1 moa...2 moa...3 moa...4 moa....................

[BIGPAPIGREG]

Alright, I know that MOA stands for "minute of angle" but what is the difference between the MOA on the red Dot Optics? There is a 1, 2, 3, 4, 8...........What is the significance of the different ones and how do you determine which one you should use or need? I feel that I should know this but I aint got a clue. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

 

[IXLR8]

That is the size of the target dot in the sight. A 4 MOA dot will cover 4 MOA of your target. At 100 yds the dot will be 4" in diameter. This follows for other sizes. Typically a 4 to 7 MOA dot is for 25 yds or less. A 2 or 3 MOA is good for 50 yds, and ok for 100 yds. YMMV.

The larger dots are easier to aquire for short range situations.

A red dot sight is not optimal for people with astigmatism, as it will blur to match that vision and cannot be corrected. The Leupold Delta sights use a triangle instead of a dot, which allows you to select the top of the triangle for more precise aiming.

 

[BIGPAPIGREG]

That is the size of the target dot in the sight. A 4 MOA dot will cover 4 MOA of your target. At 100 yds the dot will be 4" in diameter. This follows for other sizes. Typically a 4 to 7 MOA dot is for 25 yds or less. A 2 or 3 MOA is good for 50 yds, and ok for 100 yds. YMMV.

The larger dots are easier to aquire for short range situations.

A red dot sight is not optimal for people with astigmatism, as it will blur to match that vision and cannot be corrected. The Leupold Delta sights use a triangle instead of a dot, which allows you to select the top of the triangle for more precise aiming.

10-4, that helps me make it make sense in this pea brain of mine. Higher the number the bigger the dot is, Right? Or am I even more confused now?

 

[F350-6]

10-4, that helps me make it make sense in this pea brain of mine. Higher the number the bigger the dot is, Right? Or am I even more confused now?

In simple terms, yes. The higher the MOA, the bigger amount of target the dot covers and the less accurate it becomes the farther out you shoot.

A red dot sight is not optimal for people with astigmatism, as it will blur to match that vision and cannot be corrected. The Leupold Delta sights use a triangle instead of a dot, which allows you to select the top of the triangle for more precise aiming.

Sorry to hijack, but I've never used a red dot sight and was just starting to look for one for a 22 pistol. I haven't seen this issue mentioned before, but since I do have astigmatism, are there any other sights out there that use a triangle or other shape that make it easier for folks like me? I really didn't want to drop that kind of money on a Leopold for some plinking.

 

[TheDan]

1, 2, 3, 4, 8...........

Wah! Ha! Ha!

 

[BIGPAPIGREG]

In simple terms, yes. The higher the MOA, the bigger amount of target the dot covers and the less accurate it becomes the farther out you shoot.

10-4 thanks for clearing my clouded mind up

Wah! Ha! Ha!

You said it, I was thinking it after I posted it...

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Nice breakdown-thanks!

 

[Saltyag2010]

In simple terms, yes. The higher the MOA, the bigger amount of target the dot covers and the less accurate it becomes the farther out you shoot.



Sorry to hijack, but I've never used a red dot sight and was just starting to look for one for a 22 pistol. I haven't seen this issue mentioned before, but since I do have astigmatism, are there any other sights out there that use a triangle or other shape that make it easier for folks like me? I really didn't want to drop that kind of money on a Leopold for some plinking.

I bought a 40$ red dot on eBay. I put it on my ruger 22/45 and zeros it and noticed it wouldn't hold zero and the brightness could change randomly. I couldn't get that pos off my gun and literally onto a chopping block fast enough. A few hits with the axe and it was made better than I thought, but I eventually broke the shot out of it.
I am most likely not buying a red dot again unless it's made in Texas from primary arms

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

*Primary Arms sights are made overseas. They just have an increased amount of quality control. Their storefront is in Texas and they just happen to have badass Texas Customer service along with great products.

 

[F350-6]

I bought a 40$ red dot on eBay. I put it on my ruger 22/45 and zeros it and noticed it wouldn't hold zero and the brightness could change randomly. I couldn't get that pos off my gun and literally onto a chopping block fast enough. A few hits with the axe and it was made better than I thought, but I eventually broke the shot out of it.
I am most likely not buying a red dot again unless it's made in Texas from primary arms

Brand name please so I don't make the same mistake.

*Primary Arms sights are made overseas. They just have an increased amount of quality control. Their storefront is in Texas and they just happen to have badass Texas Customer service along with great products.

So is that a go or no go?

 

[Saltyag2010]

I don't remember the brand name. Sorry. There's nothing wrong with primary arms.

 

[BIGPAPIGREG]

So is that a go or no go?

that's a BIG GO for Primary Arms

 

[ROGER4314]

I'm a retired teacher so I'll approach this from a different angle (pun)!

If you take a circle and divide it into 360 parts from a common center, each one of those divisions is a degree. Each degree can be divided into 60 parts and each one of those is called a "Minute." The minute segments can also be divided into parts which are called "seconds" but we don't use those.

If you take a string from your muzzle at the firing line and tie it to your point of impact then tie another string from the muzzle to the desired point of aim, the angular DIFFERENCE between those two strings is the ERROR. Hopefully, the error will be less than one degree (smile) so we express that angle as "Minutes" of angle.

Vertical error can also be evaluated in minutes of angle. We express the error in vertical or horizontal error then take larger of the two. If a rifle shoots within one minute of angle horizontally but two minutes vertically, the shoots within two minutes of angle. Simpler yet, just take the farthest holes from each other, measure how far apart they are and we can express that distance in "minutes of angle", too. If the widest distance between shots is 1" at 100 yards it shoots within 1 minute of angle.

I mention this because group shooters don't care if they hit the bullseye or not. They just want to measure the extreme spread between a group of shots.

Because the angles (strings) extending from the muzzle can extend out and increase the error between point of aim and point of impact as distance increases.

The amount of error in a good hunting rifle is one minute of angle That is ROUGHLY equivalent to one inch error at 100 yards.
1 Minute at 100 yards = roughly 1"
1 minute at 200 yards = roughly 2"
1 minute at 300 yards = roughly 3"
as distance increases, one minute of angle error also increases.

PLEASE! The TRUE error expressed by the statement "One minute of angle is a difficult calculation with lots of decimals. We disregard the decimals and round it off to 1 inch at 100 yards. That is not correct but it's close enough.

Here's some more info:
http://www.shootingtimes.com/2011/01/03/optics_moast_040407/

Flash

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

Primary Arms is a HUGE GO. I've already bought two red dots and a 6x magnifier. I plan on buying another red dot in the future as well as start looking at other accessories they have.

The Primary Arms Micro Dot, in my opinion, is the BEST Micro you can get without getting an Aimpoint. For whatever it's worth-the Micro has a 3 MOA. I've put just over 1,000 rounds down range with mine and it's never tracked off from vibration or anything else.

 

[F350-6]

Everyone seems to love Primary Arms. Got it. Any more comments about the astigmatism thing? Apologies again to the OP for hijacking.

The Primary Arms Micro Dot, in my opinion, is the BEST Micro you can get without getting an Aimpoint. For whatever it's worth-the Micro has a 3 MOA. I've put just over 1,000 rounds down range with mine and it's never tracked off from vibration or anything else.

That sounds nice, but looking at their website, they don't seem to have a reflex style optic. I was hoping not to get into the 5 or 6 oz scope style category for a little 22 pistol.

 

[robertc1024]

Alright, I know that MOA stands for "minute of angle" but what is the difference between the MOA on the red Dot Optics? There is a 1, 2, 3, 4, 8...........What is the significance of the different ones and how do you determine which one you should use or need? I feel that I should know this but I aint got a clue. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

I got an aimpoint pro with a 2 MOA. I'll bring it this weekend and you can check it out.

 

[Byrd666]

Thanks Roger. I pretty much knew that, I think. But, having it put in understandable print, makes it less hard to figure out.

 

[40Arpent]

Brand name please so I don't make the same mistake.

You don't need to know the brand when you know he paid $40 for it. LOL

 

[F350-6]

You don't need to know the brand when you know he paid $40 for it. LOL

Like I said. I've never shot with a red dot, so I have no experience with them. What's the difference in $40 and say $80 like Primary Arms offers? Doesn't seem like near as big a jump as the $80 vs. the $400 I see for some of them. So $80 is ok but $40 is not? Where's the cut off?

Not trying to be a smarta$$, I've just always used the old fashioned stuff so I really know nothing about this dot stuff.

 

[txinvestigator]

In simple terms, yes. The higher the MOA, the bigger amount of target the dot covers and the less accurate it becomes the farther out you shoot.



Sorry to hijack, but I've never used a red dot sight and was just starting to look for one for a 22 pistol. I haven't seen this issue mentioned before, but since I do have astigmatism, are there any other sights out there that use a triangle or other shape that make it easier for folks like me? I really didn't want to drop that kind of money on a Leopold for some plinking.

It is not astigmatism that causes issues. I have had pretty severe astigmatism since adulthood. I also need corrective lenses to see distance since adulthood. The dots on red dots were crystal clear for me until my close vision began to go at age 43.

If I wear bi focul glasses and use the near section of the lens like I do to shoot handguns, the dot is blurred to hell. That is because the red dot projects the dot (not physically, but the way your eye sees) out several yards. However, if I use the distance section of the lens the dot is sharp.

I wear contacts during the day, and my left eye is for distance and my right eye (dominant) is set for a clear front site with a pistol. Because of that, red dots are blurry. However, when I switch to left handed and use my left eye, it is clear. But for me, I just cannot get coordinated shooting left handed. So I have given up red dots.