MOA vs MRAD: Which One Ranges Targets Better?

Most people think of MOA (Minute of Angle) and MRAD (milliradian) as tools for adjusting for bullet drop or windage. But what’s often overlooked is their use for something much bigger – actually estimating the distance to a target when you don’t have a rangefinder. That’s right – your reticle isn’t just a crosshair; it’s a built-in math tool. While both MOA and MRAD are angular measurements, they can be used to calculate distance or even the physical size of a target, if you know how.

A Math Trick With Real-Life Value

The concept is rooted in trigonometry, but don’t panic – it’s not that scary. The process is really about turning the angle of measurement in your scope into a distance. The formula, simplified, looks like this:

Width = Range × Angular Measurement (MOA or MRAD)

And if you know two of those three variables, say you know the width of the target and how many MOA or mils it spans in your scope, you can figure out the third. This method is precise enough to get useful numbers, but it depends heavily on how accurately you estimate target size and how carefully you read your reticle.

Why Most Shooters Still Prefer a Laser

Here’s the catch: this method, while smart, is slow and not always super accurate. If you have a laser rangefinder, that’s going to be quicker and more reliable, hands down. But if you’re at a match where rangefinders aren’t allowed, or if yours dies on a hunt, being able to use MOA or MRAD for ranging becomes a valuable backup skill. Think of it as a safety net rather than your go-to.

Know Your Target Size or Be Ready to Miss

One of the biggest factors in making this method work is knowing the actual size of the target. Without a pretty solid guess, the equation falls apart. For example, if you think a steel silhouette is 18 inches wide but it’s actually 16, your range will be way off. Same goes for animals – measuring a deer’s chest isn’t easy, especially since body size varies with age and region.

MOA vs MRAD: The Real Differences

Now let’s get into the battle between MOA and MRAD. Both can do the job. MRAD often appeals to people who like the base-10 system – it’s divided into decimals, like 0.1 mil increments, which can be simpler for mental math. MOA, on the other hand, uses fractions, ¼ MOA clicks, ⅛ MOA adjustments, which can be harder to add quickly under stress.

But Constants Complicate Things

Here’s where things get tricky. The formula to calculate range using MOA or MRAD requires a constant, because these angular units relate to inches or meters at a specific distance. For MOA, the constant is 95.5 (some people round to 100, but that throws in a 5% error). For MRAD, it’s 27.8. These constants are what anchor your math to real-world units like inches or meters at 100 yards.

Working the Formula in Reverse

Interestingly, you can flip this whole thing around. If you know the distance to the target (say, from a laser rangefinder), and you know how many mils or MOA wide it appears in your scope, you can calculate the size of the target. This is handy for things like confirming if that moose you’re glassing in Alaska is legal to shoot, though that does get risky if you’re close to the size limit.

A Skill Rooted in Sniper Tradition

This method of ranging has been used for decades by military snipers. They used field cards that listed standard sizes for everyday objects – stop signs, truck tires, average human shoulders – so they could measure and estimate range on the fly. That legacy carries over into civilian shooting, especially in long-range competitions where rangefinding isn’t always allowed.

While this isn’t something most hunters or shooters use every day, it’s definitely worth practicing. If nothing else, it gives you a better understanding of how your reticle works and makes you more confident with your optics. And in the rare situation where your electronics fail, it’s a smart trick to have up your sleeve.

Accuracy Depends on You

The biggest downside? Human error. Being off by half a mil or half an MOA might not sound like much, but it can mean a 40-yard difference in range at longer distances. That kind of miscalculation can be the difference between a hit and a clean miss, especially on a small target. So you’ve got to be steady, use a rest, and know your reticle well if you want to pull this off reliably.

Does One Measure Really Win?

So which one is better: MOA or MRAD? Honestly, it depends on what you’re used to. MRAD is arguably easier to add up because of its decimal system, but MOA can feel more intuitive to shooters raised in inches and yards. Neither one is clearly better for ranging – they just use different math. The real key is knowing how to use whichever one you’ve chosen and sticking with it.

Learn It, But Don’t Rely on It

Personally, I think this is one of those skills that’s fascinating to learn and fun to master – but not something you should bet everything on. It’s like learning to navigate with a map and compass. GPS is faster, but knowing the old-school way gives you confidence and independence. That’s how I feel about ranging with MOA and MRAD. Know it. Practice it. But bring your rangefinder too.

If you’ve got a quality optic, chances are you already have a manual or guide that explains these formulas. Dig into it. Don’t toss it aside. These booklets and reticle diagrams are full of gold that can help you master ranging techniques. And if you ever need a refresher, go online – most companies break it all down in detailed videos and whiteboard sessions.

Tools, Not Magic

At the end of the day, both MOA and MRAD are just tools – neither one is magic. The real magic comes from the shooter behind the scope. Whether you’re at a competition, on a backcountry hunt, or just practicing at the range, learning to range targets with your reticle adds one more trick to your shooting toolbox. It’s not perfect, but it’s powerful. And that’s worth knowing.