Advanced Marksmanship Determining range using MOA reticle?

notwhy34

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Minuteman
Jan 6, 2014
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Recently I purchased a Redfield battlezone scope. Now instead of having mil dots in the reticle, it has hash marks that represent 2 MOA per each mark. So I was wondering if you can still determine the range to your target using MOA marks and if so how do you do it?
 
So I found the formula, Hight of the target(inches) divided by the amount of MOA then you multiply that by 100 and that gives your distance in yards. So I was looking at a target that im guessing is around 50 yards away but no more than 70 yards away and I know the target is 5 inches. The target takes up 2 lines in my reticle and since every line represents 2 MOA I put that into the equation. so i got 5(inches) divided by 4(MOA) times 100 and that got me 125 yards but I know there's no way that the target is 125 yards away. what am I doing wrong?
 
So I found the formula, Hight of the target(inches) divided by the amount of MOA then you multiply that by 100 and that gives your distance in yards. So I was looking at a target that im guessing is around 50 yards away but no more than 70 yards away and I know the target is 5 inches. The target takes up 2 lines in my reticle and since every line represents 2 MOA I put that into the equation. so i got 5(inches) divided by 4(MOA) times 100 and that got me 125 yards but I know there's no way that the target is 125 yards away. what am I doing wrong?
2 hashmarks on either side of the center? That would be 8 MOA.

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Does the scope have variable magnification? If so, at which magnification are you taking your measurements? Since its likely a SFP scope the hash marks are only calibrated at a specific magnification level.
 
the manual it came with has very little information but i tried measuring at full magnification and i got 45.45 yards which makes more sense so ill just have to wait until i go to the range where the distance is known and see if my readings are the same as the actual distance. Thanks for the help!
 
Sounds like you have a SFP scope. The MOA's will only be correct at one magnification. Easy to test with known yardage and known size of target.
 
yes the scope is 3-9x42 and when I'm using it i have it at the lowest magnification.

There should be a dot that lines up with a given power as explained above.

When you get to a known 100 yd. range, calibrate the scope to a target with lines that are broken down in 1 to 1/2 inches.

For all intents and purposes looking will not differentiate moa from 'inch per 100 yds'. When you dial you will see the five percent difference as it applies to each click. And the drop is going to be more than what you see at distance.
 
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Just to make sure you have the correct formula, it is: Height of the target in inches x 95.5 divided by your reading through the scope in MOA (at it's proper magnification for correct ranging) = Range to the target in yards. The fella's have given you formula's (all correct) but if you are just getting started, it can be a bit confusing.

So in the field it would it would look like this: You have a 2/3 scale IPSC piece of steel (20" tall) and it measures 2.3 MOA. So the math is simple: 20 x 95.5 (1910) divided by 2.3 = 830.4 yards. Find a firing solution for 830 yards and send it (of course factoring your wind call). Hope this helps without being confusing.
 
Just to make sure you have the correct formula, it is: Height of the target in inches x 95.5 divided by your reading through the scope in MOA (at it's proper magnification for correct ranging) = Range to the target in yards. The fella's have given you formula's (all correct) but if you are just getting started, it can be a bit confusing.

So in the field it would it would look like this: You have a 2/3 scale IPSC piece of steel (20" tall) and it measures 2.3 MOA. So the math is simple: 20 x 95.5 (1910) divided by 2.3 = 830.4 yards. Find a firing solution for 830 yards and send it (of course factoring your wind call). Hope this helps without being confusing.

You have the right formula (95.5) others you alluded to having it right are close, i.e. 99.5 and 100. For example, 36 inches appearing to fill 6 MOA would suggest a target at 600 yards using the constant of 100. And such figuring would likely get them a good hit, but at greater distances it will get sketchy. Using the constant of 100 can be used to get an accurate enough conversion of MOA to inches or inches to MOA at a known target distance, which may be useful for favoring; but, using the constant of 100 for application to come ups will not be accurate enough for a good hit at LR.

Sandwarrior said it as it would be applied by someone who understands it, that's to say, someone who has a handle on the practicality, as well as the limitations for using 100 instead of 95.5 for range finding.
 
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Target height in inches (t) x 95.5 /number of MOA (m) = range (r) taken up in reticle at proper magnification level if sfp, or any magnification in ffp scores.

(t)x95.5/(m)=(r)

6" x 95.5 = 573
573/6 = 95.5

The reason is because moa is actually 1.047 inches. Multiply 95.5 by 1.047 and it equals 99.9885... basically 100. So a six inch target is actually only going to take up 5.73 moa at 100 yards

6" x 95.5 =573
573/ 5.73 moa= 100
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Sounds like you have a SFP scope. The MOA's will only be correct at one magnification. Easy to test with known yardage and known size of target.

This. If your scope is SFP, the MOA will ONLY be acurate for a specific magnification level......usually full power. So, at full power, which in your case is 9x, then each line will represent 2 MOA.

However, if your magnification is set to let's say 3x, then the actual value of each line is 9/3 or 3 MOA. Doubld this since each line is doubled, and your MOA at 3x is 6.

This is why your math was erronious and your target math was showing an incorrect distance to that distance. If you divide by the correct MOA, your target length will be closer.
 
May be worth getting long range shooting simulator. Its cheap at around 45$ considering what u learn. It goes over the formulas related to moa and mils. Windage. Etc.