Dialing
How to Dial Elevation and Windage
Quick answer
Scope turrets are marked with the direction point of impact moves, and a quarter MOA click moves it 0.262 inches at 100 yards and 0.524 inches at 200 yards. Count full revolutions or use a zero stop, because being one full revolution off is a miss nobody diagnoses in the moment, and return to zero after every string on a scope like the Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25x50 First Focal Plane Riflescope, EBR-7C MOA.
Dialing a correction looks like the simple part of long range shooting: measure a miss, turn the turret, shoot again. Two details decide whether that simple process actually works. First, the turret's click value in inches changes with distance, so the same number of clicks means a different correction at 100 yards than at 300. Second, most elevation turrets travel through more than one full revolution, and losing track of which revolution you are on produces a miss that looks exactly like a wind call gone wrong.
Turrets are marked with the direction point of impact moves, not the direction the turret spins. An arrow or word labeled "up" means dialing that way moves your bullet's impact up on the target, and confirming that on your specific scope before you need it under time pressure is worth the few seconds it takes.
How to dial a correction for elevation and windage
- Confirm your turret's click value and unit. Check whether your scope uses quarter MOA, half MOA, one MOA, or a mil-based increment such as 0.1 mil, before doing any math. Do not assume based on another rifle you own.
- Confirm the direction each turret is marked to move point of impact. The labeled arrow or word describes where the bullet's impact goes, not which way the turret physically spins. Confirm this on your specific scope rather than assuming it matches a different model.
- Measure the correction needed, in inches, at the distance you actually shot the group. Find the center of your group and measure the distance and direction from your aim point to that center, at the real distance the group was fired, not a round number.
- Convert inches to clicks using the click value at that specific distance. A quarter MOA click is 0.262 inches at 100 yards but 0.524 inches at 200 yards, so the same measured miss in inches converts to a different number of clicks depending on distance. Use the value for the distance you actually shot at.
- Return the turret to a known reference before dialing, using a zero stop if the scope has one. A zero stop lets you return to a mechanical zero by feel, which is the foundation every subsequent dial count depends on. Without one, note the index mark position before you start.
- Dial the calculated clicks, counting full revolutions as well as individual clicks. A scope with a large elevation range wraps the turret index more than once, and losing track of the revolution count is the single most common way a shooter ends up a large, confusing distance off target.
- Fire a confirming group at the same distance. Do not assume the first dial was exact. Confirm with a real group before trusting the correction for a shot that matters.
- Return to zero after every string. Before moving to a different distance, storing the rifle, or handing it to someone else, dial back to zero. A turret left dialed away from zero is one of the most common reasons for a first-round miss that gets blamed on the rifle instead of the turret.
How many inches does one click actually move you, at your distance?
Click value is exact arithmetic once the increment and the distance are known, and it is the number that turns a measured miss into a specific, trustworthy dial.
A quarter MOA click moves point of impact 0.262 inches at 100 yards and 0.524 inches at 200 yards, doubling in inches every time distance doubles, while a mil-based turret uses an entirely different, non-interchangeable set of numbers.
Sourced figure
| Increment | 100 yards | 200 yards | 300 yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/4 MOA | 0.262 in | 0.524 in | 0.785 in |
| 1/2 MOA | 0.524 in | 1.047 in | 1.571 in |
| 1 MOA | 1.047 in | 2.094 in | 3.141 in |
| 0.1 mil | 0.36 in | 0.72 in | 1.08 in |
| 0.2 mil | 0.72 in | 1.44 in | 2.16 in |
MOA and mil are not the same unit and a turret is only ever one or the other. Confirm which your scope uses before doing any correction math.
What one missed turret revolution actually costs, by distance
On a common 15 MOA per revolution elevation turret, being off by exactly one revolution misses the point of aim by 15.7 inches at 100 yards and 78.5 inches, more than six feet, at 500 yards.
Shooter convention
| Distance | Error from one missed revolution |
|---|---|
| 100 yards | 15.7 in |
| 200 yards | 31.4 in |
| 300 yards | 47.1 in |
| 500 yards | 78.5 in |
| 800 yards | 125.6 in |
15 MOA per revolution is a common figure, but it varies by scope model. Check your own turret's published revolution value; the arithmetic scales the same way regardless of the exact number.
Why a zero stop earns its keep
A zero stop is a mechanical feature that lets the elevation turret return to a true zero position by feel, without looking at the index marks or trusting your own count of revolutions. On a scope such as the Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25x50 First Focal Plane Riflescope, EBR-7C MOA, dialing back down simply stops turning once it reaches the true zero, which removes the single most common way a revolution-counting error creeps in: dialing back to what looks like zero on the index ring while actually sitting one full revolution away from the real zero.
Without a zero stop, the index marks alone cannot tell you which revolution you are on, since they repeat identically every turn. A shooter relying on the marks alone has to count revolutions deliberately every time, and a missed count under field pressure produces exactly the kind of large, mysterious miss described in the table above.
Sources
- Exact trigonometric conversion of MOA and mil to inches at distance
- Owner-review consensus on zero stop use and turret revolution-counting errors
Frequently asked questions
How much does a quarter MOA click move my point of impact at 100 yards?
About 0.262 inches per click at 100 yards, doubling to 0.524 inches at 200 yards and 0.785 inches at 300 yards. The inch value always scales with distance, so the same click count means a smaller correction up close and a larger one further out.
What happens if I am off by a full turret revolution?
On a common 15 MOA per revolution turret, a one-revolution error misses point of aim by roughly 15.7 inches at 100 yards and 78.5 inches, more than six feet, at 500 yards. This is large enough that it usually gets mistaken for a bad wind call or a rifle problem rather than diagnosed as a missed revolution.
What does the arrow on my turret actually mean?
It marks the direction your point of impact moves when you dial that way, not the direction the turret physically spins. An arrow labeled "up" means the bullet's impact moves up on the target when you dial in that direction. Confirm this on your specific scope before relying on it under time pressure.
Should I return my turret to zero after every shooting session?
Yes, and after every individual string, not just at the end of a session. A turret left dialed away from zero is one of the most common causes of a confusing first-round miss, since the next shooter, or your own next string at a different distance, starts from a position that looks like zero but is not.
What is a zero stop and do I need one?
A zero stop is a mechanical feature that lets the turret return to a true zero by feel, without counting revolutions or checking index marks. It is not strictly required, but it removes the single most common revolution-counting mistake, and it is worth prioritizing on a scope meant for dialing corrections at varying distances.
Can I mix MOA turrets with a mil reticle?
Mechanically yes, but it means converting between two different, non-interchangeable units every time you hold with the reticle and then dial with the turret. Most shooters find it far simpler to buy a scope where the reticle unit and turret unit already match, removing the conversion step entirely.
Researched, not professional advice. This page is compiled from published manufacturer specifications, published optical and ballistic formulas, and owner-review consensus, not hands-on testing. Figures described as a rule of thumb are shooter convention rather than sourced numbers, and they are labelled that way wherever they appear. Ballistic figures come from a point mass model using the ballistic coefficient the maker publishes, so treat them as a starting point and confirm them on paper at a measured distance. Confirm your firearm is unloaded with the action open before you mount, level, torque or bore sight anything. Verify a zero only on a supervised range or a safe, legal backstop, know what lies beyond your target, and follow the law where you hunt and shoot, including rules on land access and permitted cartridges.