Eotech's, Worth it?

[RonPaulSupporter]

So I'm looking into buying an Eotech 512 for my AR build and just wanted to hear from people who own one or have used one. Basically my question is, in addition to reliability and ruggedness, what makes Eotech's superior to other red dot sights? Also what kind of accuracy do you get with your Eotech, say out to a hundred yards?

 

[VUPDblue]

I hated the donut of death reticle, I got an Aimpoint and havent regretted it.

 

[fpdshooter]

I love my Eotech and have three of them. Having said that, ruggedness is not an attribute of the Eotech. Too many of them break, especially in the battery box. Now for the most part unless it is for hard shooting (military or LE, ie riding around in a trunk) then you should not have any issues. The Army did cancel its contract with Eotech though because of the battery box issues.

Besides all that, I still use one on my patrol rifles and have never had any issues with it. I like it because I was faster with it than the Aimpoint. Now if Aimpoint would come out with an Eotech reticle, WOW!

I think the Aimpoint is better made, but I like the Eotech better for the reticle.

 

[glockguy07]

I hated the donut of death reticle, I got an Aimpoint and havent regretted it.

+1

 

[Virtus]

I have the EoTech 511, and I have enjoyed using it. For <100 yards you are fine, but any further I would go for the Aimpoint and/or the 3X magnifier to put in front of the EoTech. I use it mainly for plinking, so it serves that purpose fine.

 

[G McBride]

I have one on my Bushmaster and I really like it.

 

["ThatGuy"]

ive got one on my M&P15. I like it, although i dont take it out past 50 yards. i have backup MAtech rear iron that i use for 100 and over. i like the EOtECH, but ive been thinkin of trading it for ann Aimpoint.

 

[smooth308]

I have used both but i prefer the aimpoint witch is what is on my rock river.

 

[Rookie]

Completely different from durability but - do you see haloes? If so, the EOtech is gonna mess with you pretty bad. A buddy of mine has one, I looked through it (I see haloes) and quickly decided against buying one.

 

["ThatGuy"]

to answer your question though, the upside of the EOTech is that its a holographic sight. it gives you the ability to keep both eyes open while shooting so that you dont get tunnel vision. giving you your full range of vision while still having your sight reticle. as far as accuracy, i have taken mine out to 100 yards, and it didnt do too bad, but then again accuracy (i believe) would have been alot better with an Aimpoint. long range distance isnt what they are made for though. their mainly for house clearing, cqb, and such situations. i like mine though, but my M1A is DEFINATELY getting an Aimpoint

 

[BloodEclipse]

I have one on my M&P15T and it co witnesses nicely with my flip-up sights. I use it with both eyes open. It greatly increases your awareness. I use mine out to 100 yards all the time and would think it work well beyond that. The 1 mil-dot doesn't cover up the target like most of the other red dots do. It also seems more useful in odd shooting positions as the dot floats in the window depending on eye placement.

 

[BloodEclipse]

double post

 

[baldmax]

I am the odd man out. I prefer the EOTECH to the Aimpoint. I use it out to and beyond 100 yds. No issues here.

 

[Duo]

I use an EOTech on my M4, and while I've heard a lot of reliability complaints, I personally haven't seen anything to back it up. Trust me, I've seen a LOT of EOTechs and have seen them put through pretty rough use. So far, so good. I also hear a lot of complaints about the Lithium 123 batteries and their longevity, but I have yet to replace mine after more use than a weekend range rifle is probably going to see.

As for accuracy, I've shot out to 300 yards accurately with both the AimPoint and the EOTech. Its not their primary design, but can be done. Personally, I'm a better shot with the EOTech. But that's just user preference. I also prefer the larger field of view with the EOTech due to it being a holographic sight. My old Aimpoint did its job just fine, but felt constrictive. All in all I prefer the EOTech.

But, as this thread has shown, its a lot like asking people whether they prefer Ford or Chevy. Everyone has their preference and its all based on opinion for the most part. Try them both out and judge for yourself. If I was closer, I'd let you take a turn with mine, but I'm sure someone on here wouldn't mind helping out.

 

[rhino]

I've never had any trouble with either of my EOTech and they have been abused. They've been dropped, kicked, and one has ridden in the back of a truck for a few years now with no issues. Given that, I have no doubt that ultimately the Aimpoint is a more rugged piece of gear.

The battery life of the Aimpoints make the EOTechs look sick, but with lithium AA batteries, I do okay with my EOTechs.

The strengths of the EOTechs are:

1. The reticle pattern - while some don't like, I love it. Shots at 100 yards are no problem with a 1 MOA dot, even though it blooms a lot more than the (available) 2 MOA dot on the Aimpoints.

2. Ease of installation - until Aimpoint intro'd some models with integral mounts, you had to get a separate mount, then make sure you got the Aimpoint oriented properly so that the elevation and windage adjustments tracked in the right directions. With the EOTech, you just slap it onto your rail and go.

3. Cost - the price is significantly lower, plus you don't have the additional cost of a separate rings/mount combination (unless you want to go that route).

The advantages of the Aimpoint:

1. Awesome battery life
2. Most rugged red dot on the planet

Plus the new Micro T1 is just cool (and light), but spendy!


If you're looking at a red dot for serious use, the only choices are EOTech or Aimpoint, then if you go Aimpoint, which model.

 

[terrance250]

I've owned both and prefer the Aimpoint. The EOTech is a great sight IMO, but the single dot of the Aimpoint is easier on my eye than the EOTechs doughnut. I also prefer the controls on the Aimpoints, just easier for me to use.