After using both of these optics for the past 7 years, the Aimpoint Micro is still my favorite when it comes to durability, but the EOTech's large field of view is something I still can't forget.
Both optics were purchased without any sponsorship to provide this unbiased review.
Let's check them out:
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Aimpoint VS EOTECH - Major Differences
Aimpoint Micro is a tube profile red dot sight, and the EOTech is a holographic sight.
The method of reticle projection is much more complex in EOTech, but the user gets the same "floating HUD" aiming experience as the red dot sight.
Yes, this is comparing red dot vs holographic sights, but in this guide we only focus on these two optics.
Both optics are battle-proven and they used in many real-world applications. There are many torture tests already done for these two optics online to prove that they work, so I didn't buy them just to destroy them for review.
Even though many other optic brands market say that their products are for military and law enforcement. However, you will typically see Aimpoint or EOTech in the real world.
Aimpoint Micro
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Field of View:
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle Type: 2 MOA Red Dot
- Brightness Settings: 8 Daylight , 4 NV, 1 off position
- Battery: CR2032, 50k hours
- Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
- Length: 3.1 inches
- Weight: 4.7 oz
This is the red dot sight that everyone else tries to clone.
Pros
- Super low profile and doesn't take up rail space
- Leave it on! Much long battery life than EOTECH
- Much lighter than EOTECH
- Accepts various Aimpoint Micro aftermarket mounts
- Uncluttered sight picture with a simple 2 MOA dot
Cons
- Likely to get LED emitter reflection
- Smaller field of view
- Reticle can be blurry for shooters with bad eye sight
EOTech EXPS3
Features:
- Magnification: 1X
- Eye Relief: Unlimited
- Reticle Type: 1 + 68 MOA Ring
- Brightness Settings: 20 Daylight, 10 Night Vision
- Battery: CR123A, 1400 hours
- Turret : 0.5 MOA / Click
- Length: 3.8 inches
- Weight: 11.2 oz
Pros
- Ranging capability with the 68 MOA ring
- Larger field of view
- Best passive aiming optic performance
- Night vision capable
- No glare when brightness is cranked up
Cons
- Use only integrated QD mount (Not a bad thing)
- Only 1200 - 1400 hrs of battery, I tend to forget to turn it off after use
- 68 MOA reticle can obscure target in certain environments
- Reticle can be blurry for shooters with bad eye sight
Read detailed review here
Side By Side Comparison
Overall Profile
Both optics' aesthetics are great, and the Aimpoint Micro is much smaller for a low-profile setup.
EOTECH EXPS3 weighs 11.2 oz
Aimpoint Micro with Scalarworks LEAP weighs average 4.8 oz
Field Of View
EOTech's field of view is larger and feels more comfortable acquiring targets than the Aimpoint Micro. Once you pick up the EOTech then the Aimpoint, you might have some mental reservation to stick with the EOTECH.
However, the Aimpoint Micro doesn't obscure the shooter's situational awareness because it's small regardless of aiming with two eyes open or not.
Reticle - Day VS Night
EOTech's 68 MOA ring reticle can be obscuring in low light environment.
Aimpoint Micro's simple 2 MOA center dot unclutters the sight picture a lot, and makes the eye easier to aim without other distractions.
Parallax
The closer the target the more parallax shift for both optics. Before you say anything negative, it's important to understand that no optic is 100% parallax-free even if the company markets them to be "no parallax".
Lens Glare
The EOTech has no lens glare on the front glass even when the brightness is cranked up high. However, at max setting the distracting reflection is visible along the edge of the glass.
This is extremely helpful in low-light situations to be able to PID without obscuring the sight picture or target down range:
You may crank up the reticle brightness while using a weapon light to ID targets so the reticle doesn't get washed out by the hot beam.
The Aimpoint Micro, however, will have significantly more emitter reflection in low light situations if the user cranks up the dot brightness. Then the entire field of view is filled with glare making it hard to aim.
Experienced users can work around it, and for shooters new to red dot and holosights, this is a thing to be cognizant of.
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Lens Tint
The Aimpoint Micro H1 has more tint, and EOTECH doesn't.
For the most part, glass tint doesn't really bother most shooters, but it does bother some in low-light situations.
For glass clarity, the EOTECH is better.
Target Identification - Day VS Night
When it comes to target Identification over tree lines or obscuring backgrounds, I like the Aimpoint Micro better because the sight picture isn't cluttered.
Shooters can still identify targets with the 68 MOA ring reticle on the EOTech EXPS3, but the circle reticle tends to be a little busier, and it covers up the sight picture if the target is far away.
Of course the user doesn't have to directly cover the reticle over the target just to target ID, but for extreme close the 68 MOA ring reticle is a better option.
For night time target identification, the EOTech doesn't have much of glass glare covering the glass compared to Aimpoint. So the user can see better with the help of a weapon mounted light.
Ranging Capability
Even though the EOTech's 68 MOA ring can help range targets based on known target size, but a trained Aimpoint Micro user can also range target effortlessly with a simple 2 MOA center dot without any visual reticle references.
Overall, it's based on user preference.
If having that visual reference
Zero Retention
Both optics are recoil proven to hold zero. We have used the EOTECH and Aimpoint for more than 5 years on various firearms including machine guns.
We have never lost zero under normal use.
As long as the user mounts the optic to factory recommended torque specs, and aligns the optic on the top rail before torquing it down, these optics will never lose zero.
For hard use, please check out this article for more test data.
Mounts
Aimpoint Micro can accept all types of mounts from low mount to NV height mounts, and we love it.
The EOTech EXPS3 comes with a default 1/3rd co-witness height, and it works on most rifle platforms, but it's going to be too tall when the user wants it to sit low. For that, we recommend the EOTech XPS2.
Overall User Experience
Both optics are field-grade optics, and they are truly battle-proven products serious professionals use in the field.
Aimpoint Micro is great for a low-profile, lightweight setup. The battery lasts longer than EOTech and it's built like a tank. Its simple 2 MOA center dot gives the shooter an unclutter sight picture, which is very helpful for target ID in a visually busy environment.
EOTech is great for CQB-style shooting where people can acquire targets fast and range targets with visual aid. No glass tint or glare is a huge plus over the Aimpoint, so it doesn't bother the shooter in low-light situations.
