• Watch Out for Scammers!

    We've now added a color code for all accounts. Orange accounts are new members, Blue are full members, and Green are Supporters. If you get a message about a sale from an orange account, make sure you pay attention before sending any money!

Rifle Scopes mil dot reticle moa turrets

armyezz

Private
Minuteman
Mar 9, 2014
4
0
So I'm relatively new to long range shooting and I came across a good deal on an swfa SS 10x42. But it has a mil dot retical and mrad turrets. My question is how do I dial in an accurate firing solution with the 2 differant angular systems of measurement?
 
Last edited:
Oops. My mistake. I meant to say moa turrets.

Well.........if tour truly using your reticle: by selecting an moa/mil scope you introduce an extra mathematic conversion from reticle to adjustment.
The sky is not falling but the transition will cost you time in transition.
You get use to it. I accidently convert moa and mils without even thinking about it for corrections. But I do not truly use my reticle. It is a great reference and backup but I do not range with it regularly or use it for holdover very often.
If your on the clock in competition get a mil/mil or moa/moa scope to run with.
For hunting, target practice and education you can certainly run moa/mil but you have two systems to learn and a constant conversion to get use to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: karb
I DO plan on using the retical. How do I convert mils to moa to dial it in. I'm not going to be doing any comps so I'm not too worried about taking a little more time. What is the conversion.
 
Here is a link to the conversion http://www.mil-dot.com/media/1027/the_derivation_of_the_range_estimation_equations.pdf


Sure, it is best to have matching reticle and turrets, but not the end of the world. If you will just be recreational shooting and hunting, just print out drop cards with both data. Most of the time, I dial elevation and hold wind. You can dial in moa, and hold mil. With a 308 shooting 178 amax, 5 mil hold will be at approx 650Y.

Unless you plan on spotting you own shots through the scope, there really isnt a need to convert anything. You can use the reticle to range your target. Lets say deer at 500 Yards wind is 8 mph, you have a 308 shooting 178 amax,

You simply dial in 11.25 moa and then hold 1 mil windage.

The mil wind hold I use from an old link http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...rksmanship-questions/163617-reading-wind.html

But with a ballistic program like Ballistic AE you can have your results display moa elevation and mil windage.
 
It's 2014, there's more than enough matching setups at a good price available to NOT have to deal with the conversion. The only mil/moa scope I'll ever own now is my MST-100.
 
Thanks a lot for the info. I was making it more complicated in my head than I needed. I guess its just going to be a whole lot of practice.
 
Why the fuck do scope manufacturers STILL persist in making scopes with mismatched turrets and reticles??? That's dumber than two men fornicating.

BTW - its "reticle" not "retical"
 
Because some of us learned on it, use it, and don't want to change. LOL. It's not so bad if most of the elevation work is done by BDC. If you're not running a BDC, then I can see the problem.

Range with the mil reticle. Adjust followup shots with the mil reticle. Memorize your holdovers for the mil reticle. Hold for wind with the mil reticle, and if you think in MOA, then just remember 3 1/2, 7, 10 1/2, 14, 17. Each quarter of a mil is about one MOA. Know the size of your dots for additional reference. There's really not any calculation involved that should hold you up. If that's not precise enough for you, think.....how precisely can you really estimate wind value, and do you really think the actual wind value is going to remain steady along the entire flight path while you are aiming and squeezing? Getting within half MOA adjustments for wind at long range takes a LOT of practice.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: unedited
What conversion? You can use the reticle for both range finding, hold and favors. And, if you are dialing elevation, what does it matter, you simply select appropriate click amount for ranged distance with what ever angular scale you've got. I actually prefer a mil-dot reticle and MOA dials. Mils are very quick when the target is of known height, and MOA is very precise. You don't need to understand rocket science to get it. My only complaint is most scopes do not have adjustments that turn elevation up with a clockwise turn and windage right with a right turn. Being a Service Rifle competitor I have on occasion screwed myself in NRA LR with a scope with opposite turns for elevation and windage than Service Rifle sights when I've chosen to click instead of favor.
 
Last edited:
Years ago when I had MOA/Mil scopes I would just run two data lines from JBM on my data sheet. One in MOA for dialing and one in Mil for holds. Had elevation, windage and mover holds. Worked well. The only time I had to do conversions was if I wanted to dial on my correction.
 
Target Size in Inches ÷ Image Size Measured in Mils in Reticle x 27.77 = Distance in Yards
Target Size in Inches ÷ Image Size Measured in Mils in Reticle x 25.4 = Distance in Meters
Target Size in Centimeters ÷ Image Size Measured in Mils in Reticle x 10.93 = Distance in Yards
Target Size in Centimeters ÷ Image Size Measured in Mils in Reticle x 10 = Distance in Meters

Always go Mil/Mil if able and use the metric system for ranging. Calculation are much more simple.
 
The only time I had to do conversions was if I wanted to dial on my correction.


And this is primaily what I use a mil reticle scope for - dialing corrections and find having to do the conversion is a PITA. No, its not rocket science - its just an unnecesary step that matched turrents do away with.
 
And this is primaily what I use a mil reticle scope for - dialing corrections and find having to do the conversion is a PITA. No, its not rocket science - its just an unnecesary step that matched turrents do away with.

Yes with todays matching reticle and knob options in scopes there is no reason to have a mismatched system any longer. I haven't used one since early 2000s.
 
Always go Mil/Mil if able and use the metric system for ranging. Calculation are much more simple.

No it's not. This has been beat to death on this site so i won;t get back into it but the whole metric argument is BS. If you have a mildot master or know the formula for any they are all the same. You won't be doing any of them in your head if you plan on hitting your target.
 
I'll just write it one more time then. I am an American, I love shooting, own a mil/moa scope, and own a mildot master, and I am good with math in my head. Absolutely I can figure the math in my head with the metric measurements and dividing by round numbers like 10 and can hit my target with the math provided. The hardest part of the equation is getting the size of the object correct. Take a look at all the equations again. Of course, making adjustments with mil/mil or moa/moa is a snap and no calculations are required, but calculating mil to moa could leave issues unless one practices consistency consistently.
 
As a former owner over a MIL reticle/MOA turret scope, I recommend you find a scope with matching units of measure. Yes you can do the conversations, math in your head, write it down but having the same units of measure is so much easier. You say that you aren't worried about taking more time to set up the scope but I assure there will be a time when you want to find a shooting solution quickly and having MIL/MOA will slow you down. With all the other variables that go into making a successful shot why add another variable?
 
Are these conversions being mentioned related primarily to elevation? I don't see the problem, but I am running a BDC. Range estimation using a mil reticle will always involve a calculation, regardless of what system the knobs are.
 
... just get a scope that the unit of measure matches in the reticle and the turrets, and spare yourself a world of pain.

The MOA/Mil mismatch was a marketing/fashion love child victim of Frankenstein proportion with scope manufacturers.
Everyone wanted a MilDot reticle because they saw them on TV... the scope manufactures back then (only 5-10 years ago) all had MOA turrets... so they just added the MilDot reticle to sell more scopes with as little r&d costs as possible.

Hence the retarded number of crappy MilDot reticle, MOA turret, SFP scopes that people have bought over the years. There really was nothing else, and people didn't know better at the time. Even now, you try find a Mil reticle, Mil turret, FFP PCP air-rifle scope with parallax down to 10m... I think there are only 2 manufacturers worldwide (S&B and Falcon Optics).

It's only recently that decent Mil/Mil or MOA/MOA scopes are coming out, so take advantage of technical advances and just get a scope with a matching system.
 
The MOA/Mil mismatch was a marketing/fashion love child victim of Frankenstein proportion with scope manufacturers.

BS! Let's not forget the ORIGINAL mil dot reticle was in the Marine Corps Unertl 10X Sniper. There was no "marketing" involved, and the system worked fabulously as designed. The SOLE purpose of the mil reticle was for range estimation. I do agree that a matched system makes sense, but the original mil/MOA system is hardly a "world of pain".
 
Years ago when I had MOA/Mil scopes I would just run two data lines from JBM on my data sheet. One in MOA for dialing and one in Mil for holds. Had elevation, windage and mover holds. Worked well. The only time I had to do conversions was if I wanted to dial on my correction.


Yup, exactly! All though I haven't had to do that in about 10 years now.

It's not as complicated as people make it.
 
One slight advantage of having both systems in one optic is that you'll now become thoroughly familiar with both, and converting back and forth probably.
 
Use a ballistic program that can give your adjustments in MOA form, such as Knights Armament Bulletflight.

In that particular program just turn off Mrad display and metric scope setup.
 
Why the fuck do scope manufacturers STILL persist in making scopes with mismatched turrets and reticles??? That's dumber than two men fornicating.

BTW - its "reticle" not "retical"
Simpel - because everyone suddenly wanted a
"MILDOT reticle" so they rushed them out with the MOA erectors they had in the pipeline and just changed the reticle and let the shooter figure out how to use it.
 
Bro- you need to find something other than a pandemic to add your two cents to a thread. You are about 6 years too late in this one...
 
  • Like
Reactions: kopcicle
I’m simple-mil/mil and moa/moa. I can work with either but like consistency. It’s like buying in dollars but paying in euros. I can do it but what’s a PIA.