group at 100 yards with quality factory match ammunition.
What that means in practice: if you do your part as a shooter, those three rounds will land inside a one-inch square at 100 yards. That is what sub-MOA accuracy looks like on paper.
In our classes, we run steel targets at 300, 500, 700, and 1,000 yards. Every target in that system is sized at 3 MOA. Here is why that matters.
If a target is 3 MOA at 300 yards, multiply 3 times 3 and you get a 9-inch square. At 700 yards, 3 times 7 gives you a 21-inch square. At 1,000 yards, 3 times 10 gives you a 30-inch square.
The entire target system is uniform in MOA from 300 to 1,000 yards. That consistency is what makes it a teaching tool, not just a steel plate.
Here is the practical benefit: when a student gets an impact on the edge of the target instead of center, we already know the correction. Half of 3 MOA is 1.5 MOA. So from any edge to the center of the target is always 1.5 MOA, regardless of distance. Left, right, up, or down. Same correction.
If the impact lands halfway between the edge and center, that is 0.75 MOA. The math is always clean because the target system is built around MOA from the start.
Understanding MOA on paper is one thing. Applying it through your optic is where it gets useful.
Every scope has a click value on the elevation and windage turrets. On the Zeiss Conquest V4 that we use and recommend, each click equals one quarter MOA. So at 100 yards, one click moves your point of impact one quarter of an inch. At 1,000 yards, one click moves your impact 2.5 inches.
Before you shoot at distance, you need to know your click value. It is usually etched right on the elevation dial. If your scope does not have an external turret, pull the cap off and look inside. It will be there.
Know your click value before you pull the trigger. There is no workaround for that.
You will also hear shooters reference MRAD or Mil Radian. Both MOA and MRAD are measurement systems for the same purpose. MOA works in fractions of inches and is common in the American hunting market. MRAD works on a metric-based system and is more common in precision competition and military applications.
Neither is better. What matters is that your scope and your spotter are using the same system when you are making corrections at distance.
We cover both in our Long Range Shooting Schools. For most hunters coming through our program, MOA is the more natural starting point.
If you remember nothing else from this article: at 100 yards, one MOA is one inch. Add one inch for every 100 yards of distance. That is the foundation everything else is built on.
Minute of angle is one of the first concepts we cover in our 3-night, 2.5-day immersive Long Range Shooting Schools at Cross Bell Ranch in Oklahoma. By the time students leave, they are not just understanding MOA on paper. They are applying it on steel from 300 to 1,000 yards in real field conditions.
If you are ready to take your long range shooting from concept to execution, visit outdoorsolutionscorp.com to see our upcoming school dates.
Q: What is Minute of Angle (MOA) in shooting?A: Minute of Angle, or MOA, is a measurement used in shooting to describe accuracy and scope adjustments. One MOA equals approximately one inch at 100 yards. At 200 yards it equals two inches, and the measurement grows by one inch for every 100 yards of distance.
Q: How do you calculate MOA at different distances?A: Multiply the distance in hundreds of yards by the MOA value. One MOA at 300 yards equals 3 inches. One MOA at 1,000 yards equals 10 inches. The formula scales linearly with distance.
Q: What does sub-MOA mean for a rifle?A: Sub-MOA means a rifle can consistently group three shots inside one inch at 100 yards. Many factory hunting rifles advertise a sub-MOA guarantee with quality match ammunition.
Q: How many clicks is one MOA on a rifle scope?A: Most hunting scopes use a quarter-MOA per click adjustment. That means four clicks equals one MOA. At 100 yards, four clicks moves your point of impact one inch.
Q: What is the difference between MOA and MRAD?A: MOA and MRAD are both angular measurement systems used for scope adjustments. MOA uses inch-based increments and is common in hunting. MRAD (Mil Radian) uses a metric-based system and is more common in precision shooting and military applications.
