What are Mils and How to Use Them for Long Range Shooting
A Milliradian, commonly referred to as a "Mil" or an "MRAD," is an angular measurement just like degrees, but finer. Unlike inches or centimeters, which measure linear distance, Mils measure angles. There are:
- 6.283 radians in a full circle.
- 1,000 milliradians (Mils) in one radian.
- That's 6,283 Mils in a full circle.
When you look through a riflescope with a Mil-based reticle or turret system, each mark or "hash" represents a specific angular change, usually in at least 0.5 and 1.0 Mil increments. These marks allow shooters to measure, hold or dial in corrections based on where their bullets are landing or where a target appears in the scope.
Ryan Cleckner from Gun University, formal special operations sniper, sniper instructor, and bestselling author of the Long Range Shooting Handbook, introduces mils and gives detailed explanations and examples to make understanding milliradians simple. Let's take deeper a look at the concepts he discusses.
Some people think that Mils only work with meters because its metric, but it's not true! 1 milliradian means 1/1000 of a distance, regardless of what unit we're using.
- At 1,000 yards, 1 Mil = 1 Yard
- At 1,000 miles, 1 Mil = 1 Mile
- At 1,000 inches, 1 Mil = 1 Inch
How are MILS used?
Adjusting Your Point of Impact
When your bullet misses your target, you need a way to correct for that - and Mils give you a quick and precise angular system to do so. These on-the-fly corrections are what allow long-range shooters to make quick follow up shots without guessing or "walking" rounds onto target.
Zeroing Your Rifle
Using the reticle in combination with your windage and elevation turrets, you can use Mils to make accurate measurements and get your bullets impacting your target.
Holding for Wind or Lead
Mils are not just important for up-and-down adjustments - they're equally important for horizontal holds when dealing with wind or moving targets.
Mils Examples
Mils in the Field
A Mil riflescope can be extremely useful at the range, in the field or at a competition. The Mil reticle (often referred to as a Mil Dot reticle) allows you to not only measure your misses, but also allows you to take quicker follow up shots and make more precise adjustments.
Lets look at the illustration below and learn how to use your Mil reticle to make adjustments when zeroing. On the reticle pictured, the longer hashmarks indicate 1 Mil of distance, and the shorter hashmarks in between indicate 0.5 Mils. By using your reticle to measure the distance from your aiming point, you can make the necessary adjustment either in your windage and elevation turrets or by using the reticle to hold over.
Mils vs. MOA
Both Mils (milliradians) and MOA (minutes of angle) are angular units used to measure adjustments and target holds in precision shooting. They serve the same purpose — allowing shooters to correct for bullet drop, wind drift, and target movement — but they approach it with different scales and systems. Mils are becoming more popular because they are common in military and tactical shooting environments and are better aligned with the metric system.
The biggest difference is Mils are based on the metric system, where 1 Mil equals 1/1000th of the distance to the target. That means, at 100 meters: 1 Mil = 10 cm. At 500 meters: 1 Mil = 50 cm. On the other hand, MOA is based on the imperial system, where 1 MOA = 1.047 inches at 100 yards. That makes math and conversions trickier, especially at longer distances.
| 1 | 3.44 | 10 | 3.6" |
| 3 | 10.31 | 30 | 10.8" |
| 5 | 17.19 | 50 | 18" |
Tips for Shooting in Mils
- Think in "Chunks": At any range, 1 Mil = 1/1,000 of that distance. So at 250 meters, 1 Mil = 2.5cm. Use that chunk size to help you visualize adjustments.
- Record Your DOPE: DOPE, or Data On Previous Engagements, often refers to the elevation adjustment required at various distances for your rifle. A small "cheat sheet" can be handy and could save you in a pinch if your electronic ballistic solver goes down.
- Shoot Multiple Rounds: A good rule of thumb is to shoot at least a 3 shot group. This way, if you didn't break the best first shot, you can get an average and make a better informed adjustment.
Mil Formulas
Convert Mils to MOA:
- Mils x 3.438 = MOA
- Example: 5 (Mils) x 3.438 = 17.19
Centimeters per 0.1 Mil adjustment:
- Meters to target / 100
- Example: 438 meters to target / 100 = 4.38 cm per 0.1 Mil adjustment
Inches to Centimeters:
- Inches x 2.54
- Example: 12 inches x 2.54 = 30.48 cm
Yards to Meters
- Yards - 10%
- Example 450 (yards) - 10% (45) = 405 meters