When it comes to rifle optics, one of the most common questions is whether to go with MOA or MILs. Both systems are tools for measuring angles and making adjustments on your scope, and both will get the job done. The real difference comes in how each system measures, how you think through adjustments, and what kind of shooting you plan to do. At The Outdoorsman’s Oath, we’ve found MILs fit our style best, but let’s break down both systems so you can see why.
What is MOA?
MOA stands for “Minute of Angle.” A circle has 360 degrees, and each degree has 60 minutes. That means one MOA is 1/60 of a degree. At 100 yards, one MOA equals 1.047 inches. Most shooters round that to one inch, which keeps things simple when you are making corrections.
Here’s how it works in practice:
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At 100 yards, 1 MOA ≈ 1 inch
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At 200 yards, 1 MOA ≈ 2 inches
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At 500 yards, 1 MOA ≈ 5 inches
Most MOA scopes adjust in quarter-MOA clicks. That means each click moves your point of impact by about 0.25 inches at 100 yards. If your group is three inches low at 200 yards, you would need six MOA of correction. With a quarter-MOA scope, that equals 24 clicks.
This is one reason hunters who think in inches often find MOA intuitive. You see your bullet hit three inches low, and you can quickly work the math out in inches rather than converting to metric.
What are MILs?
MILs are short for milliradians. A radian is an angular measurement based on the radius of a circle, and there are about 6,283 milliradians in a full circle. It sounds complicated, but in shooting terms, one MIL equals 3.6 inches at 100 yards or exactly 10 centimeters at 100 meters.
Here’s how MILs scale:
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At 100 yards, 1 MIL ≈ 3.6 inches
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At 200 yards, 1 MIL ≈ 7.2 inches
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At 1,000 yards, 1 MIL ≈ 36 inches
Most MIL scopes adjust in 0.1 MIL increments. Each click equals 0.36 inches at 100 yards or one centimeter at 100 meters. If your bullet hits 7.2 inches low at 200 yards, that’s a 1 MIL correction. You would dial ten clicks (0.1 MIL each) to get back on target.
While the math may not look as clean as MOA at first, MILs scale nicely for longer distances and integrate seamlessly with rangefinders, ballistic calculators, and spotting scopes, which is why military and competition shooters almost always prefer them.
Practical Applications
Both systems work, but they shine in different areas.
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MOA: Great for hunters who are most comfortable thinking in inches and shooting under 500 yards. When you know your rifle drops about 8 inches at 400 yards, it’s natural to think, “I’ll dial about 8 MOA.”
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MILs: Best for long range shooting, team communication, and when using ballistic solvers or metric-based tools. A spotter can call out “hold 1.2 MILs left” and the shooter can instantly apply it without converting. The system is clean, consistent, and universal.
Why We Prefer MILs at The Outdoorsman’s Oath
For us, MILs are the most practical. We do a lot of shooting beyond hunting ranges, and MILs keep things simple when scaling out to 600, 800, or even 1,000 yards. With a MIL optic, you don’t need to count 60 clicks for a correction — you just dial 6.0 MILs and move on.
Another reason is communication. When we’re on the range or in the field working as a team, corrections are fast and clear in MILs. Instead of saying “come up 21 inches at 600 yards,” we can say “dial 1.0 MIL.” It saves time and removes confusion.
Lastly, most of today’s technology is built around the MIL system. Ballistic calculators, laser rangefinders, and spotting scopes are all calibrated in MILs. Running optics in MILs means our entire setup speaks the same language.
Final Thoughts
MOA and MILs are both solid systems. MOA feels natural for shooters who live and breathe inches. MILs, on the other hand, are versatile, universal, and scale better as distances grow. Neither system will make you a better shooter by itself — practice, confidence, and familiarity with your gear will do that.
At The Outdoorsman’s Oath, we run MILs because they match the way we hunt, shoot, and test equipment. They allow us to keep our communication sharp, our math simple, and our shots on target. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether you dial in inches or milliradians — what matters is making the shot when it counts.
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