1. What does 1MOA mean?
It is helpful to understand the click value before learning how to adjust your scope.
A Minute of Angle (MOA) is a unit of angular measurement.
A circle has 360°
1°/60 = 1 MOA
1° = 60 MOA
360° = 60 MOA x 360 = 21,600 MOA
A circle equals to 21,600 MOA.
2. What does 1MOA at 100 yards equals to?
You are setting the target at 100 yard.
1 yard = 36 Inch
100 yards = 3600 Inches
Assume that you are standing at the center of the circle and the target is 100 yards away from you.
R = 100 yards = 3600 Inch
Perimeter of a circle equals to 2πR.
The perimeter of the circle, you are standing at, is 22618.8 Inch.
A circle = 2πR = 2 x 3.1415 x 3600 (Inch) ≈ 22618.8 (Inch)
A circle equals to 22618.8 Inch.
As we mentioned before, a circle has 21600MOA.
A circle ≈ 22,618.8 Inch = 21,600MOA
1 MOA ≈ 22,618.8 Inch / 21,600 ≈ 1.047 Inch ≈ 1 Inch
1MOA is about 1.047'' at 100 yards. For easy understand, we rounded to 1'' at 100 yards. See the image below.
One thing you should keep in mind is that 1MOA corresponds to different values at different distances.
1 MOA at 100 yards equals to 1 inch.
1 MOA at 200 yards equals to 2 inch.
2 MOA at 100 yard equals to 2 inch.
4 MOA at 100 yard equals to 4 inch.
Test! 1MOA equals to how many inch at 400 yard?
Therefore, remember that when zeroing your scope, 1 MOA (Minute of Angle), an angular unit, translates to different measurements at different distances.
Learn more about how to adjust your scope based on your zero point, check our blog post.
FAQ
Q1: What does parallax setting 100 yards mean?
A parallax setting of 100 yards means the scope is adjusted so that parallax error is minimized at 100 yards, with the reticle and target appearing on the same focal plane at that distance, reducing point-of-impact shift if your eye position changes.
Q2: Why does moa matter?
MOA (Minute of Angle) matters because it gives you a precise, consistent way to measure and adjust accuracy, allowing you to calculate bullet drop, make scope adjustments, and track shot grouping at different distances.
Q3: How to use moa scope?
To use an MOA scope, understand that each click (often ¼ MOA) moves your impact a set amount, then zero the scope, and use the reticle or turrets to adjust for bullet drop and wind based on MOA values at your shooting distance.
