red dot vs holographic sights

[ItchypeeperRB25]

I have a Siaga akm-47 and shopping for sights and i have no idea what the difference is, can u guys help me out??

 

[Mpdelaney]

I'd like to know some of the input too... I'm having the same debate right now.

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

http://www.differencebetween.net/technology/difference-between-red-dot-and-holographic-sights/

I have a Trijicon RMR dual illuminated reflex sight that projects an amber dot; no batteries required. It's mounted on my Cx4 Storm with an American Defense QD mount. I'm very happy.

 

[flatwins]

Wondering the same thing and would like to research. This is a totally new area for me but I've been reading up on the Eotech 512.

 

[aestus]

For the most part, both are the same. If we're talking Aimpoints vs Eotech, both are virtually parallax free and tough as nails.

Aimpoints are simpler and more rugged. They also have insane battery life of 3-5 years when left ON. Eotechs uses a different technology and will get you about 600 hours.

Pros / Cons

Aimpoint Pros:

• Near indestructable.
• insane battery life.
• Simple user interface. You don't have to press buttons or cycle through settings.
• Red dot settings are able to go very bright for daylight use.
• You can get good dustcovers.

Aimpoint Cons:

• Expensive
• Until recently, you had to buy a separate mount, which would add another $100-$200 to the price. Now they have models that come with mounts and risers with the optic.
• The field of view is not as wide and open. You're viewing through a tube and the switch and battery compartment is around it. Not a big deal.
• Choice of 2MOA or 4MOA dot. That's pretty much it.

Eotech Pros:

• Nice wide open field of view. You're not viewing through a tube and the rectangle shape of the view gives more "openess" to the view.
• Reticle options. This is subjective because I know some people don't like Eotech's reticle. They now offer just a dot, dot with 65moa circle and 2 dots with circle. Dot is 1moa.
• better suited for use with a magnifier.
• Usually cheaper and you don't usually need mounts unless you want them higher on the AR.

Eotech Cons:

• Shorter battery life
• Operation is not as fast or simple like Aimpoint. You have menus and buttons to press and cycle through settings.
• Still needs better dust covers. The ones out there are decent, but still crap. Especially sucks when view frosts over or if you get mud in it....

I'm sure there's things I missed. Overall, I much prefer the reticle and field of view of the Eotech. The newer models that use the single cr123 batteries are my favs, since they take up less rail space than the older ones. I kinda see aimpoints vs eotech like AR's vs AKs. Aimpoints are like AK's. They're simple, rugged, and indestructable. They will pretty much always work and the batter will last forever. Eotechs are durable and reliable, but a little finicky sometimes. They can take a ton of abuse, but probably not as much as an Aimpoint.

I currently have an Aimpoint on my 'O Crap" rifle, but will get another Eotech soon for my range gun.

 

[flatwins]

Thanks for the comparison. I'm liking what I see on the newer Eotechs, especially when combined with the flip-to-side magnifier.

 

[jakerz]

I think it really comes down to personal preference. I've had/used the following:

Aimpoint M2
Eotech 556
Eotech 516
Eotech XPS
Aimpoint T1

I wanted to try them all before settling on one. My favorite out of all of these is the T1 by Aimpoint. I like Eotech's reticle, but I like the Aimpoint's lightweight and ridiculous battery life better. I suggest trying a few and seeing what works best. Also, IMO, the magnifier's are not worth it. I think you would be better off getting a 1-4x Burris XTR or Vortex, or something similar. The magnifier + red dot adds a bit of weight and is cumbersome IMO. YMMV.

 

[flatwins]

This is really good stuff, guys. These sights don't come cheap so it is great to hear the pros\cons of the various types without spending hours in someplace full of "operators".

 

[henschman]

One of the big deciding benefits for me is the fact that a red dot, like the Aimpoint, is available in a tube design, which can be mounted in any 30mm ring, and allows the sight to be mounted very low over the bore, which is nice on rifles with more traditional stocks like an M1A or AK. The holo sights like the EOTECH have a screen that sits on top, and usually sit very high over the bore. They are the right height for an AR, but on anything else they sit much higher over the bore than the factory irons, and require some sort of cheek riser to get in a correct shooting position.

 

[Kings & Ar-15's]

I've found that some of the eotechs I've looked at tend to have more of a blur than a red dot (even a cheaper bushnell) now I know the quality of two are completely different but I just haven't been impressed with the eotechs. At least not for the price. However, those are all I hear about in talking about ar optics. Am I crazy or am I just looking at the wrong optic??