M4 which would you choose EO tech or Aimpoint?

[PO]

Ranger ma91c1an what do you think of Trijicon CQB optics compared to the Eotech or Aimpoint.

[ma91c1an]

If you mean the Trijicon Reflex, it is inferior.

The Reflex uses only tritium and fiber optics, no batteries, so its reticle dot is not bright enough under some light conditions, and it fades out when you point the sight directly at a light source.

All collimater sights fade out under specific conditions of illumination, which is why Aimpoint and EoTech use batteries in the first place. It is an effort to boost the luminosity of the reticle, which never quite succeeds completely.

The same fate befell the Trijicon TriPower, which looks like a hell of a gunsight, on paper, but does not deliver in practice. The TriPower uses tritium, fiber optics, and a battery, the only Trijicon optic to make that compromise, but its target reticle also washes out when pointed directly at a bright light.

As far as I am aware, only the Trijicon ACOGs cannot lose their target reticle when pointed directly at a bright light. As I said before, this is because the target reticle is etched into the glass, and then illuminated, rather than projected.

Here is a simple test to illustrate the point.

Point any optic directly at a light source, for example, a light in the room, or a SureFire. (Ranger medic mode on: No, Rangers, do not use the sun. Ranger medic mode off). Because the ACOGs and Compact ACOGs use an etched reticle, when you look through the optics directly at the light, the illumination disappears, to be replaced just by the reticle itself. You still have a target reticle. You can still place an aimed, precision shot. Doing the same thing with any collimater sight, meaning a Trijicon Reflex, an Aimpoint, or an EoTech, results in the reticle vanishing. You are looking through an optic at a target with no reticle.

In other words, while you scan away from the light source using an ACOG or a Compact ACOG, the target reticle is illuminated, and it automatically adjusts its brightness, in accordance with ambient light conditions. This is the purpose of the fiber optic light collector on the top of the scope. It collects light. When ambient light is bright, the fiber optic collects a lot of light, and throws it onto the target reticle, making it brighter, insuring that it does not fade out.

When you look directly at the light source, the illumination vanishes, but the reticle remains. The transition is seamless, and it works very well.

As ambient light eases, as day turns to dusk, for example, the fiber optic collector on the top of the ACOG and Compact ACOG gathers less light, illuminating the target reticle commensurately less. This is a good thing. There is such a thing as too much illumination. You do not want to overpower your field of view, or disrupt your own vision.

As it gets darker and darker, the tritium comes into play. Under conditions of pitch blackness, the Trijicon reticle is nice and bright, and it requires no batteries, no on and off switches, no electronics.

You can use either ACOG or the Compact ACOG with your choice of NODs. Personally, I prefer to use just the combat optic by itself. It gathers a lot of light, and it is usable under conditions of star light and moonlight. NODs are best used under a very finite set of conditions. Old School Rangers learned how to see in the dark a long, long time ago, and we were doing it before every guy was issued NODs. My own service overlapped these eras. I was in Battalion BG, meaning Before Goretex, and AG, meaning After Goretex. With the advent of a particular mission, we all received NODs. I was in Battalion during that transition.

The Reflex is very affordable, however, and it competes well on that basis. Under most circumstances where you absolutely need just a collimater red dot sight for CQB only, you would be better served going with an Aimpoint optic. If you need the flexibility of using a sight for CQB, and as a combat gunsight for extended range shooting, then the ACOG or Compact ACOG are the clear choice because of the magnification, because the reticle cannot wash out, and because no batteries are required.

Hope that helps.

One other comment. A few of you guys have sent me PMs. I will reply to each and every one, but it will take me a couple of days. I have some other priorities to handle before I get into this too deeply.

Any other questions, feel free to ask here.

Thanks.

[Horned Toad]

I had a question about night vision but you just answered it :D

[another damn texan]

Aimpoints and Eotechs are both excellent choices if you're not needing magnification. It's like Ford vs Chevy for alot of folks. I like the reticle better with the Eotech but battery life sucks compared to the Aimpoint. Buy both and send me the one you don't want.

[ma91c1an]

Still have not forgotten you guys who PM'd me.

I just returned to home base, and need to take care of some admin stuff before I sit down and get back into this.

Thanks for your patience.