Red Dot Sights

I've owned various flavors of EOTechs. I never liked the shorter battery life or having to turn it on. The controls on mine were on the back which made it a pain to get at because of my BUIS. After selling the EOTechs, I managed to pick up a used Aimpoint M3 with the LaRue LT-150 mount for $500 shipped. I changed the battery since I didn't know how long the previous battery had been in use.

It's been a rock solid sight ever since. Always on and ready to go. I got the 2 MOA model which I like better than the 4 MOA. I used it for the Thunder Ranch Urban Carbine course and was drilling targets all the way out to 225 yards no problem. It is a huge step up over the EOTech. My carbine gets banged around a little more than I'd like in the trunk of a patrol car and the sight is no worse for wear (our racks won't accommodate guns with oversize handguards). Some of the SWAT ninjas are buying the smaller T-1 Aimpoints. The size is cool, but you're stuck with one flavor - 4 MOA - and for longer shots, that doesn't work for me.
 
threatx3 said:
I run an Aimpoint CompM2 on my personal, an Eotech 512 on my duty rifle. I prefer Trijicon ACOG if I could afford them.

What does anyone have to say about this one...It's on Botach for 99 bucks and Sig is a good name!

botach_2144_738650260
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it's crap. even the sig reps throw them away ;)
 
i'm probably going to buy an EOTech at some point for a rifle, based on the favorable use of an old Bushnell early version...

the problem is: so many EOTechs!

probably a model that uses AA batteries, for cost reasons (lithiums as desired). CR123s are too expensive, as are N and other specialty batteries. i want the 1/65 donut i think (what the Bushnell has), but beyond that, i don't know all the options... or why i might care.

i think i might want the ability to have an inline 4-6x magnifier though (for distance), won't need night optics, might want co-witness ability; having the armored shield is a nice thing but not necessary.

i also see there are some two dot donuts, apparently for different ranging applications.

tricky :)

i've also used an ACOG once. wow. talk about clear shiny optics. impressive. also 2x the cost of the EOTech - the bad part about EOTechs is they MUST have power to work.

there does seem to be an advantage for holographic red dots over other kinds. discuss!
 
I'm going to throw another + onto Primary Arms. For the price they cant be beat. Now, that being said, they are not the same quality of an Aimpoint or an Eotech. I have owned one of all three brands (Eotech 512, Ampoint CompML2, and Primary Arms Micro Dot) and both the Eotech and Aimpoint are MUCH better quality than the Micro Dot. HOWEVER, for an optic that is ONE FOURTH the price of the others, it is a damn good optic! Also, Primary Arms customer service is top notch.
 
I like anything that I dont have to turn off. The new aimpoints batteries last almost 2 years on the middle setting. thats why i like the trijicon reflex sights. no batteries and is always ready to go.
 
think i might get a primary to try out. i can't justify 400+ for a sight right now, hundred bucks could be doable.
 
I have an Aimpoint M3 2moa, an Eotec 516, a Vortex Strikefire 3moa and a Bushnel Trophy 3moa T. I like the Eotec, but it makes me wear my glasses or the retlcle is fuzzy. The Trophy once on my AR10 7.62x51 has given way to a 1.5-6 x44 Konus as it was not up to the range possible w/ the big .308. The M2 is currently on 6.8 stag, and I see the Trophy has climbed onto the Mini 6.8. I see myself moving toward compact crosshair scopes.

IMG_0646-1.jpg
 
How does the red dot look on the primary arms?

is it distorted, blurry?
Is it easy to see when its really sunny out?
 
Aimpoints are good, no argument there. But they are flipping expensive. Not only the sight, but also the mount (if you're using an AR).

Here's what you do, find some crazy guy you can talk into selling you a near mint Eotech512 for dirt ;)

Anyway, I'm an eotech guy. I like the 1MOA accuracy. I've been running the same batteries for 7 months and its still going. Of course, I dont leave it one 24/7. thats the beauty of aimpoints I guess.

I dont know much about these, but for the price they may be alright.. http://www.burrisoptics.com/fastfire.html
 
notice on every red dot debate (here, arfcom, etc.) this or that brand is always being compared to an aimpoint...i wonder why :rolleyes: there's a reason why the military does it's testing and the aimpoint always comes out on top.

save up or sell some of your knives, shoot and be good with irons (everyone should be anyways) and go buy an aimpoint when you can afford to. 3 esee and an aimpoint is better than 300 gerber knives and an eotech imho.

cost should never be a factor when it comes to guns! you either can afford it and buy it or stay out of it until you can. if you're doing it right, the cost of ammo alone will dwarf whatever price difference you save up when going for an eotech over an aimpoint anyways.


Jake Bauer said:
Here's what you do, find some crazy guy you can talk into selling you a near mint Eotech512 for dirt ;)
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i was crazy for buying it. selling it was my ticket back to sanity :D
 
I run a "cheap" C-More Scout sight on one of my fixed handle (A2) AR's that I have been very happy with. No idea how it compares to the more expensive brands in terms of durability, but for paper-punching the dot is bright and doesn't distort much at an angle.

I will say I like it more than the Eotechs I have used, but that's more of a personal preference...
 
Do you guys prefer a darker lens or a more clear one.

The one on the silver millet is pretty clear, not much tint to the lens, the black millet has a darker tinted lens, I'm wondering if I should have went with the darker lens to see better when the sun is bright or when the ground is covered in snow......

Are there options of adding a darker lens to the front of the sight, when I put my sun glasses on the front while looking threw it makes the red dot easier to see......
 
One thing you guys should check out is the insight technologies MRDS "mini red dot sight" they have been issuing them to us to put on our acogs as a CQB sight. I so far have no complaints with it I can zero my acog at 100 M like it is designed and then my mrds on the 25M zero line. So far the only issue i have had with it are getting batteries for it they do not have it in our supply system yet so we have to get it on the economy for now. but when matched up with an acog great system.
 
Flexxx said:
How does the red dot look on the primary arms?

is it distorted, blurry?
Is it easy to see when its really sunny out?
Click to expand...

Seriously, for the price...they are downright impressive.

What are they? $60? A drop in the bucket towards an Aimpoint.

Get one to try out, if you dont like Red dots then you can still probably sell it and only lose 20 bucks or so.

Dont count out that Vortex either.


People with high end cars always say that there is no substitute either, but my F-250 treats me just fine.
 
Buy once, cry once! This lesson gets more expensive the more you ignore it. If you have a 'serious' firearm you're using for defense/patrol/etc, then you'll have a drawer full of ~$100 red dots that are either broken, sub-par, or untrustworthy. Just get the best to begin with and be done with it.

Yes, they're expensive as hell, but what's your life worth? Sell some knives, bring your lunch to work for a few weeks, etc. And in the era of the Aimpoint micro's, lots of guys are selling off their ML2's and such at bargain prices. Patience = savings.
 
I have the Vortex Strikefire on my AR.

Hasn't failed me yet and gets really good reviews.

Oh, and the MOA.....Minute of badguy. I'm sure it'll outshoot me so I don't worry much about it.
 
missed said:
I like anything that I dont have to turn off. The new aimpoints batteries last almost 2 years on the middle setting. thats why i like the trijicon reflex sights. no batteries and is always ready to go.
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Aimpoint M3 - 50 000 (over 5 years of continuous use) on setting 7 out of 10

Change it every presidential election year and you're good.
 
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