One MOA (Minute of Angle) equals about 1.047 inches at 100 yards — near enough to one inch for practical use, and it scales with distance: roughly half an inch at 50 yards, a quarter inch at 25. That single fact lets you work out how much of the target your dot covers and how far each turret click moves your point of impact. New to the term? Start with what is MOA, explained simply.
How much does your dot cover at distance?
The figures below show roughly how many inches a dot of each size covers at common ranges — useful for picking a dot size and understanding precision.
| Dot size | 25 yd | 50 yd | 100 yd | 200 yd |
| 1 MOA | 0.3 in | 0.5 in | 1.0 in | 2.1 in |
| 2 MOA | 0.5 in | 1.0 in | 2.1 in | 4.2 in |
| 3.25 MOA | 0.9 in | 1.7 in | 3.4 in | 6.8 in |
| 6 MOA | 1.6 in | 3.1 in | 6.3 in | 12.6 in |
| 8 MOA | 2.1 in | 4.2 in | 8.4 in | 16.8 in |
Smaller dots (1–2 MOA) cover less of the target for precision; bigger dots (6–8 MOA) are faster to find up close but obscure more at distance. See how this plays out by use case in our best pistol red dot sights guide.
Click values: how far does one click move?
Most optics adjust in 1 MOA or 1/2 MOA clicks. Because MOA scales with distance, the same click moves your point of impact less at shorter range. This table shows roughly how many clicks shift your zero one inch:
| Click value | 25 yd | 50 yd | 100 yd |
| 1/2 MOA | ~8 clicks | ~4 clicks | ~2 clicks |
| 1 MOA | ~4 clicks | ~2 clicks | ~1 click |
So if you're zeroing at 25 yards with 1/2 MOA clicks and need to move impact one inch, that's about eight clicks — not two. Ready to set yours up? Follow our mount and zero guide.
MOA vs MRAD
MOA's main rival is MRAD (milliradians), where 1 MRAD ≈ 3.6 inches at 100 yards (0.1 MRAD ≈ 0.36 inch per click). Neither is more accurate — pick the one your reticle and turrets use and stick with it. More on this in our MOA guide.
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Frequently asked questions
Is 1 MOA exactly 1 inch at 100 yards?
Not quite — it's 1.047 inches. The one-inch approximation is close enough for almost all practical shooting.
What dot size should I choose?
2 MOA is a great all-rounder; 1 MOA favours precision/distance; 6 MOA favours fast close-range pickup, popular on carry pistols.
How do I convert clicks to inches?
Multiply the click MOA by 1.047, then by (distance in yards ÷ 100). A 1/2 MOA click ≈ 0.26 inch at 50 yards.
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