Aimpoint or Eotech??

[ChrisK]

I have both (Aimpoint M4s and a Eotech 511) I prefer the Aimpoint.
Mike, If you would like to try both let me know. You don't live to far from me.

 

[mettle]

I've used the Eotech for a year now. I like the larger sight picture and the rock solid mount. My eyes are corrected by contacts/glasses and I have found that even when my eyes are tired or blurry I can pick up the larger 65MOA ring and still make a sight picture. For me, my eyes find the larger ring first, then while a sight picture is being made I hone in on the 1MOA ring. It worked well for me in the ACT rifle class I just went to.

 

[shooter521]

Again, I'm not knocking anyone who currently has an EOTech mounted on their rifle. I'm simply putting down my personal thought process when I had to make this very decision myself several weeks ago.

I own an Eotech, Aimpoint and an ACOG.
I will never own another Eothingy, mine is currently broke. (Will not hold zero.)
For a RDS, the Aimpoint is the optic of choice for me.

Listen to these guys. Them am smart.

You could not give me an EOThing. OK, you could, but I'd just sell it and put the money toward another Aimpoint. I've taken several carbine courses over the last 5 years or so, and there hasn't been a one where at least one EOthing didn't go down hard. Pat Rogers even includes a briefing on known EOThing issues and "fixes" as part of his course curriculum, and one of his AIs has had to become an on-the-fly expert in EOThing sight repair due to the number of failures they have encountered. "In police work, that's called a clue". YMMV.

 

[lovemywoods]

Now you've gone and done it!

Listen to these guys. Them am smart.

Shooter, these two guys are going to get swelled heads if you say things like this in public. I imagine now they will get poster-sized prints of your quote and hang it on the walls of their homes and point to them any time someone disagrees with them!
[Says with dripping scarcasm...]

 

[rhino]

I've owned one of my EOTechs since 2003 or so (a 512 revision E) and the other since . . . maybe 2006 (same AA model, revision F). They've had a lot of hard use. They've had the crap beaten out of them (they're both scuffed and scratched). They've both logged tens of thousands of miles in the back of a truck on the receiving end of the vibrations that are hard on electronics.

They both gave excellent service since I bought them until now. The older of the two is still fine. The newer of the two is now sick. It still works, but the reticle won't get bright enough to see it easily in direct, bright sunlight. It's going to need some work.

I chose the EOTechs for several reasons:

Lower initial cost
no need for additional mounting hardware
prefer the reticle pattern
prefer the sight picture

When I acquired mine, the Aimpoints were only up to the Comp M2 with its 4MOA dot. Had the 2MOA dot been available (as it is on the Comp M3 and M4), it would have been a harder decision.

I have always acknowledged that the Aimpoint was more rugged and no one can deny the advantage in battery life.

Now that a 2MOA dot is available, I will probably replace my sick EOTech with an Aimpoint. If the Micro T3 was available with the 2MOA dot, my decision would already be made (and if it is available and I just don't know about it, I'll probably order one this week).

 

[Turtle]

I cant afford an aimpoint w/mount or an acog but I have been considering the eotech xps or a trijicon..... any place have a trijicon I could look at? I'm really not sure about an amber colored dot.... and thoughts?

What ever I choose will be put on a vz58 or maybe an AK on rare days.

 

[rhino]

I cant afford an aimpoint w/mount or an acog but I have been considering the eotech xps or a trijicon..... any place have a trijicon I could look at? I'm really not sure about an amber colored dot.... and thoughts?

If you're only going on price, you should consider a used Aimpoint. You can probably get one and a mount for less than an EOTech.

If it's going on an AK, you should consider the Larue combination rear iron sight and red dot.

 

[esrice]

If it's going on an AK, you should consider the Larue combination rear iron sight and red dot.

Looks very cool!

 

[shooter521]

Looks very cool!

I like the mount concept, but I'm less than thrilled with the Burris Fastfire (as well as all the other "mini red dot" optics in that vein). If he ever comes out with an IronDot mount for the Aimpoint Micro, I'll be on it like white on rice.

In the meantime, I have ordered a Bushnell TRS-25 to try on my 10/22 and AK-105/Ultimak. It's got a form factor similar to the Micro, but a pricetag that is much less daunting. I figure it will be plenty good enough for "fun gun" applications.

 

[jason conley]

both are good both have advantages I have had a aimpoint for at least 5 years and still have not changed battery.

 

[mikea46996]

I recently made this very decision myself. Here is what I came up with. . .

There are two issues that come into play-- 1. Quality (facts) and 2. Personal Preference (subjective).

1. Quality (facts)
Aimpoints are hard-use optics, and they can take one hell of a beating, while still maintaining their zero. EOTechs have proven to be fairly rugged, but there's been issues with the battery cover coming loose during use. Not acceptable. A fellow INGOer told me just the other day sometimes his cover comes loose and the optic goes off, so he has to remove the cover and then replace it for it to come back on again. Fine on the range-- not so much when you NEED it to work.

Battery life on the newer Aimpoint models is 50,000 hours. This means I could leave the optic ON and "ready to go" for over 5 years and never have to worry about it. Obviously the prudent thing to do is replace the tiny battery once-a-year, just to be sure. The battery is the size of a very small button. It is held in place tightly by unscrewing a cap, and then screwing it back on-- no worry about the contacts failing. The EOTech has had MANY issues with the N batteries. Most people now suggest buying the AA models. Sure those batteries may last a year if you only turn them on during range time, but keep the optic on and see how long it lasts.

To turn an Aimpoint ON, you simply turn a dial clockwise. If you want to change brightness settings, you turn the dial to the next click points. If you want to turn it OFF, you turn the dial counter-clockwise. That's it. You can do this with gloves on, in the mud, with bloody hands, while keeping your eyes on the action, not the optic. The EOTech has small and hard-to-reach rubber buttons. So now you've got multiple buttons, which complicates its use. Hitting the correct button wearing gloves, when your tactile dexterity is diminished, is harder to do.

Aimpoints are priced all over the map. For the least expensive version, a CompC3 (this is the commercial version of the CompM3, which translates into not having extreme underwater capability) can be had NEW for around $389. If you add a matching-quality mount like a LaRue LT-150, the total cost comes to about $504. Cheaper mounts can be found. For the least expensive EOTech, a 511 (N-type batts), you're looking at about $359.

2. Personal Preference
Personally, I like the simple, easy-to-use single dot of the Aimpoint reticle. I have more experience with the 4MOA, but the 2MOA should work just as well. The larger and more complex reticle of the EOTech is just too "busy" for my taste.

Although there is additional cost involved, I like having versitile mouting options. The extra cost is simply the price you pay for a more versitile and higher-quality optic. The EOTech is what it is.

If you assume the cheapest Aimpoint (with needed mount) is going to cost $500, and the cheapest EOTech (does not require mount) is $359, then I'm more than willing to pay the extra $141 for what I consider a much higher-quality optic.

Again, I'm not knocking anyone who currently has an EOTech mounted on their rifle. I'm simply putting down my personal thought process when I had to make this very decision myself several weeks ago.

My final outcome?

Thank you... Thank all of you guys...

I think I have made my choice and it will be an aimpoint, one more question for you esrice. Can you Co-witness with that Cantilever mount?? It seems high to me.. The AR I shot with the Aimpoint looked like it was mounted right on the rail.

 

[shooter521]

one more question for you esrice. Can you Co-witness with that Cantilever mount?? It seems high to me.

I am not esrice nor do I play him on TV (or teh interwebz), but I did install the sight in the picture, and own the mount. The cantilever mount in question provides a "true" co-witness, where the iron sights line up in the middle of the sight window. I actually prefer a "lower 1/3" co-witness, where the irons line up in the bottom 1/3 of the sight window. I believe esrice prefers that arrangement as well, since he's told me the cantilever mount is just to get him by until he gets the $$ together for a LaRue LT-150.

 

[Hop]

I think you've made a good choice considering the recent military contract awarded to them.

The 5 MOA dot size was a big annoyance for me. I think it would have been a harder choice if the 2 MOA red dot was available back when I got mine. I've used the 1 MOA Holo sight to shoot dime size groups @ 100'. The 5 MOA red dot would have made that group impossible.

Being a Laser/Electro-Optics major, I am still a bit biased towards the Holo sight.

 

[shooter521]

The 5 MOA dot size was a big annoyance for me.

Just to clarify, the Aimpoint M/ML/C sights are available in either a 4MOA (not 5) or 2MOA dot size.

The EOThing's 1MOA center dot does theoretically allow more precision, but on a 16" carbine shooting mil-surp or commercial blasting ammo, that's of little benefit at best, and is more than outweighed by all of the sight's other failings.

My

 

[mettle]

Aimpoints are what everbody should buy, no other optic should be considered. All other optics fail and have 'options' that the opinators in this thread deem worthy not to choose.


Fixed it to show no opposition or opinion expressed that is different than the 'in the know'.

 

[esrice]

I am not esrice nor do I play him on TV (or teh interwebz), but I did install the sight in the picture, and own the mount.

He installs optics, he answers questions. Give this man a cookie!

The OP should borrow one brand from somone and find out from himself.

As always, my M4/Aimpoint is always available for testing. Just bring some ammo.

 

[MPD179]

I have had Eotech on my AR for little over 10 years and I still love it. I just used it 2 weeks ago and it is still awsome. I must say, I didn't pay any money for it ..... my ticket was pulled out of a box in a drawing and its the only thing I have ever won that was of value. Can't beat free! :o)

 

[panzerkfw]

I prefer the Eotech. I believe it has a better field of view to aid in rapid target aquisition.

 

[jeremy]

Aimpoint is the way to go. I have used both.
The thing I noticed with the EO's;
1. You have to be a lot gentler with them.
2. If in very bright light it is very hard to acquire the dot.
3. Batteries fail at the least opportune time.

 

[Biohazard]

I prefer the Eotech. I believe it has a better field of view to aid in rapid target aquisition.

What do you mean when you say field of view? I just want to clarify, not criticize or anything. I have heard this before and it didn't seem to apply because field of view is what you are able to see.

Field of view - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The field of view (also field of vision) is the angular extent of the observable world that is seen at any given moment.

If you are shooting with both eyes open, like you can with a non magnified optic, there really isn't a FOV like there is with a magnified optic. Or even if you close one eye the same applies. The only part of the FOV that is occluded is by the body of the optic.

Thanks.