ACOG or EOTech

[Frederick303]

Oddly enough, the 3rd battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning is now deploying Eotechs (1x) and Eclan Spector (1-4x) sights on their M4 rifles, at least as of October 2010 when I was last down there. The Eotech models seemed a little different from the 512 model, the finish was a green and the armorer I spoke to indicated there was some kind of internal upgrade on the sights over previous versions. The reticule was the dot and 65 MOA ring. They might be identical to 552/3 series, they looked the same except for the color and the quick attach rail mount. The Eotech used 2 AA batteries. On Easley range with a “true” 300 M zero the Rangers were hitting the silhouette targets at 500 yards, with M855 ball and heavy barrel M4 carbines with the Daniel defense rail (non floating barrel), so you can use the Eotech at long range, if you know what you are doing and have an idea of what your hold over is. They did not take the rifles back past 500 yards, as the parallax error and hold over made hits past 500 pretty difficult.

In the training unit I observed, about 10~15 percent of the rifles had the 1-4X Spector sight, a sight I had not seen prior. Very nice optics on that sight, but when I looked up the price I saw it is a 1,750 dollar sight. Ouch!!

Talking to a couple of the trainees, it seems the Army Infantry Basic/advanced course has them training with the M68 CCO, the older M2 model with only about one or two days of iron sight training over a 2.8 week period of live fire.

Most of the units one sees down there, (at least in 2009~2010) when I saw an optical sight had M68 CCO, M2 model with the quick attach torque mount.

[Victor Six Bravo]

The Elcan has major issues with the mounting system and it's external adjustments.

The Eotech would most likely be a 557.

Given the general treatment of Rangers in field enviroments of their weapons simply due to the job, i don't see either optic lasting. The Specter has major known failings and nobody who was ever issued one i've found has liked it due to the mount and weight (formerly i worked for a mount manufacturer among other things for the spec ops types, and they were constantly asking for us to make a mount, but the Elcan mount is built into the optic).

Ditto the Eotechs. They'll die, quite likely spectacularly, most likely when someone really needs it. I have a few around for evaluation as free beats nothing else, but i don't trust my life to any powered optic but an Aimpoint.

Trijicon's stuff is great, though the Reflex has it's own issues with washout. Having done a lot of bright light/no light entries into buildings, I avoid the Reflex series, even the newer ones.

[jmoore]

I have gone to TA31RCO ACOGs even for close in work, as they work well as an OEG in close. It only works IF you can operate with both eyes open, which some folk can't. Otherwise tritium equiped iron sights or bloody huge precision optics are the rule, except for my hunting rifle, which wears an ancient 3x post reticle Colt scope.

All the battery powered stuff is on a shelf, Aimpoints and EOtechs both. Never have liked the Reflex sight for the "washout" reasons noted above.