I hope the mods don’t gut me for this but this is something that has been bugging me for a long time.
I have yet to hear any really positive feedback about the Eotech system on this forum. In fact it has been this forum that has kept me from succumbing to an impulse Eotech buy at one of the brain dead gun shops/shows. So with this in mind why is it that I keep having an Eotech Banner pop up at me in the upper billboard almost every other time I open a new page on this forum?
I had an EOTech 511 N cell.
-It sucked. Batteries died every month
I sold it and bought an Aimpoint.
-I didnt like it. Washed out against the target under any weather conditions. My bad eyes (I’m 23) made it oblong and harder to aim with.
I traded it straight across for an EOTech 512 AA version.
-Its good to be back with a clear, obvious reticle between my target and I. My eyes have no problem focusing on it.
I prefer the EOTech 512. I’d happily trade it for an ACOG, though:D
I’ve been using an EoTech 512 for over 3 years now and find it easy to get good hits on 100yrd B27 targets… It’s the donout of death!!! It does take some getting used to… I don’t think the 123’ batteries would be worth much… The AA models run for quite awhile and it automatically shuts off after 8 hrs… Enjoy…
Over here, the EOTECH remains very popular. It is the most common optic used by SF. I guess those guys don’t read the forums very often. 
I think it is faster and easier to shoot with than an aimpoint at CQB distances. Most of the door kickers I talk with agree.
Batteries dieing every month is not an issue when you are given plenty by Uncle Sam. You turn it on before a mission, and turn it off when you get home.
I have seen more broken Aimpoint Comp M2s over here than Eotechs. I got one sitting at home that I need to get fixed someday. The M2 has a history of broken rotatory switches. But, the M2 is still a great optic.
I used an Eotech from 2004 to 2008 with no major issues. It took a beating, including one good sized bomb blast. The only reason I retired it was because I went to a nightforce scope. I also use a micro Aimpoint. I LOVE the micro…
I like Aimpoints, ACOGS, and Eotechs. For home use, I think the aimpoints (M3 and above) have the edge due to the long battery life which allows you to leave it on all the time.
The Eotech has earned the right to have a banner here…
I am also a fan of the 512 Eotech. I have run strictly lithium AA batteries in it, and it has been perfect over the past 4 years. The Eotech’s reticle and sight picture overshadow it’s battery life handicap for me.
I put an EOTech on my FS2000; works well and looks good. Ran it through a two-day tactical rifle course with nary a hiccup. That said, my AR-15 and LR-308 have 3x ACOGs as my tired eyes can use a little assist.
Almost forgot…
I got the chance to check out Eotech’s new XPS2 last week at a local LE expo. The battery box feels extremely robust when compared to the 512 series. The new XPS series appears to be exactly what L3 needed to bring out to the market, but only time will tell…
I run Eotech’s. I like the precision (or percieved precision;)) of the smaller, finer dot, along with the “paste badguy here” bigger circle. As for batteries… I consider them consumables. Consumables get replaced all the time. When a battery dies, replace it. A decent voltimeter can tell you if it’s getting low before you head out for a range session. Personally, I pull the battery cover off with the batteries in it and store it on the top shelf of the safe. Being that my guns with the Eotechs on them aren’t my “immediate action” guns, I figure if I have time to open the safe, I’ll have time to put the battery cover and batteries on.
what about co-witness with an Eo-tech?
Absolute cowitness with my irons directly on my flattop…
Same here
The 511 has worked plenty good for me so far. Battery life sucks but N batteries are pretty cheap if you buy them in 20 packs. At the $300 OTD I paid you can buy a lot of batteries before in get into the entry Aimpoints.
Eotech 512 for me in northern Illinois. We hit -20 F last winter and nearly 100 so far this summer and I haven’t had any problems. I change the batteries every couple months because they are cheap. I was able to make a hit on a center mass sized steel plate nearly 400 yards away earlier this week. Theres a couple Aimpoints on my team but most of us use the Eotech. The only failures I have seen are battery related and 1 battery carousel seemed to go bad since new batteries didn’t solve the problem but a carousel did. I shot it in the rain and snow. I do prefer the AA battery version since the AA’s are cheaper and easier to find.
that’s a good thing? (I’m not being a smart-ass, I’ve never used an Eotech…)
Generally considered to be. If the dot fails or is damaged, no movement required except to flip up your rear sight, if you got one…
Stolen from TOS:
i got a 512 and love it. AA batteries are dirt cheap. I love the reticule and sight picture. I think its also a great optic for my area (florida) outter suburbs w/ outlying swamp and woods very close by.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
OP: Why for you belittle someones choice of optic when it has proved itself as a fine optic?
I own the 517. Pretty well a 512 with buttons on the side and a 1/3 lower co-witness. Even though I am a low speed hi-drag kinda guy, this optic is incredibly fast for me to pick up. The 1/3 co-witness leaves my front sight out of the way unless I need it. Buttons on the side are perfect for quick one handed adjustments etc. Did I say it was fast?
He’s not belittling it. He is unfamiliar with the product and is simply repeating what he has heard others say about it…