MOA adjustment is suggested for longer distances and when you have time to make the adjustment.
Hold-offs are useful for shorter distances or when there isn’t time to make an MOA adjustment.
1 Mil-dot is 3.43 MOA. 3.43 MOA corresponds to the bullet drop at about 275 yards with a 100 yd zero. The bullet drop for 2 Mil-dots corresponds to about 400 yds and 3 Mil-dots corresponds to about 500 yds.
At more than 500 yards, accuracy becomes very important and it is probably best to use the precision of MOA Adjustment instead of Mil-dot Hold-off. For instance, +/-0.2 Mil-Dots accuracy is more than +/-3.5″ at 500 yards and of course increases at longer ranges.
Ballistics
The FFP Ballistic Calculator (FBC) combines ranging via the reticle with Elevation MOA adjustment. The printout should give you a convenient field reference for fast, accurate target acquisition.
MSFT makes accessing the FBC a multi-step process online. Use the outside slider to go to the bottom of the page. Click on the small Full Size workbook icon at the bottom right. On the next screen, click on edit the workbook. Next choose to edit online or use your own Excel application. To edit online you must be logged in to your MSFT account (or create one if necessary.) If you choose to edit online, MSFT only allows one user at a time even though you cannot save the file back to the original location. We are working on converting the FBC to run directly in the website to avoid the MSFT issues. Use Contact US if you need assistance.
If you are not able to download the FBC, send proof of purchase via Contact Us and we will email you the FBC. It even runs on smart devices that have the Excel app.
The FBC is target size specific so you will need to print a chart for each target size. Typical target sizes for Elk, Deer, Antelope, etc. are listed in the FBC.
Remember that MOA adjustment is influenced by environment factors such as temperature and altitude, firearm factors such as scope height and zero range, and ballistic factors such as BC and MV. Be sure to list them correctly in the FBC.
For improved accuracy, you can manually list your actual MOA for known ranges.
You can adjust the MV (fps) and BC to see if you can better match the FBC results with your target practice results. Typically, manufacturer’s MV are a little (~2%) high so it’s suggested you try MV adjustment first.