MOA Meaning: Minute of Angle Explained

What is a MOA?

MOA stands for "Minute Of Angle," which is a unit of angular measurement. When the accuracy of a gun is given in minutes of angle, it is possible for a person to know approximately what size groups the gun shoots within its effective range.

There are 360 degrees in a circle, and 60 minutes of arc in each degree, totaling 21,600 minutes of angle in a complete circle. Imagine the shooter is at the center of a circle, and that the target is on the edge of that circle. The distance, or range, from the shooter to the target is also the radius [R] of the circle.  For any given range or radius [R], one minute is equal to (2) x (Π) x (R) /...