EOTECH vs. ACOG vs. AIMPOINT vs. Iron Sights for AR15/M4?

[Duty Honor Country]

I spent about 2 weeks deciding what optics I was going to put on my AR15. I did not like the M68 Aimpoint but I spent 10 minutes listening to an SF guy from Nam say why he liked the M68. I do agree that the M68 is better than Iron Sights but I found it lacking in comparison to the ACOG and EOTECH. In the end, I went with the EOTECH 557 with 3x magnifier for the following reasons...

1. The EOTECH can be used as a purely reflex mode. The ACOG is a bit harder to use in close quarters. Flipping the magnifier allows my EOTECH to be a reflex sight with ease.

2. Reflex sights are better in low light. I don't have the funds for NVGs and a laser so reflex wins again.

3. The M68 Aimpoint has a 4 MOA while the EOTECH has a 1 MOA. "Aim small miss small." I found it hard to use the M68 at 300m. I was able to hit the TGT but it required some concentration.

4. I can use my iron sights by simply flipping up my rear sight. I laugh my butt off at rifles with no iron sights.

 

[A Can of Man]

I feel the same way about the iron sights. You very well may need it. Plus you can hit the target accurately with it out to ranges you're probably not likely to need anyway. Harder to do, but still very much doable.

 

[Big_Z]

How we do it is a 68 for MOUT missions and a acog for more open terrain. If your shooting at 200+ you definately want a acog, if your shooting below 200 then a 68 is better for target aquisition. Hitting at 300 with a 68 can be a *****. You have to lower the dot brightness so you can actually see the target. On the recon side of things you might not have to pull the binos out with a acog on your rifle.

 

[KJ]

You can perform MOUT with an ACOG, just takes alittle more practice to get good at it.

//KJ.

 

[A Can of Man]

US Marines do it on a pretty regular basis as far as I know.
It makes a lot of sense since the ranges involved can vary at the turn of a corner.

 

[Big_Z]

Yea so do we. Yes a acog can function fine in a MOUT envirement but a 68 has better target aquisition simply because it has no zoom.

 

[KJ]

Yea so do we. Yes a acog can function fine in a MOUT envirement but a 68 has better target aquisition simply because it has no zoom.

Well, yes and no.
This is how we use it (TA-31):
You should mount your 31 as far out as eye relief will allow, maybe one notch further, track targets with both eyes open and not looking directly at the target through the optic. When you see the dot over the target, stop and focus, looking through the tube at the target and reticle. Basically, you get the reticle floating like a dot sight while scanning, and you "zoom in" when you stop and look at the target through the reticle.

Most people pick up on it with an hour or two practice. Some take longer, some never can.

This is proven and works.
On the upside you will be able to hit targets in and/or on buildings throughout the AOO.
The 68 has a limited stand off capability for these shots.

Basically, another tool in the box to be able to do this..

//KJ.

 

[KV.]

Personally I think the choice of sight is going to be different from person to person.
Everyone has different preferences and different demands for a sight (Demands based on what you will be using for - military/hunting/sports shoot etc.).

Personally I am leaning toward Aimpoint. use an Aimpoint Comp M3 2MOA with a 3X Magnifier in a twist mount - for the option of quickly removing the magnifier when engaged at ranges closer than 150 meters. Personally I haven't had any problems with hitting targets up to and around 200 meters, with the aimpoint. But at ranges beyond 200 I would of course go with a magnifier aswell.

A note on EOTech - I like the earlier sights alot, but I remember quite a few problems with the 552/553 models. The casing for the batteries breaking, and in general they didn't seem as durable and rugged as Aimpoint sights. I don't know if that is an issue with the 557 though. But those issues turned me away from EOTech.

I can't really say about the ACOG, never tried it to be honest.

Iron Sights pretty much covered by you Duty Honer Country...




-KV.