Aimpoint or E O Tech
 

Gentlemen,

I'm in the market for either an Aimpoint M2 or an E O tech 552.A65.

I am torn though as to which one to get, being that they are both comparably priced.

I have throughly read through the reflex thread located here I just can't make up my mind. I have shot the Aimpoints before but I have never shot an E O tech, nor do I know anyone (around here) who has one so a test fire is most likely out of the question.

This is for a work M-4gery (no rails though :( ) I have put together.

Engagement ranges will be 50 yards and in (maybe 100 yards once in great awhile).

Would you guys please chime in with your opinions on which one you personally perfer as a sighting system? Or if given the option which one you would buy?

Thank you for your time I really appericate it.

Can an aimpoint perform under these conditions?

http://www.eotech-inc.com/images/obstruct.gif

I like both equally well. The only advantages that the Eotech has IMHO is a more common battery and In my case I dont have to dismount the scope to change batteries.

Im sure you could pick up an Eotech real cheap in Bogota or atlanta right now :mad:

Funny you mention that Psywar...

I was moping through the Atlanta airport a while back and talking to my wife about how much I wanted to buy an Eotech for my M4clone. Anyway, this airport employee guy must have overheard me and comes up to me and tells me he had one for sale for $100.00 cash. I told him that was a deal and asked why he was selling it. He said he had no need for it anymore and decided to get something with magnification anyway. Damn that was lucky for me... The friggin Eotech ( has the night vision capability and uses AA batteries) works great and I really love it ESPECIALLY getting it so cheap from that airport bag checker!!!
SOme people are just luck I guess.

Anyway, why would it be cheaper in Bogota or Atlanta???

Because mine was stolen last week out of my bag either in Bogota or Atlanta.

Can you describe the stolen item, Mr. Psywar? :D

What a coincidence!

At the range cited, I would prefer the Aimpoint.

Had one for over two years, used regularly, haven't changed a battery yet, so I don't see battery size as an issue.

TR

i'm a bit torn between them, too. i've been using the aimpoint for a few years and the eotech 551 for about a year. here's my .02
dot - i prefer the eotech. i like the 1moa center dot for more precise shooting and the large circle for close-range shooting. surprisingly, the eotech dot seems clearer to me.
sight picture - the eotech is more 'open' with less in your field of view. another thing you can do with the aimpoint is when your battery starts running low and you lose dot intensity, you can flip the front scope cap closed and use it as an occluded eye gunsight (OEG). flipping the front cap closed increases the contrast to the background, almost doubling the perceived intensity.
switch - the eotech is easy to turn on, but it's slower to turn the intensity up or down. more difficult to turn the eotech off, especially with gloves (needs two fingers). however, it's got the auto shut-off that the aimpoint doesn't have. i've left the aimpoint on before, and it's also turned on accidentally (knob rubs the gun case and turns on) and i've drained the battery.
battery life - no contest here. i've got the 551 with the little N cells. aimpoint wins hands down, although the rev F eotech is supposed to have improved battery life.
mounting - i've never heard of a failure, but the eotech only uses one screw. i'd like to see two. the aimpoint allows more choices in mounting height. if you use an ARMS SIR (not bi-level), the eotech will not co-witness with your irons - it's too high. co-witnesses perfectly on a flat-top.
bottom line is that you can't go wrong with either and it boils down to personal preference and what of their different features are most important to you - they're both excellent sights.
cheers,
MM

Guy:

They are just "looking around the visual obstruction". An Aimpoint works the same way, just like you can close the front Butler Creek cap and use the sight as an OEG. You don't need to see the target through the lens at short ranges, just a properly zeroed reticle.

TR

Thank you all. I really appericate it, I'm still really on the fence and can't decide.

MM:

Great site you have, keep up the great work.

Gentlemen,

Lets say I go with an aimpoint which mounting device do you personally perfer/ recommend?

Thank you in advance for any and all help.

ARMS #22M68, or the KAC Cantilevered.

Email or PM MSTN, he sells them, and is who I bought my Comp M2 and #22M68 from.

TR

Thank you TR.

Does the ARMS #22 mount allow for Co-witnessing?

It does with the right spacer and depends on whether you are doing a direct receiver mount, or on a rail, like the ARMS #38.

TR

the GG&G cantilever or standard mounts are both good - very similar to the KAC ones, but the GG&G ones have spare battery compartments.
(not TR, but i'll throw in my .02) with the ARMS #22M68, you'll probably need the full spacer to co-witness with the irons when mounted on the flat top. (haha, TR types faster than i do)
i use aimpoint reail-grabber mount myself, and haven't had any complaints. however, the locking knob sticks out on the left side and some have found it pokes or gets in the way. i'm a leftie, so it doesn't bother me.
thanks for the kind words - glad u like the site.
cheers,
MM

The Trijicon is going back in the box, and I would like to go with as clean a mount as I can find. I too am left handed so I'm not worried about a thumb stud sticking out the lefthand side of the rifle.

I would like to go directly onto the flat-top reciever with out having to jack around with any risers or spacers. But on the other side of the coin if the risers and spacers are clean and neet then I wouldn't have a problem using them. I'm a big fan of K.I.S.S. so the less b.s. the better.

One bit of advice, when it boils down to an almost 50-50 split, and both will do pretty much the same job, go for the comfort and ease of use. If you're already familiar with one and have gained some experience using it than go with it. That’s always worked for me.

Team Sergeant

Damn good point. Go with what you know, less of a learning curve.

Okay Aimpoint it is.

and here's the GG&G cantilever ring mount - it'll set the aimpoint at the right height to co-witness (lower third of the tube).

http://gggaz.com/products/apcantring.php

and here's a riskier but cheaper place to get one (make sure you call to see if they have it in stock before ordering):
http://www.botachtactical.com/gggaimcanmou.html
cheers,
MM

Good advice, mm. Except that I would stay away from Botach even then, based on my personal experience ordering from them.

Good luck with your Aimpoint!

TR

My preferences are:

EOTECH 552 mounted on a carrying handle.

1. I'm not a big fan of the rail system with a flip up sight.
a) A lot of people forget to flip the rear sight up.
b) The optics are mounted so far back...that you can't flip the rear sight if need be.
c) There is nothing to protect the rear sight from being knocked out of alignment.
d) Watch how much unnecessary shit people mount on the weapon...like it's going to make them a better shooter.:eek:

Just my .01 cents

Guy,

Have you tried a Cut Carry handle or LMT BUIS?

yeah, usually i wouldn't recommend botach, but they got a sale on that item right now for $159, which is $53 less than anywhere else - thought it'd might be worth the risk.
my orders with botach in the past have been both hit and miss, but sometimes the sale prices are just cheap enough to give them another shot, as much as i hate to. caveat emptor.

cheers,
MM

No I have not. I try to stay away from attachments that screw on...especially if it's a critical item. Like front or rear sights. :D

Guy, I understand completly.

I was sharing a base camp with a couple teams and saw how some had broke their flip up BUIS's in not so hard use. I am now a convert to the Cut Carry handle sight. But will be checking out a LMT real soon. I think the non flip up is the best of both worlds. If you mount your optic far enough forward you can still attach a NVG behind it, but in front of the BUIS.

Im no fan of NVG's on M4s, but a borrowed PVS-14 is better than a ANVIS5 that has you slaved to a flight helmet.

I can vouch for the LMT buis as being a quality piece of equiptment. I've never lost zero with the thing and it is far more robust than any other buis I've handled, especially when compared to the flip up sights.

Granted mine has never seen combat conditions but it is essentially a refined cut-carry handle. One thing I like is that the sidewalls that protect the aperatures are straighter and don't give you the trough effect that a normal CH gives.

FWIW,

I made the decision to go with the Aimpoint M2 with a GG&G Cantilever mount. (Just in case I ever get rich and invest in a NVG scope)

Total price: A lot of friggin money, but I think I got a good price on it from lightfighter. I look at it this way buy nice or buy twice.

Gentlemen thank you all for your input it really helped.

Psywar:

Here is what we use...

http://www.specwargear.com/images/ni...on-pvs21-1.gif

http://www.specwargear.com/images/ni...on-pvs21-4.jpg

http://www.specwargear.com/images/ni...on-pvs21-3.jpg

Joe:

Just by the way that aimpoint is mounted...I wouldn't use it. To easy to knock out of whack.

Guy,

Now thats nice! All the bennies of both a Dual and single tube., able to be worn on both helmets and stand alone. Are those goggles approved for Aviation use?

Biggest problem for my gig is that guys who spend time on the ground are the minority in the big aviation world.

This looks like something that everyone could use.

I just recieved an e-mail from Lightfighter stating they are on back order so I may not be getting that setup after all.

I'm going to check with MSTN.

TR,

Sir, would you mine posting a pic of your Aimpoint setup?

I might be re-thinking the cantilever setup.

Thank you.

Im not TR, but here is my M4 with a KAC Cantlever mount. Yes the mount is "Backwards" but I like it that way.

Thank you Psywar.

I unfortunately do not have a RAS or RIS so that config would not work for me.

However, how do you like the cantilever?

I'm not for sure however here are the specs...

http://www.sts-eo.com/USA/pvs21.html

One of my Aimpoint set-ups.

IIRC, this one has a full spacer.

TR

This is an MSTN built rifle with the cantilevered mount (oriented correctly), among other goodies.

TR

Do you perfer the Arms #22 over the cantilever?

Beatiful hardware. Thank you for posting the photos.

I do.

It is a quick release, while being accurate and repeatable enough for the optic.

Of course, if you want yours mounted forward directly over the delta ring, you have to go with the cantilevered mount.

TR

I have not messed around with either the cantilever or the Arms #22 so I don't know which one I would perfer. It just seems that the farther forward on the rifle the sight is the quicker it would be to acquire.

Is that right? Or at a certain pont is the sight not very easy to acquire?

Also with the spacer are the BUIS still co-witnessed?

ARMS now makes a cantilevered full spacer for the #22 that looks like it is built the same way as the normal spacer (robust) but will allow you to move the optic over the delta ring. I think MSTN has them.



Take care...

Has anyone used one of these?

Any thoughts pros or cons you can come up with?