What Are Angular Measurements?
Before diving into MOA and MILS, it’s important to understand why angular measurements matter in shooting. A rifle scope’s adjustments and reticle markings use angular measurements because they scale proportionally with distance. An adjustment that moves your point of impact 1 inch at 100 yards will move it 2 inches at 200 yards and 5 inches at 500 yards. This proportional relationship makes angular measurements far more practical than fixed linear measurements for shooters who engage targets at varying distances.
Minutes of Angle (MOA) Explained
A minute of angle is 1/60th of one degree. For practical shooting purposes, 1 MOA equals approximately 1.047 inches at 100 yards. Most shooters round this to 1 inch at 100 yards, which is close enough for all but the most extreme precision calculations. At 200 yards, 1 MOA is roughly 2 inches. At 500 yards, roughly 5 inches. At 1,000 yards, roughly 10 inches.
MOA-based scopes typically adjust in increments of 1/4 MOA per click, meaning each click moves the point of impact approximately 0.25 inches at 100 yards. Some precision scopes offer 1/8 MOA clicks for finer adjustments. MOA is the traditional American system and remains the most common in the U.S. market.
Milliradians (MILS) Explained
A milliradian, often shortened to MIL or MRAD, is 1/1000th of a radian. For shooters, 1 MIL equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards, or more usefully, 10 centimeters at 100 meters. MIL-based scopes typically adjust in 0.1 MIL increments per click, meaning each click moves the point of impact 0.36 inches at 100 yards, or 1 centimeter at 100 meters.
The MIL system gained popularity through military adoption, particularly among NATO forces, and has become increasingly common in the precision rifle community. Its base-10 nature makes field calculations simpler when working in metric units.
Practical Differences at the Range
The most important practical difference is the size of adjustments. A 1/4 MOA click moves approximately 0.25 inches at 100 yards. A 0.1 MIL click moves approximately 0.36 inches at 100 yards. This means MIL clicks are roughly 44 percent larger than MOA clicks. For extreme precision at very long range, MOA’s smaller adjustments can provide finer tuning. However, the larger MIL adjustments mean fewer total clicks to make large corrections, which can be faster.
For ranging targets using the reticle, MIL-based systems are generally considered more intuitive because the math works cleanly in metric. A 1-meter target that measures 2 MILs in the reticle is 500 meters away. The same calculation in MOA requires converting between inches and yards and involves less elegant numbers.
Which System Should You Choose?
Honestly, either system works equally well once you’re familiar with it. The most important rule is consistency: if you choose an MOA reticle, use MOA turrets. If you choose MIL reticle, use MIL turrets. Never mix a MOA reticle with MIL turrets or vice versa. This creates a conversion nightmare that serves no practical purpose.
If you primarily shoot in yards and use imperial measurements, MOA may feel more natural since 1 MOA is very nearly 1 inch at 100 yards. If you work in metric, plan to attend precision rifle competitions where MIL is predominant, or want to standardize with military-style equipment, MILS is the logical choice.
The Bottom Line
The debate between MOA and MILS generates more heat than light. Both systems are equally capable. Choose the one that matches your shooting community, your background, and your personal preference for mental math. Then invest your time in practicing with that system until adjustments become second nature. Your G2 Precision rifle will shoot sub-MOA groups regardless of which reticle system you mount on top of it. The system matters far less than the shooter behind it.
