MOA vs MRAD: Which Scope Adjustment Should You Choose? (2026)
Two scopes sit side by side with the same glass and the same price, and the only difference is the label on the turrets: one says MOA, the other MRAD. New shooters agonize over the choice as if one is more accurate than the other. Neither is — MOA and MRAD are simply two units for measuring the same angles, where MOA works in roughly one-inch-at-100-yards minutes with familiar inch math and MRAD works in base-10 milliradians that are faster to calculate. Pick the math you will actually use, and make sure your reticle and turrets speak the same language.
Key takeaways
- MOA and MRAD are both angular units for dialing scope adjustments and reading reticle holds; neither is inherently more accurate.
- One MOA is about 1.047 inches at 100 yards (usually rounded to one inch); one mil (MRAD) is 3.6 inches at 100 yards.
- MOA's quarter-click is slightly finer; MRAD's base-10 system is faster for mental math and big long-range adjustments.
- The cardinal rule is to match your reticle's units to your turret's units — and Accufire's EVRO-12 and ATRO-20 use 0.1-mil turrets with a mil reticle.
What MOA is
MOA stands for minute of angle, and one minute is one-sixtieth of a degree. Projected downrange, one MOA subtends about 1.047 inches at 100 yards — close enough to an inch that most shooters round it there — which means roughly 2 inches at 200 yards, 3 at 300, and so on. Most MOA scopes click in quarter-MOA increments, so each click moves your point of impact about a quarter inch at 100 yards. For anyone raised on inches and yards, MOA maps neatly onto the way they already picture distance.
What MRAD (mil) is
MRAD is short for milliradian, an angular unit where one mil is one-thousandth of a radian. Downrange, one mil equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards — or, in metric terms, 10 centimeters at 100 meters and 1 meter at 1,000 meters, which is where its base-10 elegance shows. Mil scopes typically click in tenths of a mil, about 0.36 inch at 100 yards per click. Because everything scales by tens, the math for holdovers and corrections is fast, which is a big part of why mils dominate precision and military shooting.
The real differences: precision per click versus speed of math
Two practical distinctions separate them. First, granularity: a quarter-MOA click (about 0.26 inch at 100 yards) is slightly finer than a tenth-mil click (about 0.36 inch), so MOA offers marginally more precise adjustments. Second, speed: MRAD's base-10 system means fewer clicks to make large adjustments and simpler arithmetic, which is quicker under a clock and easier to call between shooters. For most field shooting the precision gap is academic; the math style is the difference you will actually feel.
| MOA | MRAD (mil) | |
|---|---|---|
| Unit | Minute of angle (1/60 of a degree) | Milliradian (1/1000 of a radian) |
| Value at 100 yd | ~1.047 in (rounded to 1 in) | 3.6 in |
| Common click | 1/4 MOA (~0.26 in at 100 yd) | 0.1 mil (~0.36 in at 100 yd) |
| Math style | Inches and yards | Base-10 (tenths) |
| Often favored by | Hunters, shooters who think in inches | Precision and PRS shooters, military, metric users |
Which should you choose?
Choose by how you think and who you shoot with. If you picture corrections in inches at known hunting distances and like a slightly finer click, MOA will feel natural. If you shoot variable distances, want faster math, or train with others who call in mils — competition and precision circles overwhelmingly do — MRAD pays off, and many beginners find its tenths easier than counting quarter-MOA clicks. Whatever you pick, keep the reticle and turret in the same unit so a hold you read in the reticle dials straight onto the turret. Accufire built its variable scopes around mils for exactly that consistency: the EVRO-12 and ATRO-20 pair 0.1-mil turrets with a mil-based reticle.
Prefer the speed of base-10 mils? Accufire's variable scopes match 0.1-mil turrets to a mil ranging reticle, so holds and clicks share one unit — explore Accufire rifle scopes.
Accufire EVRO-12 Essential Variable Rifle Scope — $479.00. A 2.5–20x50 first focal plane optic with 0.1-mil locking turrets and a matching mil-comp reticle, plus side-focus parallax and a 30 mm tube. View the EVRO-12.
Frequently asked questions
Is MOA or MRAD better?
Neither is more accurate; they are two units for the same job. Choose by which math you find easier and what the shooters around you use, then keep your reticle and turret in that same unit.
What is the difference between MOA and MRAD?
MOA is a minute of angle, about 1.047 inches at 100 yards, usually with quarter-MOA clicks. MRAD is a milliradian, 3.6 inches at 100 yards, usually with tenth-mil clicks and base-10 math.
Which is better for beginners?
Many new shooters find MRAD easier because its base-10 system of tenths is simpler than counting MOA quarter-clicks. That said, MOA feels natural if you already think in inches and yards.
Does MOA or MRAD have finer adjustments?
A quarter-MOA click moves about 0.26 inch at 100 yards, slightly finer than a tenth-mil click at about 0.36 inch. So MOA offers a bit more granularity per click, though the difference is small in the field.
What system do Accufire scopes use?
The Accufire EVRO-12 and ATRO-20 use 0.1-mil (MRAD) turrets matched to a mil-based reticle, so reticle holds and dialed corrections share the same unit.
MOA and MRAD describe the same angles your reticle and dot sizes do. For more on how those marks work, see our guides to rifle scope reticle types and choosing a red dot dot size, which use the same minute-of-angle math in a different context.