Is 0.166 MOA reasonable with an AR-pattern rifle?

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Jcann

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I'm sitting here trying to actually figure out what the hell you're arguing about, except that Gabe was talking in approximations, but you think he's oversimplifying it? I mean... is that what it is? Yes... 1.047 at 100 is exact, but you want to argue 5% variability? I really am trying to figure out what the big deal is.


Could you simplify it for those of us who don't have 30 years experience in civil engineering? As in... real-world applications? That 5% difference at 1000 yards is equivalent of 1/2 an inch - well, actually, since you want things super-precise (so it seems) it would be 0.47 inches. At a kilometer. Personally I think that's worth a ~.

Okay, let’s say you’re going to shoot a box test to check your new MOA Nightforce scope. You’ve got a gnat’s ass accurate rifle and you’re one heck of a shot. Your target has 1 inch orange squares in each corner and an orange square in the middle. The squares in the corners are separated by 20 inches (middle to middle). You shoot the center square dead in the middle at a 100 yards; you dial 10 moa left and 10 moa up. You get a good cheek weld, load the bipod with a natural point of aim (same hole you shot previously) and you break the shot. What the heck, you shot the top left corner of the top left 1 inch square. You dial 20moa right and break the shot. Good grief, you shot the top right of the 1” square at the top right of the target. You dial 20moa down and break the shot. This piece of crap Nightforce isn’t tracking properly, I should have center punched these squares because I know 1 moa at 100 yards is ~1 inch.

What’s the problem? You should have dialed 9.5moa (9.55) on the second shot if you wanted to center punch the top left square and 19.1 on the third shot to center punch the top right square.

Now if I can just get you to sale me that piece of crap Nightforce at a reduced price.

The problem we run into is when the range increases. We’ll look at it based on 1,000 yards.

Using the adage of 1 moa equals ~1 inch at 100 yards equates to 1 moa at 1,000 yards equals ~10 inches. Using my rifles ballistics (7wsm shooting 180gr Berger Hyb at 2,865 fps) I need 24.6 moa for the 1,000 yard shot. So ~10 inches times 24.6 moa gives me ~246 inches.

Using the true value of 1 moa equals 1.047 inches at 100 yards then 1 moa at 1,000 yards equals 10.47 inches. So 10.47 inches times 24.6 moa gives me 257.56 inches.

That equals a difference of 11.56 inches (257.56” minus 246”). My question is do you still consider using “~” for an 11.56 inch difference?

Yes the difference is only 0.47 when we’re talking only 1 moa at 1,000 yards but the total difference isn’t 0.47 inches it’s 11.56 inches.

Now, with all that being said, if my scope tracks correctly and I’ve got field tested ballistic data I should be able to dial 24.6 moa and shoot the steel.

Here’s another check you can run on your scope:
Take a large piece of cardboard and draw a vertical line on it. Place an orange target marker on the bottom as your aiming point. Draw horizontal lines above the orange marker at 10.47”, 20.94”, and 31.41”. Hang the target using a plumb-bob to align your vertical line. Step back 100 yards and shoot the orange marker. Dial 10 moa and aim at the orange marker. Your round should hit both the vertical/horizontal line at the 10.47” mark. Repeat this dialing 20 and 30 moa (if your scope goes this amount). If you are shooting Lt./Rt. Of the vertical line your scope could be canted and if you shoot above or below the horizontal line your scope may not be tracking correctly or you may just be a bad shot that day.

My apologies to Gabriel42 I didn’t mean to come across as busting his chops or being a jerk here. These are things I’ve learned through time and many times the hard way.
 

tRidiot

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I'm not gonna be a bit ashamed to say I got lost in there. It seems a wonderfully accurate description, but with my inexperience with long-range shooting and the fact I just got home at 1:30AM after 15 hours at work and commuting and I'm finishing my first martini... I think it's a bit beyond me at the moment.

But thank you for the detailed clarification. I don't mean it's insignificant if you're looking to make center-bullseye 1000-yard shots, it's just... well... a nice problem to have. lol

Cheers!

:drunk5:
 

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