What Is MOA in Shooting? Minute of Angle Formula and Calculator

Whether you're a seasoned marksman or if you're just getting into the hunting or target shooting scene, you've probably heard the term "MOA" or perhaps "sub-MOA" floating around. Many rifles are advertised as either MOA or sub-MOA, but how should that affect your purchase decision? In other words, what is MOA in shooting?

What is MOA?

Minute of angle (MOA) is an angular measurement that represents 1/60th of a degree and refers to the accuracy of a rifle distributing groups of bullet hits on a given target. The minute of angle formula can be used to improve shooting accuracy if you know how it's intended to work - essentially, one MOA represents 1-inch per 100 meters meaning that as a result of gravity, a bullet will drop or spread 1-inch for every 100 meters it travels before hitting the target. In comparison, if you shot at a target point-blank, there would be virtually no spread at all. In order to maintain shooting accuracy for long-range distances, the minute of angle formula is used to calculate the correct setting for your scope.

How to Calculate MOA to Improve Shooting Accuracy

Minute of angle calculations may seem simple initially - a 1-inch spread per 100 meters - but it gets a little more complicated than that, which is why we've added this handy inches to MOA calculator.
Yards / 100=1 MOA (in inches)

So, for example, say you'd like to calculate the MOA for a 300-meter shot. If the spread is 1-inch per 100 meters, then 1 MOA would equal 3-inches at 300 meters. To determine 2 MOA at 300 meters, you'd need to double it - if 1 MOA is 3-inches at 300 meters, then 2 MOA is 6-inches at 300 meters. Or, ½ MOA is 1.5-inches at 300 meters. Remember, 1 MOA represents 1/60th of a degree, so it's a very small measurement...but it makes a big difference in terms of accuracy, especially in the case of long-range shooting.