Rifle Scope "Come up in MOA" question...

S

SRE

New member
Hey guys. Hate to admit this but I have 2 of what I would call "really nice" scopes on my varmint guns (.204 Ruger and .22-250) and I have always used them incorrectly. To reach out and touch targets at longer ranges I would just aim a little higher. But on my NightForce scope I want to start adjusting the actual windage and elevation turrets to acquire target impact. So I guess here is the question I would ask to figure out the whole equation:

My rife is zeroed at 100 yards. To reach have bullet hit target at 200 yards i must come up 0.5 MOA. On a scope with 1/4" @ 100 yard adjustments... HOW MANY ACTUAL CLICKS UP DO I COME? (How many times do I turn my elevation turret?)


Thanks in advance!
 
A minute of angle is approximately one inch per hundred yards of range.
Your scope adjustments are 1/4 MOA, not just 1/4 inch at 100.
Therefore if you want .5 MOA, you adjust two 1/4 MOA clicks.
 
Jim is correct. Each click is 1/4MOA at 100 yards, 1/2 at 200, 3/4 at 300, 1 at 400.... Etc.

It's very handy to learn to think in MOA terms when shooting. That way, if you know you're 4 MOA low at 400 yards, it's 4 clicks. No converting.

BTW, you shouldn't be low at 200 yards with a 204 or 22-250. Sighted 1 1/2 high at 100, you're not low until like 250-275, at least.
 
I dont agree (with Jim) the scope will be like he said - 1 click will equal 1/4 MOA @ 100 yards so @ 200 yards that 1 click will equal 1/2 MOA (0.5 MOA)

Edit : Peetza beat me to it

Jim is correct if he is stating that 2 clicks will equal 1/2 MOA @ 100 yards but his (the OP) question was how many clicks to equal 1/2 MOA (0.5 MOA) @ 200 yards.
 
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It depends

on which reticle your Nightforce scope has, some are mil radians, some are MOA. The instruction booklet for the scope has a good explanation of how to use the one that you have.
 
MOA is MOA regardless of the range. What changes with range is how much length one MOA will represent as one of the variables of calculating MOA is distance from the target.

If the OP says he has to go up 1/2 MOA, and if that is what he really means, than it will be two clicks. 1/2 MOA is 1/2 MOA an any range, it just means, for example moving the point of impact 0.25" at 50 yards or 2.5" at 500 yards. But I wonder how that number was determined, because most shooters measure bullet deviations in inches and have to back-calculated to MOA based on the range to adjust the scope. Clicks on the scope are based on MOA (or mRads on some scopes). The thing that says 1 click = 1/4" at 100 yards or something similar is just a handy, quick reference so the shooter uninterested in subtending angles can sight in at 100 yards without having to do any math. But what that essentially means is that the scope has 1/4 MOA clicks.

So, cliff's notes: if the shooter needs to go up 1/2 MOA, it will be two clicks, if he needs to go up 1/2 inch, it will be one click.
 
OP, do you have a mil-reticle and you're holding over 1/2 of a milradion (1/2 the distance between the dots in the reticle)? If so, there is a huge difference between 1/2 of a mil and 1/2 of MOA (minute of angle or arc, whichever you prefer). 1/2 of mil at 200 yards will be between 3" and 3.5". 1/2 of MOA will be 1". I've always doped my rifle in inches of drop past the 100 yard zero, but there are two different calculations. 1 in milradions for holdover, 1 in moa for using the turrets. That's just how I conduct business because I'm good at math as long as I have a base point that doesn't change (100 yard zero, inches in drop at each yard line beyond that. That always stays the same and gives me a "constant").


I know this may sound complicated, but it's really not. I just want to make sure you know that most scopes use one unit of measurement for the reticle (milradions) and another for turret adjustment (moa).
 
There is one factor that noone is accounting for. Whether or not the reticle is FFP or SFP should be your first question. If it's FFP and he has a 100yd zero, and he holds .5 MOA high at 200yds to hit bullseye then yes he would simply adjust .5 MOA. If the reticle is SFP and he isn't using it on the correct magnification at which the reticle is meant for it's measures to be accurate or for range estimation then it's possible that it's off and he is not truly holding .5 MOA above the target therefore it could be more or less than two 1/4th MOA clicks or .5 MOA.

And as the above stated if he's using a mil reticle well he'll need to do some converting, and thats again if it's on the right magnification.

Also MOA at 400 yards is 4", if your 4 MOA low at 400yds i assume you mean 16" it would be 16 clicks in elevation, not 4 which would only be four inches. Considering one 1/4th MOA adjustment at 400yds is around one inch.

Also you don't have to do much converting with Mils either unless you have non matching turrets/reticles. If i'm spotting with a FFP reticle and i see a shot a 500"yds is 5" off i could simply use the reticle to measure in mils from the point of impact to the bullseye and call for a quick adjustment. Also a good way to test the tracking of your scope, use your reticle at 100yds put it dead in the center of the target and have four more targets or dots anywhere on the target. Use your reticle to see how many MOA/Mils over to adjust. Adjust accordingly hold the reticle again in the center bullseye as you had before and you should hit the target you've adjusted for by using your reticle. Thats again if its FFP or on the correct magnification setting for the reticle in SFP.
 
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Not quite, moving the reticle one MOA is supposed to be one MOA independently of first or second plane. The center stays the center even if the magnification changes. Using reticle hash marks to adjust for bullet drop is dependent on image magnification if using a SFP scope.
 
I think you misinterpreted what i said, I'm not saying the elevatoin or windage adjustments are dependent upon magnification, i'm saying exactly what you stated that using the reticle for hold over in SFP is dependent upon magnification as to how accurate the SFP reticle is, thus if he was not on the proper magnification setting and his scope is SFP then it's possible that he wasn't actually holding .5MOA over the bullseye, resulting in the adjustment in elevation value not being just two 1/4th clicks.
 
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Now I'm really confused!!!! Explain this example, please:

According to Remington, my 270WSM shooting 150 gr Acu-Tips and zeroed at 250 yds will be 28.5" low at 500 yds.

So my Leupold VXII scope has 1/4 MOA adjustments. How do I figure the number of clicks up to equal the 28.5" for a 500 yard hold on?

Don't mean to hijack the post, but maybe a real-life situation like this will also help the OP. Thanks guys.
 
Take your 28.5" and divide by 5 - the approximate height of 1 MOA at 500 yards.

That gives you 5.7 MOA come up. Divide that by the click-graduation, usually either 1/4 MOA per click or 1/2 MOA per click (should be marked on the scope). Let's assume 1/4 MOA per click; divide 5.7 by .25 (1/4) to get the number of clicks come up.

Turn the knob in the 'move POI up' direction 22.8 clicks. Since you can't do 0.8 clicks round it up to 23 clicks come up. That's as close as you can get (within one inch) at 500 yards (that's still sub-0.20 MOA).

If you zeroed in no wind conditions, keep your bloody hands off the windage knob completely and use right or left hold off (Kentucky windage) to compensate for your wind value (an art in itself).
 
Thanks a ton! Now I get it! Not as hard as i thought! I am going to start trying this now that I know how it works. Excellent!:)
 
Wow... well I think I figured it out I guess.

My scope is set in 1/4 MOA clicks. Bullet drop is -4.1 and if my come-up is 3.1" @ 300 yards, I divide 3.1 by .25. Which equals roughly 12. So I come up 12 clicks... .RIGHT??
 
If your trying to move the point of impact at 300 yards 3.1 inches up it would simply be 1 full minute, or maybe 5 clicks. One minute at 300=around 3 inches, 4 clicks equals a full minute. Or i would think i'm doing organic chemistry right now and i'm a little shot so i might be recalling wrong :o
 
SRE, get a ballistics chart to figure the info for the ammo you are using. The chart will give you the bullet drop for each distance in relation to your zero yardage then do the calculation described above. I know you can get it, i did! And that aint easy! Ballistic calculators are everywhere, just google it.

Acording to Winchester:
A 22-250 55gr Balstic silvertip zeroed at 100 yards will be 4.1" low at 250 yards.

So divide 4.1/2.5 to get MOA up = 1.64 MOA up adjustment needed

Divide 1.64MOA/.25MOA per click = 6.56 or 7 real world clicks to hold on at 250 yards.

Anyone check my math?
 
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I do have many ballistics charts! I got it figured out. Thanks to everyone for your valuable input! Now I got my MOA questions squared away I will feel much much more comfortable this weekend with my .204 Ruger trying to rid my neighbor's property of his AWEFUL ground hog problem.
 
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