Sight Scope

Choosing A Holographic Sight

At first glance the sheer scope of the range of holographic sights can be intimidating.  Each model, however has a unique combination of a small number of features. The features are as follows:

Suitability for use with NV. To keep the price down, Eotechs intended for action shooting, hunting and most law enforcement applications are supplied without the night vision settings. If you don’t want night vision, confine your search to the XPS2, 512, 516 and 517.

Cost. The most inexpensive Eotechs are those without night vision compatability, intended for hunting. These are the 512, 516, 517 and XPS2 series.

Ability to mount night vision or magnifiers very close. Some models have their NV and brightness buttons moved from the rear to the left hand side to allow for very close mounting of NV devices or magnifiers.  The only models with this feature are the EXPS series, 556 and 557 (the 516 and 517 have side mounted brightness buttons but are not NV compatible).

Height of the sighting plane. Some Eotechs come with a 7mm riser to facilitate co-witnessing of iron sights in the lower third of the sighting window and to allow compatibility with a wider range of night vision units.These are the 516, 517, 553, 555, 556 and 557. The QD mount supplied with the EXPS is 7mm higher than the integral unit of the XPS series.

Mounts. Three mounting systems are available for the Eotechs depending on whether you want the scope essentially permanently mounted (allen bolt), want to take it off easily, but in no particular hurry (thumb screw) or need to be able to swap quickly (ARMS throw lever). Thumb screw models include the XPS series and the 516, 517, 556 and 557. Throw lever QD models include the EXPS series, 553, and 555.

Cantilevered battery housing. Some Eotechs are made so that their battery housing is cantilevered to clear the Delta ring (the ring that retains the handguard) on AR15/M16/M4 rifles. The XPS, EXPS, 516, 517, 556 and 557 are designed with this feature.

Length. Holographic Weapon Sights come in various lengths dictated by their battery and mounting arrangements. This is important if you want to mount something else (night vision for example) on your rail with the holographic weapon sight. The AA battery models are longest, followed by the CR123 battery models and the shortest are the XPS and EXPS models. The XPS and EXPS are 3.5″ long, the 553 4.9″, the 556 5.0″, the 512, 516 and 552 5.4″and the 517, 555 and 557 5.6″.

Ballistic reticle. Only three Eotechs have ballistically compensating dots – the 557.AR223 is matched to the .223 round, the 552.XR308 to the 7.62 NATO and the 552.XR500 to the .50 Browning Machine Gun. The 557.AR223 has side mounted brightness and NV buttons whilst on the 552.XR.308 they are mounted at the rear. The XPS2-2, XPS3-2 and EXPS3-2 offer a 2 dot reticle but this is not matched to a specific cartridge.

Batteries. Eotech have abandoned the use of ‘N’ batteries and now boast far greater battery lives. The choice boils down to AA or CR123 and there are often models that only differ in this respect (the 553 and 555 for example). Whilst the CR123 models are more compact, AAs are more widely available and offer significantly greater battery life, particularly with lithiums. The XPS and EXPS use a single transverse mounted CR123, the 516, 553 and 556 two CR123s and the 517, 552, 555 and 557 two AAs.

DoD type classification. The main military use models are the 552 and 553 series – the latter specifically designed for and used by United States Special Forces COMand (SOCOM). The 555 is an AA battery 553 and thus shares its heritage.

Color. For hunting, the 512 series can be supplied in black, Realtree APG HD or Mossy Oak Obsession.  The 553.A65 is comes in black or tan.

Integrated laser. Only the EOLAD series have integrated lasers.

Copyright Chris Pieterman 2010.

How to zero/sight in a scope

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