[ARCHIVED THREAD] - ACOG vs EOTECH (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 11/16/2009 6:54:23 PM EDT
I finally have the money for any optic I want for my AR, $ are NO impediment. 
Can somebody PLEASE discuss the relative merits of an ACOG vs a EOTECH??? What are the strengths & weaknesses of both? Why does an ACOG cost upwards of $1700 and an EOTECH only $700? Aren't both used by the military? I get the night-vision compatibility issue with the EOTECH, I guess I just don't get the idea of the ACOG. Please help me understand! 
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You need to put your wallet away and do some research. This all comes up with about 30 seconds of searching.
Completely different optics; each has their pros and cons. Ask yourself what your primary use of these optics will be. Then go for an optic that meets your requirements. Why is an Aimpoint not on your list? |
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ACOG - Medium magnification (fixed power) gun sight. Available in different recticle and body styles, it is primarily used on DMR/Recce/Medium range rifles. It can be used in CQB with a two eye open method, just takes practice. Very rugged and uses no electrical power to illuminate the recticle so battery life is of no concern. Uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the cross hairs. Expensive because, honestly, all Trijicon products are. A little over priced IMO, but a VERY VERY good optic. EoTech - Not even in the same class of optics as an ACOG. In fact, I personally feel it isn't even in the same class as Aimpoints. But, anyways, it is a battery operated zero magnification red dot sight (or Hollographic)... If you can see the red dot, it is where the gun is pointing. Battery life is weak, and I don't care much for their recticle, the 1 moa dot with 20 moa ring. Aimpoint - IMO, the better red dot sight out there. MUCH better battery life than other red dots, and, IMO, better constructed than EO-Techs. I prefer the Aimpoit recticle and design style. Depending on model, it utilizes a single 2 or 4 moa dot. You shouldn't really have red dot sights in the same class as an ACOG. Although once you throw in a 3x magnifier, you are getting closer. It would depend entirely on your rifle. I prefer the flexibility of a Comp ML3 aimpoint with a 3x mag behind it as I can switch from mag/no mag easily. Totally up to you. But as mentioned before, do A LOT more research before you buy. Make sure to get hands on and try them all if you can! *Note* My post is based upon MY personal experience with these optics. Yours may vary. |
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ACOG - Medium magnification (fixed power) gun sight. Available in different recticle and body styles, it is primarily used on DMR/Recce/Medium range rifles. It can be used in CQB with a two eye open method, just takes practice. Very rugged and uses no electrical power to illuminate the recticle so battery life is of no concern. Uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the cross hairs. Expensive because, honestly, all Trijicon products are. A little over priced IMO, but a VERY VERY good optic. EoTech - Not even in the same class of optics as an ACOG. In fact, I personally feel it isn't even in the same class as Aimpoints. But, anyways, it is a battery operated zero magnification red dot sight (or Hollographic)... If you can see the red dot, it is where the gun is pointing. Battery life is weak, and I don't care much for their recticle, the 1 moa dot with 20 moa ring. Aimpoint - IMO, the better red dot sight out there. MUCH better battery life than other red dots, and, IMO, better constructed than EO-Techs. I prefer the Aimpoit recticle and design style. Depending on model, it utilizes a single 2 or 4 moa dot. You shouldn't really have red dot sights in the same class as an ACOG. Although once you throw in a 3x magnifier, you are getting closer. It would depend entirely on your rifle. I prefer the flexibility of a Comp ML3 aimpoint with a 3x mag behind it as I can switch from mag/no mag easily. Totally up to you. But as mentioned before, do A LOT more research before you buy. Make sure to get hands on and try them all if you can! *Note* My post is based upon MY personal experience with these optics. Yours may vary. Thank you for your well-thought out reply. At least YOU tried to address my questions. |
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ACOG - Medium magnification (fixed power) gun sight. Available in different recticle and body styles, it is primarily used on DMR/Recce/Medium range rifles. It can be used in CQB with a two eye open method, just takes practice. Very rugged and uses no electrical power to illuminate the recticle so battery life is of no concern. Uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the cross hairs. Expensive because, honestly, all Trijicon products are. A little over priced IMO, but a VERY VERY good optic. EoTech - Not even in the same class of optics as an ACOG. In fact, I personally feel it isn't even in the same class as Aimpoints. But, anyways, it is a battery operated zero magnification red dot sight (or Hollographic)... If you can see the red dot, it is where the gun is pointing. Battery life is weak, and I don't care much for their recticle, the 1 moa dot with 20 moa ring. Aimpoint - IMO, the better red dot sight out there. MUCH better battery life than other red dots, and, IMO, better constructed than EO-Techs. I prefer the Aimpoit recticle and design style. Depending on model, it utilizes a single 2 or 4 moa dot. You shouldn't really have red dot sights in the same class as an ACOG. Although once you throw in a 3x magnifier, you are getting closer. It would depend entirely on your rifle. I prefer the flexibility of a Comp ML3 aimpoint with a 3x mag behind it as I can switch from mag/no mag easily. Totally up to you. But as mentioned before, do A LOT more research before you buy. Make sure to get hands on and try them all if you can! *Note* My post is based upon MY personal experience with these optics. Yours may vary. Thank you for your well-thought out reply. At least YOU tried to address my questions. READ IT ALL PLUS SEARCH THE FORUM <<<< This is a link to a thread in the optics forum here. |
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ACOG - Medium magnification (fixed power) gun sight. Available in different recticle and body styles, it is primarily used on DMR/Recce/Medium range rifles. It can be used in CQB with a two eye open method, just takes practice. Very rugged and uses no electrical power to illuminate the recticle so battery life is of no concern. Uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the cross hairs. Expensive because, honestly, all Trijicon products are. A little over priced IMO, but a VERY VERY good optic. EoTech - Not even in the same class of optics as an ACOG. In fact, I personally feel it isn't even in the same class as Aimpoints. But, anyways, it is a battery operated zero magnification red dot sight (or Hollographic)... If you can see the red dot, it is where the gun is pointing. Battery life is weak, and I don't care much for their recticle, the 1 moa dot with 20 moa ring. Aimpoint - IMO, the better red dot sight out there. MUCH better battery life than other red dots, and, IMO, better constructed than EO-Techs. I prefer the Aimpoit recticle and design style. Depending on model, it utilizes a single 2 or 4 moa dot. You shouldn't really have red dot sights in the same class as an ACOG. Although once you throw in a 3x magnifier, you are getting closer. It would depend entirely on your rifle. I prefer the flexibility of a Comp ML3 aimpoint with a 3x mag behind it as I can switch from mag/no mag easily. Totally up to you. But as mentioned before, do A LOT more research before you buy. Make sure to get hands on and try them all if you can! *Note* My post is based upon MY personal experience with these optics. Yours may vary. Thank you for your well-thought out reply. I have both an Eotech and an ACOG, and this man speaks the truth. That being said, if I were to do it over again, I would go with the ACOG right away, with the doctor optic mounted on top. Best of both worlds, IMO. As far as Eotech/Aimpoint, it depends on what you like. Yes, Aimpoints will last an eternity on just one battery, but all you get is a small dot. Yes, Eotechs battery life is far less than Aimpoint, but the reticle is much larger, and IMO, faster. I don't fight wars with my gun, it sits by my bed, Eotech mounted. I have no use for an optic with a battery life of a small dog. Fondle all your choices, don't buy on a whim. Thoughts on the Eotech: Don't buy the 5.11. I have one, Rev. F., it still broke. Buy one with either the CR123 batteries, or the AA batteries. |
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Quoted: I finally have the money for any optic I want for my AR, $ are NO impediment. Can somebody PLEASE discuss the relative merits of an ACOG vs a EOTECH??? What are the strengths & weaknesses of both? Eotech is compact and durable, but needs batteries Why does an ACOG cost upwards of $1700 and an EOTECH only $700? Aren't both used by the military? You should have no problem finding either one of these for a little more than half that price I get the night-vision compatibility issue with the EOTECH, I guess I just don't get the idea of the ACOG. Magnification, no batteries Please help me understand! I had an eotech on my go-to rifle, finally traded it for an acog when I got sick of dead batteries |
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Quoted: I finally have the money for any optic I want for my AR, $ are NO impediment. Can somebody PLEASE discuss the relative merits of an ACOG vs a EOTECH??? What are the strengths & weaknesses of both? Why does an ACOG cost upwards of $1700 and an EOTECH only $700? Aren't both used by the military? I get the night-vision compatibility issue with the EOTECH, I guess I just don't get the idea of the ACOG. Please help me understand! Where the hell are you seeing ACOGs for $1700? They start at around $800 for the TA-33, and go up to about $1200...EOTechs run $500-700 EOTech is 1x magnification, battery powered reflex sight ACOG is 1.5-4x magnification, uses a radioactive gas to light up it's crosshairs and is a scope. |
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If your rifle is primarily for close to short range... i.e. 10 feet to 100 yds, the EOTech is a good optic. I personally prefer the Aimpoint for this function due to the superior battery life and better controls. You can use either optic beyond that range, out to 300 yds and beyond, but there are much better options for that sort of shooting.
If you want an optic that will work for close range, short, medium, and long, the ACOG in 4x is a great choice. You can mount a mini red dot offset at a 45 degree angle on the strong side of the firearm and that will provide a simple CQB solution. Or you can utilize the BAC (Bindon Aiming Concept) with some practice. The major downside to ACOG optics is that the eye relief is very specific. If you have to shoot in awkward positions, you will struggle to maintain a good sight picture. Your nose has to be on the charging handle. This doesn't seem to be a major problem since the military has had great success with the ACOG in Iraq. I know one soldier personally who used his ACOG TA31F to good effect against insurgents. He also saved a few lives due to his ability to positively identify friend/foe, threat/no threat. In my personal opinion, a 1-4x optic with illuminated reticle is the perfect compromise. You can flip the front lens cap down, illuminate the reticle, and use it with both eyes open for CQB. However, you still have the option of magnification for longer shots. The other plus is that the optic, when compared to the ACOG, is not as "eye relief sensitive." Downside is that it is not as rugged as the ACOG and requires batteries. |
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If as you said ... "$ are NO impediment" [sic] and you're even considering ACOG (magnified scope) and EoTech (red dot sight) in the same breath then you really need to look at an Elcan SpectreDR. It's got the true 1x and illuminated red dot with an immediate 4x switch to magnified optics. Very high quality glass and durable construction. Given the two optics you mentioned, this is probably the best of both worlds. If you want slightly less expensive, look at IOR variables, Millet and the GRSC scope. (As for me....I use an Eotech with an aimpoint 3x flip mount and it really kicks the llama's ass). |
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Cant speak to Eotechs but ACOG's have a lifetime warranty. I've personally beat the hell out of my service acog(getting in and out of vehicles etc) and even heard of people dropping them from several feet and they hold their zero like a champ. For 16 months I only had to adjust it one click and that was probably unnecessary, and I consistently put rounds in body sized targets at 500+ meters. With a little practice you're good to go on short range targets as well. I never, not once, had a problem with the eye relief thing, it's not noticeable. I wouldn't use anything else unless I was on a dedicated entry team. My $.02
ETA: shop around, if you think acogs go for 1700 I'll sell you a couple and make myself almost %100 profit. MSRP is not retail price. http://www.trijicon.com/user/parts/parts_new.cfm?categoryID=3 |
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I went and "got both," sort of.
ACOG on the top rail. Behind it, a 45-degree offset mount with a Docter holo-sight/RDS mounted. Twist the rifle 45-degrees counter clockwise to the left while it's against my shoulder to use the RDS, and back again to go back to the ACOG. Easy switch from ranged to CQB shooting, and ultimately solved my "ACOG or EOTech?" dilemma. Plus, with the RDS on the offset mount, you keep the cheek-weld against the stock so it feels nice and normal, rather than the Doc sight situated on top of the ACOG like some of the models they offer, where you gotta pick your head up off the stock for an awkward aim. |
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Apples and oranges. They don't perform the same function. this ACOG's are a fixed power scope, usually 2.5, 3 or 4x with a reticule illuminated by tritium and fiber optics. Aimpoints and EoTechs are non-magnified combat optics with battery power illuminated reticules. They are designed for fast target acquisition in various lighting conditions. |
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If you're paying over $700 for a Eothingy you're paying way too much. That said you can't really compare the two. That would be like comparing a Malibu to a Silverado. Two different optics with two different purposes.
If money is no object get a S&B short dot and be done with it. If money is an object then get a Meoptra K dot. Best of both worlds without goofy side swinging magnifyers. |
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What ever you decide on, be sure to check out the How To Get ebay Discounts on Optics thread...
Right now, the discount is around 8 percent, but at times it's been as high as 25 percent. |
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Different tools for different purposes. The ACOG is a magnifying sight for general use. The EOTech is really intended for 100 yard or less / CQB situations.
The ACOG is a general purpose sight that's pretty good at any range. The EOTech is a purpose built CQB sight. Determine your own requirements and choose accordingly. |
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ACOG - Medium magnification (fixed power) gun sight. Available in different recticle and body styles, it is primarily used on DMR/Recce/Medium range rifles. It can be used in CQB with a two eye open method, just takes practice. Very rugged and uses no electrical power to illuminate the recticle so battery life is of no concern. Uses fiber optics and tritium to illuminate the cross hairs. Expensive because, honestly, all Trijicon products are. A little over priced IMO, but a VERY VERY good optic. EoTech - Not even in the same class of optics as an ACOG. In fact, I personally feel it isn't even in the same class as Aimpoints. But, anyways, it is a battery operated zero magnification red dot sight (or Hollographic)... If you can see the red dot, it is where the gun is pointing. Battery life is weak, and I don't care much for their recticle, the 1 moa dot with 20 moa ring. Aimpoint - IMO, the better red dot sight out there. MUCH better battery life than other red dots, and, IMO, better constructed than EO-Techs. I prefer the Aimpoit recticle and design style. Depending on model, it utilizes a single 2 or 4 moa dot. You shouldn't really have red dot sights in the same class as an ACOG. Although once you throw in a 3x magnifier, you are getting closer. It would depend entirely on your rifle. I prefer the flexibility of a Comp ML3 aimpoint with a 3x mag behind it as I can switch from mag/no mag easily. Totally up to you. But as mentioned before, do A LOT more research before you buy. Make sure to get hands on and try them all if you can! *Note* My post is based upon MY personal experience with these optics. Yours may vary. Thank you for your well-thought out reply. I have both an Eotech and an ACOG, and this man speaks the truth. That being said, if I were to do it over again, I would go with the ACOG right away, with the doctor optic mounted on top. Best of both worlds, IMO. As far as Eotech/Aimpoint, it depends on what you like. Yes, Aimpoints will last an eternity on just one battery, but all you get is a small dot. Yes, Eotechs battery life is far less than Aimpoint, but the reticle is much larger, and IMO, faster. I don't fight wars with my gun, it sits by my bed, Eotech mounted. I have no use for an optic with a battery life of a small dog. Fondle all your choices, don't buy on a whim. Thoughts on the Eotech: Don't buy the 5.11. I have one, Rev. F., it still broke. Buy one with either the CR123 batteries, or the AA batteries. What's wrong with your 511? Mine seems to work fine.... |
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just for more info - you can get an ACOG with a Dr. Optic red dot on the top as well...
i have an eotech, aimpoint and a couple of ACOG's. they are all nice in their own right - but if you want to shoot more than short range targets, i prefer the acog as the magnification is nice, and with the BAC - you shoot both eyes open when looking through the scope. the speed to acquire your target is almost as fast as an eotech or aimpoint - with the benefit of magnification and never having to worry about battery life. that being said - shooting between 50 and 100 yards off hand - i prefer the eotech... |
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Quoted: Quoted: Aimpoint  QFT I'll to this as well. I have owned an ACOQ, EOTECH, and Aimpoints. I currently have 3 Aimpoints and 1 ACOG. The EOTECH felt cheap, it was bulky, and the dot wasn't friendly to my vision, not to mention the Aimpoint battery life is forever vs 2 mins (ok a few hours). I do like the ACOG, but having a fixed 3x can have it's limitations. I also can add a 3x to my Aimpoint and it can function as a 1x or 3x which can have it's advantages. |