school me in cm adjustments
- Thread starter Jamie
- Start date
rnbra-shooter
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Brunswick
The clicks on European scopes are usually "1cm at 100m". This is a nice round measurement in metric units. It is also 0.1 mils, so you could also say that the scope has 0.1 mil clicks.
If you are more comfortable thinking about distances on the target in cm rather than in inches, then a scope with 0.1-mil clicks will be easy and natural for you to use.
If you are more comfortable thinking about distances on the target in inches, then a scope with minute-based clicks (usually 1/4 MOA but sometimes 1/8 MOA too) will be easy and natural for you to use.
In both cases you need to know the distance to the target. At a rifle range, a surveyor has done this job for you and usually kindly posted signs such as "100y", "500m", etc. In the field you'll need to estimate, use a range finder, etc.
To a very coarse approximation, a meter is the same as a yard. This is not true of course but for a great many purposes it is actually "good enough" (for example when you are estimating ranges by eye)
A better approximation is that a meter is 1.1 yards (you need 10% more yards than meters). This is usually good enough for most purposes in the field.
If you are more comfortable thinking about distances on the target in cm rather than in inches, then a scope with 0.1-mil clicks will be easy and natural for you to use.
If you are more comfortable thinking about distances on the target in inches, then a scope with minute-based clicks (usually 1/4 MOA but sometimes 1/8 MOA too) will be easy and natural for you to use.
In both cases you need to know the distance to the target. At a rifle range, a surveyor has done this job for you and usually kindly posted signs such as "100y", "500m", etc. In the field you'll need to estimate, use a range finder, etc.
To a very coarse approximation, a meter is the same as a yard. This is not true of course but for a great many purposes it is actually "good enough" (for example when you are estimating ranges by eye)
A better approximation is that a meter is 1.1 yards (you need 10% more yards than meters). This is usually good enough for most purposes in the field.
Guessing that you're looking at this in a tactical scope that is also FFP. If so, then what you need to do is get away from the idea of having to think. There is no need to think about mils or MOA and do a bunch of conversions and math in your head with it.
Also, 0.1 mil just works out to be 1 cm at 100 meter (or 1/100 meter at 100 meters). It's also 0.36" at 100 yards (or 1/100 yard at 100 yards).
Also, 0.1 mil just works out to be 1 cm at 100 meter (or 1/100 meter at 100 meters). It's also 0.36" at 100 yards (or 1/100 yard at 100 yards).
- Location
- Halifax, NS
The most beautiful thing about a miliradian is that is 1:1000 ratio. Therefore, 1 miliradian (ie 10 clicks) at 1000m is 1.0m or 100cm. The same 1 miliradian at 1000 yards is 10 yard or 36".
So 0.8 radians (8 clicks) at 900 yards is 80% of 9 yards, or 32.4 inches (9x3.6"=32.4 inches). Easy!
What about 8 clicks on a 1/4 MOA scope at 900 yards? Well Shooters MoA is 8*1/4=2 MoA, at 900 yards means 18 inches, plus a bit (1 MoA = 1.047199" at 100 yards) :S
I'm not sure why they call it "cm" for mrad scopes, it's all just 1:1000. Mrad is easier than MoA because you only have to remember 1:1000, not 1.047199.
So 0.8 radians (8 clicks) at 900 yards is 80% of 9 yards, or 32.4 inches (9x3.6"=32.4 inches). Easy!
What about 8 clicks on a 1/4 MOA scope at 900 yards? Well Shooters MoA is 8*1/4=2 MoA, at 900 yards means 18 inches, plus a bit (1 MoA = 1.047199" at 100 yards) :S
I'm not sure why they call it "cm" for mrad scopes, it's all just 1:1000. Mrad is easier than MoA because you only have to remember 1:1000, not 1.047199.
People get confused because they try to use the FFP mil scope the way they use their SPF MOA. They're expecting it to be more complicated, for there to be some kind of learning curve. It's the opposite. It if far, far easier to use and way quicker. The difficulty is in letting go of that urge to want to perform arithmetic in your head. You don't have to "think in metric"... you don't have to think at all.
Save those brain cycles for more important things like reading the wind and tracking your target(s).
- Location
- Halifax, NS
If you have a mil-mil scope and range in meters, things become even easier.
Say the target is at 879 meters. Right away you know that one click (0.1 mrad) will put you 0.879/10=0.0879 meters (8.79cm) off.
The one and only Pro to MoA is that it is a finer adjustment (1 mrad = ~3.4 MoA). Because scopes are usually 0.25 MoA, 0.1 Mrad (1 click) equates to 0.34 MoA, which is more than .25, and much more than 0.125 (1/8 MoA). It means one click at 1000 yards is 3.6" instead of 2.618"
Say the target is at 879 meters. Right away you know that one click (0.1 mrad) will put you 0.879/10=0.0879 meters (8.79cm) off.
The one and only Pro to MoA is that it is a finer adjustment (1 mrad = ~3.4 MoA). Because scopes are usually 0.25 MoA, 0.1 Mrad (1 click) equates to 0.34 MoA, which is more than .25, and much more than 0.125 (1/8 MoA). It means one click at 1000 yards is 3.6" instead of 2.618"
In a tactical scope, under field conditions, the finer adjustment is meaningless. Take the 200m Rapid Follow-up in NSCC Precision as an example. The bull is 2 MOA, yet very few shooters put all 10 shots into it. When you have to track to your target, engage, rack the bolt and re-engage under time pressure (8 seconds), the difference between 1/4 MOA and 0.1 mil gets lost in the noise. It's meaningless on snap shots, its meaningless on movers. Your hold and shooting position are too dynamic. It isn't like shooting out of a rest.
