I’m looking to swap out the current optic on my carbine for something different, I’m currently running a 1-4 lpvo and want to do something like an eotech since I’ve heard they are better for astigmatism. I figured with the magnifier I’m not really losing much for longer distance since the 1-4 is just a dot with a circle without an graduation for distance.
Ok Here is the honest reality of the question.
The Eotech is the fastest combat optic out there. It has been that way for 20 years. It works great with NV, has a very forgiving eyebox and is a very reliable optic in the perpendicular battery setups. Tier one units used these and still use these to this day because they are plain faster. Aimpoints are also prolific in these circles. For a pure CQB assaulter type role, you won't find much better. Yea Battery life sucks compared to an AP but when you are swapping batteries every mission or everyday, who cares.
The 2 main issues of Eotech reliability over the years have been fixed. The first one was de-lamination of the lens. This was fixed about 10 years ago and should not be an issue with newer production. The other was broken battery contacts rending the optic useless. From the early Bushnell holosight up to the XPS/EXP, the batteries were inline with recoil. Over time, that inline recoil would wear down the battery contacts. This issue was exacerbated in platforms like the SCAR with its massive bolt carrier creating negative recoil impulses, destroying optics not hardened. One of the benefits of the SCAR program is it made this issue very apparent, considering the Eotech 512/553 was on of the main SOCOM optics at the time. Eotech revised the design so the batteries were not inline with recoil and in a milled battery housing that was much more robust. Alot of the really great electro optics we have to day, are here because the SCAR killed their parents and they had to be hardened to stand up to use. Thanks FN.
Unless you are building a clone, Stick to the XPS/EXPS. The earlier models just aren't worth the risk.
The G33 combo was a very nice setup. It provided additional PID and targeting range making shots easier at distance and people hiding behind cover. There are still some units who run this setup, however face shooting is not their forte , calling in airstrikes and keeping dudes alive is. Probably has more to do with good enough and already paid for.
With the proliferation of high quality LPV's, I think the combo has become obsolete. We can now have high quality 1-6/8/10 FFP LPVOS with red dot bright reticles on 1x with the added benefit of a tree reticle for making quick longer range shots, while getting better PID. The LPV will also be lighter and take up less bulk.
I also have issue with certain optics due to astigmatism and the Eotech always looked fuzzy to me. Didn't effect the function but never looked great.
For the same money as a Eotech/G33 combo, you can pick up their 1-6 FFP which has the same reticle , only etched. It is daylight bright and actually looks better than a regular holosight. It has a slightly smaller eye box but on 1X, its like running a -0. If your price limit is around $1k, I think its by far the best buy on the market until you get up into the NX8 and G3 Razor Realm.
