Hey all, we here at True Shot Academy are going to go over EOTech today. The company is a well-known provider of sights which are employed by a wide variety of shooters. Our goal here today is to provide a brief overview of the company while delving into some of their traits and product offerings. Without further ado, let’s talk about EOTech.
EOTech is an optical sight manufacturer based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The company was founded in 1995 and began applying holographic technology to small arms weapon sights. A year later, in 1996, EOTech partnered with Bushnell and debuted the first holographic weapons sight at SHOT Show. After the introduction of this initial sight, the company eventually introduced models for use by military and law enforcement entities.
All of the holographic weapon sight products offered by EOTech are produced in their Ann Arbor, Michigan facility. The company’s Vudu line of scopes is produced in Japan. Each magnifier offered by the company is produced in the United States. The thermal, night vision, and laser products offered by the company are also produced in the United States. The company emphasizes domestic manufacturing, ensuring that their products qualify for contracts and use by various American agencies and entities.
EOTech’s main line of products is their holographic weapon sight offerings. These types of sights are often compared to or even referred to as red dot sights. This is not the case. Holographic sights utilize different technology than red dot sights and mainly similar due to their use cases and applications.
The technology utilized to project the reticle differs from that which is used to project a red dot sight’s reticle. Because of this departure, EOTech reticles can still be visible in extreme cases where lenses become broken or damaged. This difference in projection makes these sights more usable by those with astigmatisms. While those with astigmatisms may see red dot sight reticles as distorted, EOTech reticles tend to be more visible and intact.
Holographic sights like those offered by EOTech are also more optimal for use with magnifiers than their red dot counterparts. Red dots will often bloom and increase in size when paired with a magnifier. This is again a result of the way that red dot sights project their reticles. Due to the holographic technology used to display EOTech reticles, the reticle will not bloom or increase in size. This fact paired with the different reticle options EOTech offers increase a shooter’s potential at extended ranges. Essentially, EOTechs are more optimal to use with magnifiers than red dot sights.
As mentioned above, these offerings represent EOTech’s flagship line of products. Simply put, these types of sights put EOTech on the map and are utilized by shooters of all types to this day. Holographic sights from EOTech are available in multiple variations. Common offerings of this type from EOTech include the 512, XPS2, and EXPS3 line of holographic sights.
Holographic sights are available from EOTech in two different heights, absolute cowitness and lower 1/3 cowitness height. The absolute cowitness height sights will feature traditional crossbolt type mounts in the form of either a thumbscrew or lower profile screw. These lower sitting models will feature rearward facing controls which are easily visible to the shooter. The sights which are of the lower 1/3 cowitness height will sit a bit higher than their lower cowitness counterparts. Sights of this type will also feature a quick release type mount to facilitate expedient donning and doffing. Unlike their shorter counterparts, the lower 1/3 EOTech models will feature controls mounted on the left side of the sight.
As far as reticles go, the company offers their “donut of death” reticle in multiple forms. The standard reticle offered by EOTech features a large 68 MOA ring with a 1 MOA center dot. This reticle is denoted as -0 in official nomenclature. Variants with additional dots beneath the center dot are also available from the company. The -2 and -4 variants are the most commonly encountered variants one will find. The -2 reticle features an additional dot beneath the center dot while the -4 reticle features three additional dots. Essentially, the number refers to the total number of dots in the reticle. A holographic sight’s reticle can be easily determined by knowing these codes and referencing the model of the sight itself. For example, an EXPS3-2 is a model EXPS3 with two dots in the reticle.
The Vudu line of products offered by EOTech encompasses a variety of traditional style scope offerings. These offerings are available in both LPVO and higher magnification varieties. The LPVO offerings will range from 1-6 and 1-10 power offerings. The higher magnification offerings are available in 3.5-18, 5-25, and 8-32 power offerings.
The LPVO and higher magnification scope offerings are available in both first focal plane (FFP) and second focal plane form (SFP). FFP scopes feature reticles which have a size dependent upon the level of magnification. Simply put, the reticle is at its smallest at the lowest power and at its largest and most complex at the highest level of magnification.
These scopes are also available with a variety of reticles which are optimized for different types of shooting. The reticles are also tailored towards whether or not the scope is an FFP or SFP type optic in addition to the levels of magnification available. The reticles are also capable be being illuminated, aiding a shooter’s ability to pick up the reticle.
The VUDU line of optics come with spokes which can be attached to the magnification adjustment knob. This throw lever allows for a shooter to quickly and easily switch between the levels of magnification. One will obviously be able to move a protruding lever faster than they can twist a knurled magnification knob.
The company also offers multiple magnifier units which provide previously unmagnified optics with a fixed level of magnification. The offerings manufactured by EOTech offer either 3x or 5x magnification. The 3x magnification models are available in the form of the company’s G33 and G43 magnifiers. EOTech’s G45 magnifier represents the company’s 5x magnification option.
These magnifiers are available with or without their factory flip to side mounts. These mounts feature a quick release lever and additional shim to raise the unit up to lower 1/3 height. If one were to purchase a magnifier without a mount, they could take advantage of an aftermarket solution such as the Unity Tactical OMNI magnifier mount.
While these magnifiers pair well with EOTech holographic weapon sights, they are also compatible with red dots. As mentioned earlier, red dot sights are prone to blooming and increasing in size when paired with a magnifier. This must be considered when engaging further targets.
EOTech also manufactures thermal, night vision, and laser-oriented products. Notably, the company manufactures clip-on thermal and night vision optics for rifle usage. Beyond these clip-on options, the company also makes single tube and dual tube night vision units intended to be worn by an end user. EOTech’s OGL offering provides shooters with IR illumination, IR laser, and visible laser capabilities. Simply put, the company offers a wide variety of products besides their well-known optical offerings.
The holographic weapon sights produced by EOTech have garnered a reputation for being excellent choices to use when shooting with night vision. There are a number of models produced by the company which have dedicated night vision compatible settings. These models, such as the EXPS3 and 558, have dedicated “NV” buttons on the left side of the sight which instantly adjust the reticle to one of the night vision optimal brightness levels. Shooters who utilize NODs will find that EOTech holographic weapon sights are well-suited to night shooting. The reticle displays very clearly and the shooter will benefit from the large window just as much as they would during the day.
All in all, EOTech products are high quality pieces of equipment which can be enjoyed by shooters of all types. The company’s optical offerings in particular appeal to a variety of shooters and customers. From longer range shooters to those looking for an optic facilitating rapid target acquisition, EOTech has you covered. Regardless of the optic you end up with, you will need ammunition to help develop your skills and build proficiency. We here at True Shot Ammo carry a wide variety of calibers well-suited to practice and developing one’s skills. As always, happy shooting.
Need bulk ammo? At True Shot Ammo, we have a wide variety of handgun ammo and rifle ammo available to purchase. Please visit our website trueshotammo.com, call us at (888) 736-6587, or you can email us at [email protected] for more ammo options.
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