Rifle Scope Turrets Explained: MOA, MRAD and Zero Stop
You've mounted a quality variable scope, dialed your zero at 100 yards, and now you're stepping back to 400 yards for the first time. You reach for the elevation turret, click it up a few times — and realize you have no idea what one click actually moves your point of impact. Rifle scope turrets control elevation and windage adjustments in precise increments, and understanding whether yours use MOA or MRAD clicks, and whether they're capped, exposed, or locking, determines how fast and how accurately you can get on target at extended distances.
Key takeaways
- Capped turrets protect your zero on hunting rifles; exposed (tactical) turrets let you dial adjustments quickly in the field.
- Locking turrets add a third option: they can be locked at your zero to prevent accidental movement, then unlocked to dial — the Accufire EVRO-12 uses this style.
- One MOA click moves roughly 1 inch at 100 yards; one MRAD click moves 0.1 mrad (about 0.36 inch at 100 yards on a 0.1 mrad scope).
- Both the Accufire ATRO-20 and EVRO-12 use 0.1 mrad clicks with mil reticles — so turret values and reticle subtensions speak the same math.
- Zero stop is a mechanical stop preventing the turret from dialing below your established zero, saving you from losing it during rapid resets.
- Dialing (turning the turret to a precise correction) is more precise at long range; holding (using a reticle subtension) is faster when time is short.
Capped, exposed, and locking turrets: what each style does
Most rifle scopes fall into one of three turret configurations, and the right choice depends on how you intend to use the scope.
Capped turrets sit beneath a threaded or slip-on cap that you remove to make adjustments. Once the cap is replaced, the turret can't accidentally move in a pack or brush. This is the classic choice for hunting scopes where you set your zero and leave it. The tradeoff: you need to stop, dig out a coin or your fingers, remove the cap, and re-cap after adjusting. Under a time limit that's a real friction point.
Exposed (tactical) turrets have no cap — they're designed to be turned quickly with thumb and finger. A precision shooter dialing an 800-yard correction at a PRS stage doesn't have time to unscrew a cap. The honest tradeoff here is exposure to accidental movement; a heavy pack strap or a tight rifle case can rotate an exposed turret without you knowing, silently shifting your zero. Most shooters who use exposed turrets develop a habit of checking zero before a stage or a hunt.
Locking turrets address that accidental-movement problem without returning to a cap. A locking turret requires you to push it down (or pull it up, depending on design) to disengage the lock before you can rotate it. At rest it won't budge. Once you're done dialing, you lock it again. The Accufire EVRO-12 uses locking turrets — a practical choice for a value-tier FFP scope that may ride in a pack all day before a shot is required.
| Turret Style | Adjustment Access | Accidental-Movement Risk | Best Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capped | Remove cap first | Very low | Hunting; set-and-forget zeros |
| Exposed (tactical) | Direct thumb access | Moderate — check before shooting | Precision/competition; frequent range dialing |
| Locking | Push/pull to unlock, then rotate | Low | Field hunting with occasional long-range dialing |
MOA vs MRAD: understanding your click values
Every turret click moves the point of impact by a fixed angular amount — either in minutes of angle (MOA) or milliradians (MRAD, also called mils). These are just two different units for measuring the same thing: a small angle.
One MOA subtends approximately 1.047 inches at 100 yards — close enough that most shooters round to "1 inch per 100 yards." A scope with ¼ MOA clicks moves the impact ¼ inch per click at 100 yards, or 1 inch at 100 yards per 4 clicks. At 500 yards that same 4 clicks moves 5 inches.
One milliradian subtends exactly 3.6 inches at 100 yards (or 36 mm at 100 m, which is why mils dominate metric-system shooting). Most tactical scopes use 0.1 mrad clicks — each click moves 0.36 inch at 100 yards, or 3.6 inches at 1,000 yards. The math is designed to be clean: multiply your distance in hundreds of yards by 3.6 to get the impact movement in inches per click. Both Accufire scopes — the ATRO-20 and the EVRO-12 — use 0.1 mrad clicks.
The practical argument for matching your turret unit to your reticle is that you can hold corrections visually and dial them numerically with identical values. Both Accufire FFP scopes pair 0.1 mrad turrets with mil reticles, so the subtension dots and the turret clicks speak the same language. If you're learning the system from scratch, starting with a matched mil/mil setup avoids the mental translation overhead of running a MOA turret behind a mil reticle (or vice versa). For a deeper comparison of the two systems, our MOA vs MRAD guide walks through the math and practical scenarios side by side.
Zero stop: what it is and why it matters
A zero stop is a mechanical limit built into the turret that prevents the turret from rotating below your established zero point. You set your 100-yard zero (for example), then engage the zero stop at that position. From that point on, if you dial up elevation to reach a distant target and then spin the turret back down, it physically stops at your zero. You can't accidentally under-rotate past it.
Without a zero stop, after dialing up 12 mils for a long shot and then quickly returning to zero, it's easy to under-rotate — especially under stress — and end up several clicks below your actual zero without realizing it. A zero stop eliminates that error mode. It's most valuable on exposed tactical turrets used for rapid multi-distance engagements.
Not every scope has a zero stop, and it's worth verifying on any scope you're evaluating for precision shooting. Check the manufacturer's specifications for your specific model rather than assuming it's present based on price point or turret style alone.
Dialing vs holding: when to use each
Once you understand your turret system, the next question is whether to use it. "Dialing" means physically rotating the elevation (and sometimes windage) turret to apply a correction before the shot. "Holding" means leaving the turret at zero and using a reticle subtension — a dot, hash, or graduation on the reticle — to aim above or below the target by the required amount.
Dialing is more precise. Once you've dialed the correct correction, you shoot from the center of the reticle, which is typically cleaner optically and simpler to execute under pressure. It works best when you have time to consult a dope card, count your clicks, and confirm. At extended distances — generally 400 yards and beyond — dialing introduces fewer opportunities for estimation error.
Holding is faster. If a target appears at an unknown distance and you have seconds rather than minutes, your reticle subtensions let you hold your correction without touching the turret at all. This is the normal mode in fast-moving hunting scenarios and dynamic shooting formats. The honest tradeoff: your hold is only as accurate as your ability to estimate range and read your reticle subtensions correctly. Errors compound at distance.
Many shooters use a hybrid approach: dial for known distances on a pre-planned shot, hold for reactive or moving targets. FFP scopes like the ATRO-20 and EVRO-12 make this easier because their reticle subtensions remain accurate at every magnification setting — unlike second-focal-plane scopes, where the reticle only reads correctly at the maximum magnification. For a broader look at how focal plane affects your holds and adjustments, see our first vs second focal plane comparison.
Tracking and return-to-zero: what to verify at the range
Two performance tests matter for any turret system: tracking consistency and return-to-zero reliability.
Tracking means the scope actually moves the point of impact by the claimed amount per click and continues doing so predictably across its full adjustment range. A scope with poor tracking may click consistently in the center of its range but drift or skip near the limits. You can test this by shooting a "box test" at the range: fire a shot, dial a known number of clicks in each direction (up, right, down, left, back to start), shooting at each position, and measure whether the resulting shot group forms a precise box of the expected size.
Return-to-zero tests whether the scope returns to the same point of impact after dialing away and back. Mechanically, this depends on internal spring tension and the quality of the adjustment mechanism. A scope that doesn't return to zero after dialing is a liability in field conditions where you dial for a long shot and then return for close work.
These tests are worth running with any new scope before relying on it in the field. They require live ammunition and a stable rest, but they take less than 30 minutes and reveal real-world mechanical behavior. For step-by-step zeroing procedure, our rifle scope zeroing guide walks through the full process.
Explore Accufire rifle scopes. Both the ATRO-20 and EVRO-12 are first focal plane scopes with 0.1 mrad clicks and mil reticles — designed so your turret values and reticle subtensions always match — shop the rifle scopes collection.
Accufire ATRO-20 Advanced Tactical Rifle Scope — $649.25, FFP 2.5–20×50 with 0.1 mrad clicks, mil reticle, 30 mm tube, and side-focus parallax from 50 yards to infinity. Built for precision shooters who dial frequently. View the ATRO-20.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between MOA and MRAD turret clicks?
MOA (minute of angle) and MRAD (milliradian) are two angular units used to measure scope adjustments. One MOA equals roughly 1 inch at 100 yards; one MRAD equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards. Most tactical scopes use 0.1 mrad clicks, meaning each click moves the point of impact 0.36 inch at 100 yards. Both Accufire rifle scopes use 0.1 mrad clicks paired with mil reticles so the turret values and reticle subtensions share the same unit.
What does a zero stop do on a rifle scope turret?
A zero stop is a mechanical limit in the turret that prevents it from rotating below your established zero point. After dialing up elevation for a long-range shot and then returning the turret, the zero stop physically stops the rotation at your zero, so you cannot accidentally under-rotate past it and end up with a false zero.
What is the difference between capped, exposed, and locking turrets?
Capped turrets sit beneath a removable cap that protects the adjustment from accidental movement, making them common on hunting scopes. Exposed turrets have no cap and allow direct thumb access for fast dialing, but they can be bumped accidentally. Locking turrets must be pushed or pulled to disengage a lock before rotating; at rest they resist accidental movement. The Accufire EVRO-12 uses locking turrets.
Should I dial my turrets or hold with the reticle?
Dialing is generally more precise for known distances because you shoot from the center of the reticle after applying the correction. Holding is faster when time is short, using reticle subtensions to compensate without touching the turret. FFP scopes like the Accufire ATRO-20 and EVRO-12 allow accurate holds at any magnification, which makes the hybrid approach practical: dial for planned long shots, hold for reactive or moving targets.
How do I test whether my scope turrets track correctly?
Run a box test at the range: fire a shot at a target, dial a known number of clicks up, fire again, dial the same number of clicks right, fire, then down, then left, returning to your starting position with a final shot. Measure the resulting group to confirm it forms a box of the expected size based on your click values and distance. This reveals whether the scope moves the claimed amount per click and whether it returns to zero accurately.
Rifle scope turrets are one of the mechanical systems most worth understanding before you need them — fumbling with a capped turret or misreading a click value under time pressure costs accuracy when it matters most. For a broader foundation, the rifle scopes complete guide covers eye relief, parallax, reticle types, and mounting alongside turret function, and our reticle types article explains how mil-dot and hash subtensions pair with the MRAD turret values both Accufire scopes use.