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MOA /MRAD reticle

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  • 18-12-2020 8:37pm
    #1
    HW100S
    Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭


    Hi,
    I understand the difference between both on the turrets but whats the difference in the reticle? If any? I heard Its best to have an MOA/MOA or MRAD/MRAD set up but what is an MOA or MRAD reticle?
    As an example, I have a hawke sidewinder with 1/2 mil dot reticle and 1/4 MOA turret.
    Which combination of MOA /MRAD is this?
    Is the above more important in a FFP scope?
    Thanks.


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    #2
    alanmc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭alanmc


    HW100S wrote: »
    Hi,
    I understand the difference between both on the turrets but whats the difference in the reticle? If any? I heard Its best to have an MOA/MOA or MRAD/MRAD set up but what is an MOA or MRAD reticle?
    As an example, I have a hawke sidewinder with 1/2 mil dot reticle and 1/4 MOA turret.
    Which combination of MOA /MRAD is this?
    Is the above more important in a FFP scope?
    Thanks.


    An MOA reticle has the distances between the hash marks measured in MOAs. My scope for instance has hash marks that are 2 MOA apart.

    Let's say my scope is off zero and my bullet hits 2 hash marks below centre and 1.5 hash marks right of centre. Because my reticle and my turrets match, I can dial 4 MOA up and 3 MOA left to bring my scope back to zero.

    The beauty of this is that it works at any distance. At 100yds, 300yds, 1000yds, the hash marks on my scope are always 2MOA.

    Same thing for MRAD, only it's a different scale. But the method is exactly the same.

    It's also important to note that the above is only valid for "Second Focal Plane" scopes at a particular Zoom level. This is usually indicated on the zoom ring. For my scope it's at 22x (indicated with a R).

    For first focal plane, the above works at any zoom level, as the reticle zooms in and out with the sight picture.

    The hash marks can also be used to range a target as well if you know the approximate size of the target. For instance, if a 3 inch clay is approximately 1 MOA in your scope, then the clay is pretty close to 300 yds away ... as 1 MOA is roughly 1" at 100 yds.

    A good reticle with matching turrets can open up a whole new world of nerdy maths to your shooting ... which if I'm honest is kinda the part I enjoy.


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    #3
    alanmc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭alanmc


    HW100S wrote: »
    Hi,
    I understand the difference between both on the turrets but whats the difference in the reticle? If any? I heard Its best to have an MOA/MOA or MRAD/MRAD set up but what is an MOA or MRAD reticle?
    As an example, I have a hawke sidewinder with 1/2 mil dot reticle and 1/4 MOA turret.
    Which combination of MOA /MRAD is this?
    Is the above more important in a FFP scope?
    Thanks.

    A 1/2 mil dot reticle (I think) means that the distance between the dots is 1/2 a mil ... which doesn't match your turrets. So you have a MRAD/MOA scope. Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong on that.


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    #4
    HW100S
    Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭HW100S


    Thanks for the very detailed reply.
    I guess what Im asking really is if i buy s scope with an MOA turret will the reticle automatically be MOA and vice versa for MRAD? Or perhaps I'm looking at this the wrong way?
    I don't have a preference for either MOA or MRAD, i just don't want to get a scope with opposing turret/reticle adjustments.
    The confusing part for me is the reticle. What is a mil dot reticle, MOA or MRAD or is that just totally wrong logic......


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    #5
    alanmc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭alanmc


    Mil is MRAD. Miliradians.


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    #6
    HW100S
    Registered Users Posts: 280 ✭✭HW100S


    alanmc wrote: »
    Mil is MRAD. Miliradians.

    Ok, This now makes a lot more sense and explains why my sidewinder doesn't track the distance I was expecting as both turret & reticle are using different units.
    So, for a mil dot reticle, which I use for different aim points on the airgun, I should have a mil rad turret to make things easier?


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    #7
    alanmc
    Registered Users Posts: 1,132 ✭✭✭alanmc


    HW100S wrote: »
    Ok, This now makes a lot more sense and explains why my sidewinder doesn't track the distance I was expecting as both turret & reticle are using different units.
    So, for a mil dot reticle, which I use for different aim points on the airgun, I should have a mil rad turret to make things easier?

    Pretty much. I find once you have reticle and turrets matching, you can stop thinking in inches or cms and just think in MOA or MRAD. The maths becomes so much simpler.


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    #8
    Wadi14
    Registered Users Posts: 877 ✭✭✭Wadi14


    HW100S wrote: »
    Ok, This now makes a lot more sense and explains why my sidewinder doesn't track the distance I was expecting as both turret & reticle are using different units.
    So, for a mil dot reticle, which I use for different aim points on the airgun, I should have a mil rad turret to make things easier?

    You are correct saying your Hawke turrets don't match your ret, so get a scope with matching turrets and ret, it doesn't matter if you go Mils or MOA . the only thing I would think about before choosing is if you are shooting really really small targets, why I say this is the MOA click adjustment is finer than the Mils not by much. at 100m 1/4 moa click is .25 inch and 1/10 mil click is .36 inch.

    If using a FFP scope you must have the ret and turrets matching, and the ret measurements are correct at any magnification setting which might be handy for you. As you know with the 2nd focal plane scopes they have to be set and a specific magnification to have the mil readings correct.


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