All posts tagged best price on Eotech sights

Eotech sights, 512 vs 516 and what about magnifiers?

eotech sights I remember being to ranges when I was a kid and seeing the guys with the AR15s and the 3-9×40 scopes and thinking that was the pinnacle of coolness.   If you are target shooting, hunting or on a really tight budget, something like that might be good for you but for close quarters defensive applications, the need for magnification is very low.   Most Police Officers we deal with don’t even see the magnifiers on their guns because many of those guys are even on even tighter budgets.  They use what they know they need and Trijicon ACOGS are something rarely  used in the Law Enforcement community because they don’t need a rifle scope with 3.5X or 4X.  That actually can slow you down with your AR15  or M16 carbine.  The Eotech 512 with the AA Batteries is still the most popular but the XPS and EXPS optics have gained traction because they are lighter and smaller.

On some of my Daniel Defense M4 carbines I am running an Eotech 512 because I find the AA batteries to be more common, but if you bulk buy and stock the CR123 batteries they will work well for you.   Many of the guys running the Eotech sights with the CR123 batteries use those because the weapon mounted flashlights like the TLR1, TLR 3 laser combo use the same batteries so mixing up the battery types is somewhat of an issue.   Battery life can be betwee 600 hrs and 1300 hrs but for domestic purposes having access to batteries shouldn’t be an issue.  Keeping AA batteries or CR123 batteries around is something that should just be as important as having 5.56 ammunition.   If you want magnification you can run a Gen 3 magnifier later.

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Eotech sights, Aimpoints, and the Trijicon SRS sights and rail space

eotech sightsThere was a good add on a Trijicon facebook page promoting the Trijicon SRS sight and it was mostly about rail space.  That is an issue that I personally have run into because I put several things on my LWRC M6A1 rifle that I started to run out of room when i tried to put a pressure switch on it.  I started out with a vertical foregrip and it worked well with the my Streamlight Scorpion flashlight but after I fell in love with the Magpul angled foregrip I ran into issues trying to activate the flashlight.   I’m still not sure what I’m going to do but once I get the new XPS sights in from Eotech i’m going to retire my Eotech 512 just based on rail space.

Run time is important but there are differences between military applications and Law Enforcement applications.  There have been big changes in the industry and now that solar/battery optics are are on the market we’ll see what the next generation of Eotech sights are going to produce.   The Eotech magnifier is a very good idea for someone that already has an Eotech device and wants to make it a medium range optic.  The side battery switch is something I also really like because it makes it easier to get to if you already have a magnifier and rear sight.

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Eotech configurations vs ACOGS

I started out with an Eotech 512 because I basically thought that AA batteries were so common in my home that that was my best option.  I was right, but I learned real fast what the limitations were for the Eotech sights when I was engaging targets at 300 + yards with it.   Those optics are really fast for close up fighting which is why most of our Law Enforcement Officials want them, but they, along with any red dot, will actually be difficult to use at longer ranges.   I find the haze from red dots to be annoying but I personally have never had to use one in a house clearing situation.    The Eotech XPS sights and the EXPS sights are more compact versions with different power switch locations.

Eotech sights while many may claim are slowly becoming outdated, are still very popular.  Sometimes it’s not just what is higher tech, but the Eotech sights that we sell are so well known that sometimes it’s hard to deviate from something that you know works.   I have yet to see somebody complain about their Eotech not holding zero and the quick detach options are very appealing.   The one thing I will say that is you really need to put some thought into how much magnification you want on your Carbine before you buy and Eotech sight because I know many people that got the optic, magnifier combos and later said they basically purchased a Trijicon TA01NSN .

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Eotech holographic sights are they still competing?

If you ask any of the local law enforcement officers in our area, that’s all you’ll hear them talk about.  Most SWAT Teams are still running these optics and the first rule of an optic for them is they must be able to keep both eyes open.   For any optics like the Trijicon ACOGS, they are more of a  liability for a police officer that may be in a hostage situation at 20yds rather than nailing a Taliban soldier at 4oo meters.  There have been many technological improvements to optics and to some people Eotech might be slacking because they are still reliant on batteries, but for short deployments that’s rarely and issue.  I personally run an Eotech 512 AA on my LWRC M6A1 and I have had some wear issues and batteries fail on me.  I had to super glue the contacts back in and recently heard that this was part of the reason the CR123 batteries are being used and they are also going in sideways instead of forward.

The Eotech XPS sights are smaller and lighter compared to the most popular Eotech 512 AA battery and this means something for those that are running various pressure switches or gun sights.   The smaller lighter XPS Eotech sights are running with the CR123 batteries and these batteries will give you more shelf life than the AA batteries and take up less weight.   The only bad thing about the CR123 batteries is they are not that common in gun stores or retail locations and if they are they are usually more expensive.  Buying these in bulk is a good idea, we normally sell them in 12 packs for $23.99.

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Eotech sights still the fastest gun sights

Not everyone has 20/20 vision and everyone’s needs for optics can vary widely.  Many people prefer red dot optics over black line reticles because they need the visibility and the contrast. Having contrast against targets is very important and part of the reason you see red dot and even green reticle optics.  Eotech optics can come in different switch configurations, there is also an Eotech Magnifier that you can use.

Eotech gun sights will give you a wide field of view with fast and accurate target acquisition.  These unique optics,  Eotech sights have variable power settings, low battery warnings and can be easily removed. There are reasons to have magnification on a Carbine and the Eotech magnifiers are a simple solution to engaging medium range targets with the flip of a switch. Gun sights are available for the 5.56 caliber firearms as well as .308 guns. The Eotech magnifiers are available in Black and Tan.

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Moving away from battery reliant optics?

I remember when Eotech sights and red dots were showing up on gun ranges about 15yrs ago and how high tech they were.  They were because you were basically getting an F16 gun sight on a Carbine and it was so easy to see targets and engage them quickly.   I have good eye sight for my age but there have been many times I have taken friends and family members as well as students to the range and people had trouble looking through optics.  The best thing about low magnification optics is that is less of a problem for them.  Aimpoint is still probable the king of the red dots but Trijicon has the SRS red dot out now and we have a few of them inbound.

Having AA batteries around for your firearm optic is easy and it’s a very common battery to find.  There have been design changes to Eotech sights because it was common for the gun sight to have issues with the battery contacts when the batteries were put in forward in relation to the firearm.  I assume it had something to do with barrel harmonics but I have witnessed this first hand.  The smaller CR123 batter is being used more than the AA batteries and you’ll get a shorter smaller optic.  There are always trade offs with firearm optics and even trijicon is moving towards battery powered optics.

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Eotech feedback

There are always pros and cons of using optics but Eotech gun sights are the number one selling optic for Law Enforcement.   The Eotech sights are designed for close range engagements but there are limitations due to the reticle and lack of magnification once engaging a target.  The Eotech Magnifiers can give you more range at the flip of a switch and can always be flipped back to their original position in no time.There has been a understanding in the Law Enforcement and Military world that putting a scope or glass on a firearm doesn’t mean it’s a fragile thing.

Sure we know that Eotech gun sights and accessories can break and come loose, but much about mounting optics and reliability is about the manufacturer and the operator that mounted it. From what our customers tell us,  Eotech sights are the fastest close quarters fighting optics and the Eotech magnifiers gives you medium range capabilities. When you are looking for speed and not for target shooting or hunting, and you want a fast close quarters gun fighting weapon without compromising your ability to engage targets at medium ranges, the Eotech magnifier is the way to go. The Eotech gun sights are the fast target acquisition optics and the 3x magnifier will give you a clearer view of targets in low light and medium ranges that normally would be obscured by red dots or illuminated reticles. For medium range engagements the Eotech Magnifier helps id targets at longer ranges.

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