I have used a lot of Aimpoints and EoTechs in the Army and at work. I have not yet heard of another red dot optic that has the claimed battery life of the Aimpoint.
A few things I would suggest when contemplating getting a red dot optic are:
1) Get a set of back up iron sights, batteries or electronics will fail at some point. 2) try several of them out to get a feel for the reticle and brightness settings. 3) determine if you will ever use NV with them as that will make a difference on price. 4) when testing them, determine which one your brain likes the input from the most. 5) what maximum distance do you intend to engage targets at?
My personal experience has shown me that my brain takes the image and processes it quicker while looking at a target through an EoTech with the 65 MOA ring and the more squared off glass than any other red dot sight I have used. Some people find that the circular image and single dot from the aimpoint works better for them. This is strictly a preference thing, not that one is better than the other.
I have never had a problem with either as far as durability. Both are excellent products and work well for their intended use. With that said, I have seen both fail at very inopportune times be it batteries go dead or circuits go out. Again, batteries and electronics will at some point fail. That is why you always want back up iron sights and spare batteries that can be stored on the weapon. Murphy will always find a way to sneak into the game.
As far as using them with NV again I prefer the EoTech with having a lower light setting than the Aimpoints that I had used. Keep in mind I have not used an Aimpoint with NV since 2005 so I do not know if the newer models have improved with the range of light settings.
I bring up the question of "How far do you plan on shooting" since most red dot's vary in the size of the actual dot. They range from 1 MOA up to as high as 13 MOA that I have seen. Large dots are fine for very close range (25 meters or less) where precision is not as critical but at longer ranges can cause you to completely miss your target.
Yes it's nice to know that you should be able to leave your sight turned on for 3 years and not have to worry about changing a battery but in my opinion there are more important things to consider when getting a red dot sight than just battery life.
I know this is more info than you asked for but I hope it is helpful to you.
|