AR-15 Optic? Aimpoint or Eotech

[Girodin]

I don't like the funky battery that the CompM2 & PRO require. Yes, the battery life is crazy long, but every few years I would still have to go find one of those batteries and I just don't want to.

Its not like the batteries are particularly difficult to come by. 123s are also the batteries that a fair number of lights use. The micro's 2032s are also very easy to find One can also buy a big box of either of them. I have a box of 12 123s sitting on my shelf right now. Furthermore, there are a lot of options for storing a couple spare batteries on the gun itself. For an aimpoint micro that means you cold easily have 2-3 batteries on the gun and not have to worry about finding another one for 15 years. Some of us wont even be around to worry about it then.

Also, I have found that the Aimpoint can washout in bright light, making the aim dot very difficult to pick up when compared the brighter settings on the Eotech.

I have never experienced that with an aimpoint. I have with other sights but non of the aimpoints I own or have used. Even on very bright days I've had enough settings.

I will say it is tragic one cannot get an aimpoint with this reticle:

View attachment 638258

 

[waterhouse]

Aimpoints are great with battery life of course, but would you really leave them on for years? I wouldn't.

I do. My T1 made it over 5 years, and might have gone longer but I switched batteries when I put in on my work rifle. It is always on. I can hit the gun lock button in the car, grab the rifle, and be ready to go. I've seen other guys respond to an active shooter call and the first thing they are doing is turning their Eotech on. This may not be a concern to some, but having that dot always on is pretty important to me.

I prefer the Eotech reticle, but over the years I've broken two of them and the battery life of the aimpoint means I can deal with the dot.

 

[Fishbed77]

Aimpoints are great with battery life of course, but would you really leave them on for years? I wouldn't.

My PRO has been turned on for 1.5 years so far. There's no reason to ever turn it off.

I plan on just replacing the battery on a 3-year schedule (though the battery life is supposedly a bit longer).

 

[horsemen61]

red dot

I have used both and I prefer the Aimpoint.

 

[Skribs]

I've not tried either personally (too expensive for me on my current financial situation), but I've read a lot of negative reviews regarding the battery life of EoTechs. Not only are they already a drain on batteries compared to Aimpoint, but I've read stories of them draining the battery even while off. Personally, I'd go Aimpoint or Trijicon for a RDS if you want a high-end one.

 

[Girodin]

Aimpoints are great with battery life of course, but would you really leave them on for years? I wouldn't.

Yes, the models I own don't even really have an "off" setting. You can turn them down to the NV settings. I've read (I want to say in material from aimpoint) the battery life turned down to lowest the night vision setting is about 10 years. Unless I know I'm putting it away for a long time, I leave it on a visible setting. There is no reason not to. I can easily afford.

 

[joed]

I went with the EOTech 512 which uses AA batteries. Sure, I don't get the life of an Aimpoint but you can get AA batteries just about anywhere. Not sure what battery the Aimpoint uses.

 

[Tim the student]

I've used both in combat. Both will likely be much more durable than you need them to be. (Both have survived jumps, IED's, falls etc etc.) I don't recall having seen either one fail, but my memory may not be up to snuff on that. If one did fail, it was outside of my platoon, or company. Battery life was not a great concern for us. I greatly prefer the Eotech reticle, personally. I think you will be pleased with either.

 

[C-grunt]

I use Aimpoints or ACOGs but will say that I have very little experience with the new XPS model EOTechs. The XPS models are supposed to have fixed the problems that the older models had.

A few years back there was a lot of guys who carried EOTechs at work. Every time I would go for rifle qual I would see one go down. Now only a few people use them and many have gone to the Aimpoint or a 1-4 variable.

Another reason I stick with Aimpoint is that I have an astigmatism in my right eye. Without my contacts in I can still use the Aimpoint dot but the A65 reticle in the EOTechs bloom really bad and it becomes one huge blur.

 

[Girodin]

Not sure what battery the Aimpoint uses.

It depends on the model. The models I have use either a Cr123 or a cr2032. I know for sure the latter is available at the corner store here, the very same place I would go to buy AAs. It wouldn't surprise me if the CR123 is too, I just cannot remember for sure having seen it there. Its not like either batter is really hard to come by.

I'm not going to tell someone the are wrong for prefering an eotech, even if I prefer aimpoints. However, I don't think that battery availability is a good reason to go for the eotech or even a very legit argument.

 

[Skribs]

Joed, there are aimpoint models that use AA. So you get the availability and the battery life.

Even the aimpoint model doesn't use AAs, it's not that hard to replace 1 C123 or other type of battery once every couple years or so.

 

[JustinJ]

Joed, there are aimpoint models that use AA. So you get the availability and the battery life.

That model is also awfully expensive. I would not leave a AA in for extended periods for fear of corrosion.

 

[briansmithwins]

The three battery types Aimpoints use are:

CR2032: Micro models. H1, T1.
1/3N: 30mm tube models. M2, M3.
AA: integrated mount models. M4, M4s.

Use a lithium AA with the M4 types. Lithium batteries are less prone to leaks, work at much lower temps, and have a longer shelf life than alkaline.

BSW

 

[wnycollector]

My Aimpoint PRO has been rock solid. I picked it up about a year ago and it has been on all the time. For $400 I couldn't be happier.

 

[PPS43]

If you have less than perfect eyesight, 1-4x scope would be better.

EOTech and Aimpoint reticles are focused at infinity and neither has diopter correction. Unless your vision is 20/20, they look like an asymmetric hairy blob rather than a sharp dot.

 

[76shuvlinoff]

I had a friend tell me this week that the Bushnell Holosight is made by Eotech?

True?

 

[herkyguy]

I went with the Aimpoint PRO, but would have been happy with a comparable Eotech. It's an endless debate between the two. sad really, because they're both decent.

 

[Mot45acp]

Trijicon RX 30

No batteries, built like a tank, 42mm tube.

After shooting one, it will be what tops my 9mm AR

 

[SgtGenDanbo]

Personally I prefer the Eotech, but both are great sights. I love the battery life of the Aimpoints but I used both when I was overseas and nothing can beat the speed and easy sight picture of the Eotech. It depends what kind of shooting you're doing too. In my experience I found it easier to shoot long range with the Aimpoint as the model of Eotech I was issued had a fairly large dot that would obscure targets at distance. But if you're just going out to the range and shooting at relatively close range I don't think battery life should be much of an issue and Eotech sights will work fine. In either case, I think you'll be happy.

 

[fanchisimo]

I haven't used an EOtech on a rifle many, but I will say that my Aimpoint PRO has been awesome and if you choose it, you won't regret it. From the many, many debates between the two, that means the EOtech is a very good option, too. I imagine that either optic you choose will serve you well.

 

[stubbicatt]

Anybody use either of these sights while it is snowing?

Wonder if the more or less open window of the Eotech might not become obscured by accumulating snow.

 

[SpentCasing]

Anybody use either of these sights while it is snowing?

Wonder if the more or less open window of the Eotech might not become obscured by accumulating snow.

Ive used in snow, mud, and rain to no ill effect. Being a true holo sight as long as a portion of the window is visible, the reticle remains. Its one of their selling points.