Optics for AR

[pillsbury1983]

For those of you out there that have experience with EOTech and Aimpoint please pass info my way.

I'm debating whether or not I want to get an EOTech 553 or an Aimpoint Comp M3. Both are good sights and they seem to be hovering around the same prices. But I can't decide on which one would work better for me. It's going to come down to battery life, which one is easier to use and which one is more durable.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have an Eotech and an Aimpoint and I like them both. If you want a RDS that you can turn on and just leave on all the time, the Aimpoint will be the ticket. I like the Eotech on my late night varmit gun as it's faster for target acquisition under those conditions.

Either way you are good to go.

 

[shooter521]

For those of you out there that have experience with EOTech and Aimpoint please pass info my way.

Here, open this... [hands pilsbury a Can O Worms]

It's going to come down to battery life, which one is easier to use and which one is more durable.

IME, Aimpoint's got it all over the EOThings in all three categories.

That said, you might want to look over this thread:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...tech_and_aimpoint_observations_with_pics.html

and don't miss my rebuttal on Page 2:
https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...oint_observations_with_pics-2.html#post527540

 

[irishfan]

I have an Eotech and like it for its durable design and mounts directly to the upper reciever and you have cowitness if you want it. I have shot an AR with an aimpoint and think it is quite nice as well and you will have a solid setup with either optic.

 

[pillsbury1983]

Shooter that was a good read. I know people in my unit wanted EOTech's or ACOG's instead of the Aimpoint M4's they were issued (I carried a SAW and was stuck with irons). But the folks complaining were not gun types and were wanting EOTech's and ACOG's for cool guy points since that's what the active duty infantry guys had.

 

[shooter521]

wanting EOTech's and ACOG's for cool guy points since that's what the active duty infantry guys had.

Interesting misconception on their part; Aimpoint has had the M68 CCO contract for 10 years now, and has supplied more optics to the US military than Trijicon or EO combined (Aimpoint has 1.25 million units in service as of 2009, compared to ~130,000 ACOGs and ~77,000 EOTechs).

 

[esrice]

For those of you out there that have experience with EOTech and Aimpoint please pass info my way.

This one will be easy.

It's going to come down to battery life,

Aimpoint. 50,000 hours vs. a few hundred hours with EOThingy.

which one is easier to use

Aimpoint. There is one rotary knob-- that's it. It can be manipulated in the cold, wet, dark, or with a gloved hand. EOThingy has rubber pushbuttons that are more complicated and difficult.

and which one is more durable.

Aimpoint. Its a tube vs. a EOThingy's shrouded window.

At the last MDFI class they were talking about a military unit that sent back their EOThingys after reporting a 33% failure rate.

Now, keep in mind that these attributes become very important in the spooky places on Earth, but not so much for casual range days. Its all relative, but if you were gonna put this on a 'serious' gun, I'd stick to the Aimpoint.

 

[pillsbury1983]

We had an allstar unit with allstar leaders. Weapons and tactics training was a joke throughout the train up. SAW gunners were never given optics, weaponlights and IR/Laser designators were not issued to anyone the reason give - "because you might break them and the state wants them when we get back".

It was a bunch of remfs with no tactical skills at all making decisions on gear and training. I'm glad we saw little to no action or it would have been much worse.

 

[pillsbury1983]

"This one will be easy. It can be manipulated in the cold, wet, dark, or with a gloved hand."

Are you talking about optics? If you need a gloved hand to manipulate it I'd say you need a shot of penicillin.

 

[esrice]

Are you talking about optics? If you need a gloved hand to manipulate it I'd say you need a shot of penicillin.

You never shoot while wearing gloves?

I'm not saying you HAVE to use a gloved hand, but that if you are wearing gloves you can still manipulate the controls of your optic. Pushing rubber buttons with gloves on is tougher due to the loss of dexterity and oversized fingers.

 

[shooter521]

You never shoot while wearing gloves?

Evan, clearly your mind isn't in a dirty enough place. You need to spend more time on INGO.

 

[Colt556]

I have an EOTech 552 and a couple ACOGs. They both serve their purpose but I prefer the ACOG to any sight I've ever used. No batteries or ON/OFF switches to ever worry about and the 4x is nice.

 

[pillsbury1983]

You never shoot while wearing gloves?

I'm not saying you HAVE to use a gloved hand, but that if you are wearing gloves you can still manipulate the controls of your optic. Pushing rubber buttons with gloves on is tougher due to the loss of dexterity and oversized fingers.

There was a joke embedded in there.

I've shot while wearing gloves, while in theatre it was required that we wear gloves at all times so we trained that way.

 

[LPMan59]

I have an EOTech 552 and a couple ACOGs. They both serve their purpose but I prefer the ACOG to any sight I've ever used. No batteries or ON/OFF switches to ever worry about and the 4x is nice.

agreed. i had a 512 and i loved it....until i found an acog for stupid cheap on Ebay.

one thing i will say, the EoTech donut of death reticle makes it really easy to target zombies close up.

 

[Colt556]

agreed. i had a 512 and i loved it....until i found an acog for stupid cheap on Ebay.

one thing i will say, the EoTech donut of death reticle makes it really easy to target zombies close up.

Yep, my 552 is on a light weight carbine for close in work and the ACOGs sit atop HB Carbines. I like em both. I just never liked looking through the Aim Points for some reason. I have friends that really like them though. So basically just go with what you like best.

 

[ihateiraq]

i cant really put my finger on why, but i was never a big aimpoint fan. the eotech is nice, but leaves something to be desired as well.

the acog is the cats meow though. hands down the best ar optic ive ever used.

 

[esrice]

Evan, clearly your mind isn't in a dirty enough place. You need to spend more time on INGO.

 

[Colt556]

OK, what is that cat tryin to wipe off his face?

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

Leupold CQT anyone? Or C-More?

Those are teh 2 I run

 

[grunt soldier]

i had a leupold cqt and ran it in afghanistan for a bit and it was decent. then we got some acog's and i sold the leupold. but its still not a bad sight. i love aimpoints strictly because of the battery life and toughness of them. i remember shoving my rifle through a van window aimpoint and all and never lost my zero. if i was humping the 50 or something i would often leave my m4 in the bradley over in iraq and it's a bumpy rough ride to say the least and i never once had a problem.

i also have a eotech on my deer shotgun browning deer slayer 12 gauge and have shot a couple hundred rounds through it and my eotech has held up fine and its dead on at 100 and is perfect you put the actual circle just around the shoulder a bit high and back and its dead on heart and lung shot every time and with that circle and dot its easy as can be

look through them all and see what you like best and decide for yourself cause everyone is gonna have a favorite for different reasons that may not be yours and may not end up working for what you want. also don't just rush off and buy something. if you really want a acog save up and get one and in the mean time spend 150-200 bucks on a used red dot or maybe a new vortex strikefire or there new one and then when you have enough saved up buy exactly what you want


also i will throw this out there as i am kinda a glass whore. in a month or so the new vortex pst line will be out. they have a 1-4x that has exposed knobs with a awesome cqb reticle/red dot that is daylight bright and its a true 1x so that means its money for close up work and then you can hit 4x for some distance and its mil/mil or moa/moa with matching reticles so you can do holds/leads very well and dialing is super easy. and all for the price of around 500 bucks i think and just a bit more for the 2.5-10.

sorry i digress. good luck and whatever you get shoot enough that your proficient with it when the time comes