For a tactical carbine intended for serious work, which do you prefer and why?

Aimpoint. Bombproof.

The Aimpoint has withstood several explosions in it's immediate vicinity and kept on functioning. It's built like a tank.

It stays "on" without needing a new battery for years.
Brightness is superb and can be adjusted upwards to whatever is needed.

The EoTech? For older eyes, I much would prefer it with it's 65 encircling the 1 image to pick up easily. It's not in the same ballpark as far as battery life with the Aimpoint nor is it as durable.

The Aimpoint H1's and T1's are really small and lightweight.

Gosh, get both.

I've had an Eotech on my M-4 pattern AR for seven or eight years now. Never had an AimPoint, though. I just bought a Bushmaster ACR Enhanced, and have to start thinking about mounting an optic. Leaning towards an AimPoint. I'll look into the H1 and T1. What are the differences between the H1 and T1?

As to the H1 and the T1, one is night vision compatible and the other is not. Night vision model obviously cost more and it works in line concert with a night vision device.

When I said bomb proof, I was referring to the Aimpoint Comp 2 and Aimpoint Comp 4 models used extensively in our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Aimpoint H1 and Aimpoint T1 are tiny compared to the Aimpoint Comps so I don't know if they would handle a grenade.

But that's why some love them because they are so small yet still afford one the view and sized MOA dot they want.

I love the Eotech reticle have shot them but hate to turn them on when needed. If they would make an Eotech that would turn on when the rifle moved I would buy it because I shoot them better. My T1 stays on all the time, replace the battery once a year. When you need the carbine, slap the bolt release while shouldering the carbine and your ready to pull the trigger. I like the small aimpoints OK as well, I got rid of my bigger CompML. The tiny ones just look at and around the sight and not thru it 4MOA works fine for anything I want to shoot with one. I got the T1 on the off chance I might get NV monocular.

My wife is the AR shooter in my family

She has 4 AR rifles

3 wear Aimpoints atop DD risers

About 3 months ago one wore an Eotech.......

After a couple hundred rounds she said it had to go

So if I got the H1, is the mount that comes with it going to line it up to co-witness with my Magpul flip-up MBUS sights?

Daniel Defense? Why a riser?

Nope......the base it comes with is very short


The DD is lower 1/3 for your irons

The riser gives you comfortable cheek weld

I think they have a full co-witness base for it, too. With flip ups, that's not an issue, as they stay out of the way anyway.

Whatever floats your boat

She likes lower 1/3 but prefers no steel in her eyes

I believe it was a T1 on board the Daniel Defense Larry Vickers threw from a helicopter, dropped out of a moving jeep and blew up with a little more explosive than was needed.

The electronics are designed for extreme duty, the size is easy to live with, battery life is unreal and a solid dot is simple to use. I preferred a lower 1/3rd cowitness mount myself and used LaRues mount. I wanted a QD mount cause even though I can shoot the flip up irons through the sight, I preferred to take it off when practicing with the irons.

I've had a few eo-thingies too and usually wound up changing batteries too often. They have some newer models that are GTG but I think the Aimpoint is a better sight. To me a red dot is for close range, fast shootin. I don't see the need for the special reticle, just put the dot on it and press the trigger. That's what red dot is for.

Haven't most "Evolved" on to ACOG's now.

Have to define the specific use per Nutnfancy.

Home defense, street fight, open fields, house to house, etc.

Couldn't help it.

Sorry

I have about given up on optics in a fluid situation.

Give me my AC 556's govt, AK 74's, 47's, and we'll spray and pray 'til we get 'em.

You left out weekend dress up rifle range warrior supper tac

It had a dual meaning. Half was a private joke between Hawkeye and myself while the other half with open sights I was half way serious about.

LOL, I guess I have evolved to an ACOG and a 1-6 for tactical coyote shooting.

I find the higher mounted sight faster to use, really has little to do with flip up sights.

LT659 (Tall, 1.725) for standard AR15 / M16 / M4 uppers

Medium provides absolute co-witness.

I like Aimpoint but have never used an eotech.

My friends son told me when he got back from Iraq that an IED knocked his M4 out of his hands at high speed down the highway. He was able to grab it back up after it bounced down the highway for 100 yards. Next day at range; no change on the Aimpoint, no adjustments needed, functioned flawlessly.

Aimpoint Micro or Trijicon ACOG for extended ranges.

The Real Hawkeye,

The one torture test the Aimpoint failed repeatedly?????



[bleep] attacks.

Seriously.

Your Eotech if you keep your batteries fresh and a spare set obviously, a mounted high lumen flashlight, and a low power illuminated tactical 1-4x20 or 1-6x20 or 24 scope with QR mounts for longer ranges in your rucksack, and you are set. You could call it an upgrade to the mini Aimpoint because of it's light weight and unreal battery life if you chose to pay out $600 extra.

Best

Slasher

Why would you have a red dot and an illuminated 1-Something in your pack?

The 4 to 6 power is for 300 or 400 yards and a lot of us older folks are just skipping the EoTechs and Aimpoints due to deteriorating vision and going straight to the wide field of view of a 1x from a 1-4 or 1-6 scope mounted full time for short range, while it covers long range situations, too.

The Real Hawkeye already has an EoTech.

If he is concerned about shooting at longer ranges, a QR compact scope would be an option.

I thought it would be logical that someone would ask that....someone much younger than us old codgers whose eyes can fail and not even make good use of a larger sized MOA red dot. All kinds of problems arise with this as you age.

Hope that explains it.

He could go straight to the scope and sell his EoTech if he chose.

I'd prefer to use the EoTech or Aimpoint but my vision has changed too much.

EoTech 556 NV compatible for indoors, if I go outside I screw a 2.5-10x24 NF to the rail for more precise shooting.

Gunner

How's this for an old school, low power, scope?

You had the right stuff all along- a tad dated.

If you're gonna have two optics, I'd do a red dot and something like a 2.5-10 or 4-12.

If you buy a quality 1-4 or 1-6 (with a good eye box and field of view) I'd just skip the red dot altogether. I used my 1-6 in a rifle class last December and never had a problem shooting with the red dot guys.

To answer the original question, I much prefer the Eotech reticle. But I definitely get a newer version with the transverse CR123 battery. They're supposed to be much more reliable.

Old school?

At one time, a rock was state of the art... Things progress, lessons are learned and improvements are made. Move forward or get left behind.

However old school does not have to be obsolete. Whatever you choose just be sure to practice, practice, practice.

if you need your gun quickly can you really afford the time to swap optics, or even turn "on" a sight. I really want an EO Tech and when they make one where the battery lasts 50,000 hours or it turns on when you pick up the gun I will buy it. Other than that no I think they are just something else you have to screw with in an emergency.

You can quickly depress a rubber button while shouldering the rifle, and like Blue said, the 123 batteries last, but, I have never understood the battery life concerns anyway, it doesnt take that long to shoot.

Also, I can plainly view my flipups thru the EoTech should it become unusable or you dont have enough time to unscrew it for removal via the knurled thumb screw.

Gunner

My friend has a few of the EO's and while I like them very much, I just don't want to be looking for button number 2, its personal preference. I leave my T1 on all the time and just replace my battery once a year in January but I think they will go about 5 years on the same battery.

Its certainly just a matter of familiarity I am sure to a home owner with a home invasion going on that an extra second to push the button will not matter.

I had a fixed 6 Weaver on my 16" carbine and it was all I needed to reach 500 yards. I swapped it out with a 2x7 Redfield last month and got some rapid transition sights, (the cheap knockoffs). I REALLY REALLY like this set up. REALLY. I will probably save some money and get the high quality Dueck RTS sights in a couple of months.

The Redfield seems just right for size and weight and eye box and eye relief... with a plain reticle and covered turrets. Did not break the bank either.

Yessir, familiarity goes a long way in these situations.

Gunner

Nothing wrong with a Aimpoint Comp C3, Comp ML3 or Comp 4
You don't have to go T1, its not like any of them are huge and the other models listed have a larger FOV and can usually be found cheaper.

Aimpoint all the way over Eotech for me.

You recon you could cover the exit of an aimpoint and it would still be accurate to hit things with just looking at the dot? I mean with zero FOV and all of that.

When shooting my red dot equipped AR's under about 50 yds I naturally shoot with both eyes open without difficulty. Never tried it any further.

My old man has a vintage Single Point sight on an M1 carbine that the objective end is a glass bubble with a angled red plastic piece inside. It lets a little light in to form an red "dot" but you can't actually see through it. Works fine with both eyes open as long as you don't wait to long to fire or the dot will start moving

Review of Single Point with pics
http://shootery.blogspot.com/2010/07/moldy-oldie-review-singlepoint-sight.html?m=1

My Aimpoint M68 took repeated beatings from the veiwing end of my fat @ss, gear, and a 200 pound armored seat slamming up and down on the mount and tube several times over a year period with no change in zero. I really thoght the Aimpoint mount would give, but it never moved. I have the same mount on a rifle now, with no issues.

I had an EoTech that survived a tour in Iraq on the streets before I bought it, and two short tours in Afghanistan with me. It was used hard and looked it. Only sold it to get a newer revision with the side lounted controls.

Battery life on both are acceptable, Aimpoint batteries are usually a bit harder to find over-the-counter, but they last well, especially if you swap out the cap for a dual cell version.

EoTech for me are "N" cells, double "AA"s and now one with the parallel C123s. I haven't had a problem with battery life, YMMV.

Of the two, I prefer the EoTechs for the FOV, and the lack of darkness looking through the Aimpoint tube. Yes, I shoot it both eyes open, but the darker tube can cause my non-dominant eye to take over if the lighting conditions are right. Maybe it's just me.

I had a T-1 for about a year, it was much better than the M68 for the light through the tube. I didn't beat it around, so I don't know how durable to rate it. I did like the size and the location of the controls.

It isn't "just you", some folks just see through an Eotech better than an Aimpoint's tube. I would agrue that your comparison of both optic's longevity doesn't reflect the larger reality. Pat Rogers has stated that he sees a dozen Eotechs go down for every Aimpoint.

I worked a gig last year where the client was using the new Eotech that uses 123's. The units still have a propensity for turning themselves off, IIRC this can be reset but I never looked it up. The "start-up" sequence on it would keep me from buying one for a house gun.

If it'll work for your eyes, the Aimpoint that uses a AA looks like the "buy once, cry once" answer to me.

TAK - what's the feedback on the T-1/H-1s for durability?

I only know one person who has one. A MARSOC unit came through where a friend works and they were running them on one o'clock mounts ahead of ACOG's. I'll try to find out their opinions of them next time I work around them.

I've read that battery life is off the charts, as in years, constant on, they use a common 2032 that you can find most anywhere

Didn't Vickers have one of those on that DD gun they destructo tested?

IIRC the Single Point, or maybe its predecessor, is what the Son Tay raiders used to light up the tower guards. I'd imagine an MH-47 with a mini-gun would be an "upgrade".

The Aimpoint H1 and T1 are only 3 ounces and approx. 2.4 inches long.

The T1 model is night vision compatible.

The Comp 4 is 4 times as heavy at 12 ounces.

That's a huge deal to folks who have to "hump" and are equipment savy as every ounce counts and can affect somewhat the balance and physical space of your weapon.

Trijicon has models which accomplish different roles with different power sources as you know.

I use Troy di-optic Diamond shaped peep (as in not round), tritium front M4 style battlefield sights and a Bushnell Elite 1.25-4x24 4200 model Illuminated Dot in the crosshairs.

I've done it up close with an Aimpoint and out to about 50 yards with an ACOG without problems. The further out you go, the harder it gets.

ETA: with both eyes open, obviously.

Yes LAV did try to destroy one but I think it survived.

My H1 was on its original battery when I sold it. I had it almost 4 years and it was always on setting #8, always on as in even in the safe. Someone here said they heard cold temps hurt them so I threw it in the freezer for a few days without issue and it was on continuously. I ran it on my Colt barreled mutt gun that saw lots of use. I used a LaRue mount.

Common logic would say the darker tube handicaps it but running it with the front cover closed convinced several people otherwise. You only need to see the dot.

I sold it to fund an ACOG which fits my needs better.

I questioned your weight and went and weighed my ML3/Larue mount Aimpoint. 11.6 ounces.

I'm happy with the Super Sniper 1-4X I just bought, everything except the weight. 22oz plus the mount. Any idea what your Bushnell weighs?

mine was a smart A comment regards the FOV, I just was trying to be obtuse I never look thru the thing. Its zeroed at 50 yards and I know closer it will be lower, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.

I know its not the same thing but my Zeiss Victory T 1.5-6 x 42 with IR is amazingly bright, the adjustments are tough to turn thus indicating the springs are strong, holds zero for me and I really like it so far. 18 ounces.

My Bushnell is a dead even 14 ounces.

But, it's only clamped on the Picatinny on the A R when I have a

need for more than the folding Troy Battlefield iron sights.