Red dot and Holographic Sights

Red dot sights and holographic sights for rifles, carbines and pistols, with the two names most people already have in mind: Aimpoint and EOTech.

Aimpoint red dots run for years on one battery and keep working underwater. EOTech holographic sights give you a big, fast reticle built for shooting with both eyes open. Both brands are stocked right here in Helsinki, along with magnifiers, pistol optics and the mounts to put them at the right height.

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Red dot or holographic sight?

For a non-gun nerd, they look alike and solve the same problem. That’s not all wrong, but you’ll definitely notice their difference after giving both a go.

A red dot like an Aimpoint shines an LED onto a coated lens, which reflects a dot back to your eye. It needs very little power. The Comp M5 runs for over 50,000 hours, more than five years, on a single battery left switched on.

A holographic sight like an EOTech uses a laser to light up a reticle recorded as a hologram inside the window. That gives you a larger, more detailed reticle, like the 68 MOA ring and holdover points of the EXPS3 DCR. It also uses more power: about 1,000 hours on one battery.

So the choice comes down to how you use the rifle. If it lives in a safe or a vehicle and has to be ready without anyone checking the battery, the Aimpoint's runtime is hard to argue with. If you prefer the bigger reticle and shoot with both eyes open, the EoTech is a no brainer.

Aimpoint red dot sights

Aimpoint is Swedish, and its sights are built to be switched on and forgotten. Every Aimpoint here has a 2 MOA dot and four night vision settings on top of six for daylight.

The Duty RDS and the PRO are 20€ apart and both ready for an AR-15 out of the box, with the mount at 39 mm (1.5") for a co-witness with standard irons.

The Duty RDS is lighter, with flush turrets and a rubber keypad that works with gloves. The PRO goes almost twice as deep underwater (45 m against 25 m), takes a killFlash in the front lens threads, and you can still aim through it with both flip caps closed.

The difference between The Comp M5 and M5s is the battery: the M5 has it on top, the M5s low on the side, which keeps the top clear for a magnifier.

Buy one without a mount if you want to choose your own height, for example with the Scalarworks LEAP/10 made for the M5s and Duty RDS, or the LEAP/13 for the PRO.

EOTech holographic sights

EOTech's holographic sights are made in the USA, with 0.5 MOA adjustments and a quick-detach mount.

• EXPS3 (999,90€) is the one to pick if you use or plan to use night vision. It has 20 daylight and 10 night vision brightness settings and is submersible to 10 m. Choose the DCR reticle for a close-range chevron with 50 and 200-yard holds, or the -0 and -2 versions.
• EXPS2 (879,90€) is the compact one. Its side buttons leave the space behind it clear for a magnifier, it sits at a lower 1/3 co-witness height, and it has no night vision settings. It's rated to 3 m underwater.
• HHS UNITY I (2 290€) is the whole package: an EXPS3-0, a G33 3× magnifier and Unity Tactical's FAST mounts that put the optic at a 2.26" centreline. The higher position keeps your head up, which helps with a helmet, comms or night vision. The magnifier folds down out of the sight line when you don't need it.

Magnifiers

A magnifier sits behind your red dot or holographic sight and flips out of the way when you don't need it. You don't need to re-zero, because the dot stays where you put it.

• EOTech G43.STS (859,90€): 3×, 320 g, comes with a 7 mm spacer to line it up with an EOTech HWS.
• EOTech G45.STS (919,90€): 5× in a body about the size of a G33, with tool-free centring.
• Aimpoint 3X-P (559,90€): 3× with a -2 to +2 diopter, so you can set it to your eyes. Doubles as a handheld monocular. For mounting, see the Scalarworks LEAP/06.
• Unity Tactical FAST FTC 4X (899,90€): 4× built into its own mount. It flips to the centre instead of the side and works with any red dot at a 2.26" height.

Pistol red dots

For pistols, EOTech makes two optics on the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro footprint.

The EFLX Mini Reflex (459,90€) weighs 35 g, has a large square window and lets you choose a 3 or 6 MOA dot. The CR2032 loads from the top, so you don't have to remove the sight to change it.

The EFLX CE (499,90€) is fully enclosed, so rain, mud and lint can't get between the emitter and the glass. It wakes up when it moves, offers several reticles and has a rear backup sight built in. It fits the DeltaPoint Pro or Shield RMSc footprint.

To put either one on a rifle as an offset or top optic, there's the Scalarworks Kick/08. For an optics-ready pistol you also need a holster that fits it.

Holosun: more features for less

The Holosun ARO CORE (219,90€) has a 2 MOA dot, a 65 MOA circle or both, wakes up when it moves and comes with both a lower 1/3 and a low mount. The ARO EVO Solar Red BDC (349,90€) adds a 26 mm window, a solar panel backup and holdovers for 5.56 M193.

They're a good start if your budget doesn't stretch to an Aimpoint or EOTech yet.

Mounts and risers

The mount decides the height. AR-15s usually run a 39 mm (1.5") lower 1/3 co-witness. A 2.26" centreline puts you more upright, which works better with a helmet and night vision.

The Scalarworks LEAP/12 lifts an EOTech EXPS to 2.26", and the Unity FAST Optic Riser and FAST FTC OMNI build the same setup as in the HHS UNITY. For magnifiers, there's the LEAP/16 EOTech Magnifier Mount.

FAQ

Aimpoint or EOTech?

Aimpoint if you want a sight that's always on and you don't want to think about batteries: three to five years on one battery, depending on the model. EOTech if you want the larger holographic reticle and are fine changing a CR123 regularly, about every 1,000 hours.

Aimpoint PRO or Duty RDS?

They're only 20€ apart. Pick the Duty RDS if weight matters: 110 g against 192 g. Pick the PRO if you want 45 m water resistance instead of 25 m, killFlash compatibility and flip caps you can aim through.

Are these sights night vision compatible?

Every Aimpoint here, the EOTech EXPS3 and HHS UNITY I, and the EFLX pistol optics have night vision settings. The EXPS2 doesn't.

Do you ship Aimpoint and EOTech in Europe?

Yes. We ship from Helsinki to the rest of the EU. VAT is included in the price, and there are no customs charges inside the EU.