Table of Contents

• EOTech Holographic Sights for Rifles
• Trijicon ACOG Sights for Rifles
• Best Optical Accessories for Your Rifle
• Conclusion

When it comes to scopes and optical accessories, people are pretty loyal. They find an optic which they are comfortable with, and they stick with it. Two of the most popular optics are Trijicon’s Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) series, and Electro-Optics Technology’s (EOTech) holographic weapon sights (HWS).

As ACOG vs EOTech rifle sights go, the differences between these two systems are many and varied. Some people don’t give them the time of day, preferring more traditional scopes or even back-up iron sights. Those are all well and good, but if you are interested in getting the best for your rifle, Trijicon’s ACOG and EOTech’s HWS are the way to go.

EOTech Holographic Sights for Rifles

These days, there are tons of tools and optical accessories available. As with every single firearm accessory ever made, it is the shooter’s wants, needs, and financial abilities that will have the last say. You need to know what distance you will be shooting at, approximately. Will it be daytime or nighttime? Is the weapon designed for home defense or open combat? An accessory – especially an optic – may be great, but if you don’t need it, then you simply won’t use it. If you don’t use it, it becomes a liability and a hassle. Nobody wants that.

EOTech holographic sights have quality glass and a small red dot. They are ideal for quick, semi-long range shooting – even though there they have no magnification capabilities. The MOA is minimal, which means that you have better chances of being on target, even from a distance.

The EOTech design enables fast target acquisition. You can shoot it with both eyes open, thereby maximizing your field of vision (straight and peripheral) without compromising your surroundings. You can also shoot it with the classic one eye shut technique, and get very good results. By the way, there are ways of achieving magnification with an EOTech, but since that involves purchasing another accessory, we will be leaving that option out.

EOTech sights are battery-powered, which is something of a drawback, in my opinion. But, to be fair, this battery thing is true to many scopes, and is not at all specific to EOTech’s devices. Battery life is about 500 hours, which is good but not amazing. If you put an extra battery in your stock or grip, you should have no problem. Still, you don’t want to end up in a situation where your optics fail due to a dead battery. If you are shooting a target of up to 100 – 120 yards, EOTech are definitely worth looking into.

Holographic sights are normally less expensive than telescopic sights, but that does not make them any less of a threat. People do not necessarily need magnification, and for them there is a good chance that the EOTech will provide all of the security they will ever need.

Trijicon ACOG Sights for Rifles

Trijicon ACOG sights are a whole other story. While holographic sights fall under the “red dot sight” umbrella, ACOGs are in a class of their own. ACOGs are telescopic sights, with varying degrees of fixed magnification. They have been standard issue for U.S. Army personnel ever since the late 80’s, and in the 90’s they also became standard issue for the Marines. That should give you an idea of just how accurate, precise, and shooter-friendly these scopes are.

ACOGs have different systems of illumination. Some utilize tritium, and others use a fiber optic. Some systems use both, and are magnificent to shoot with during day or night. The thing about ACOGs is the price – it is high. Totally worth it, make no mistake, but nevertheless high. If you can afford one, and are interested in getting one, go for it. You will not be disappointed. ACOGs are a work of modern optical art.

Even though tritium does have something of a limited lifespan (12-15 years, give or take), the ACOG scopes serve as a wonderful optic even after the tritium has faded. Trijicon’s devices are fit for hardcore combat situations, and they have been seeing combat for many years, in many places around the world.

These scopes have proven themselves worthy of all the praise which they receive. ACOGs are used by many security organizations and armed forces, and are well-respected. You don’t reach recognition of that magnitude without doing something right. This would not be the case with an inferior product, and sure enough – companies which produce low-quality ACOG-like products are not on the same level. Trijicon stand behind their scopes with pride.

This series of scopes is constantly illuminated, thereby eliminating the need for batteries or other external sources of power. Once the juice does run out on your ACOG, it remains a great optic on its own merit, with phenomenal sight quality, durable materials, and superb craftsmanship.

ACOGs are made for longer ranges than the EOTech, so it really does depend on the shooter and the intended targets. If the rifle in question is designed for home defense or other kinds of close quarter combat (CQC), the EOTech might be the better option. Although, for the sake of fairness, you could make use of the Bindon Aiming Concept (BAC) with the Trijicon, and make every shot count, regardless of the proximity of the target.

The BAC technique was developed by Trijicon’s founder Glyn Bindon, and at its core, it acts as a way to successfully acquire a target, while keeping the shooter’s field of vision open and unobstructed. Closing one eye puts the shooter at an optical disadvantage, and using the BAC is a way to ensure that you are not missing out on what is going on around you.

Best Optical Accessories for Your Rifle

Both EOTech and Trijicon manufacture their accessories right here in the U.S., and that is no small thing in today’s world. EOTech provides a two-year limited warranty on its sights, and Trijicon provides a limited lifetime warranty on their scopes. To be clear, with Trijicon, the lifetime warranty is on materials and craftsmanship, and the systems of illumination are guaranteed for 10 – 15 years (depending on the method used).

The bottom line:

ACOGs are more battle oriented. They are a combat magnifier, and they do their job wonderfully. Police, SWAT, Army, Marines, and even everyday civilians – many of them swear by the ACOG and its effectiveness. At longer ranges, there is no beating its quality and reliability. Main downside – price.

EOTech sights are made for more ‘in your face’ kind of situations. Part of what makes EOTech sights so popular, is the ease and rapidness with which a shooter can locate the target. Just lift your rifle and WHOOMP, there it is. Holographic weapon sights allow the shooter to achieve a proper balance between speed and accuracy. Some EOTech models even sport night vision compatibility. Main downside – battery-operated.

Both the ACOG and the EOTech come in a variety of models, and it is always recommended you do your research before putting your money on the counter. If you get the chance to try these both out, I urge you to do so. It would be the best way to see which one is the sight for you. With accessories, it is always a matter of personal preference and opinion. Features and attributes which fit your wants and needs, may not fit another’s.

Conclusion

Both of these companies have made it their mission to provide shooters with the best, clearest, and most accurate shooting experience. Whether you are at the range or on the battle field, it doesn’t get any better than this. When you mount either one of these optics on your rifle, you will know exactly where your money went.

Of course, there is a simple way to resolve this whole “versus” thing. If you have more than one rifle – and the disposable income to make it happen – there is no debate. You could fit one rifle with an EOTech, and another with an ACOG.

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EOTech’s magnifier went on the market a few years ago, and for a while it was very difficult to find. Apparently, the military got wind of the release, and ordered many units. SO many, in fact, that civilian orders were put on hold, to facilitate the military’s needs.

The EOTech G33.STS magnifier is the third generation of EOTech magnifiers. STS stands for “switch to side”, referring to the way in which the magnifier mount operates. The user needs only to slap the mount to the side when necessary, and then slap it back into place.

With the G33, they took the various issues and complaints which consumers had with the first and second generation of magnifiers (known as G23.FTS), and managed to fix them all for the release of this excellent third-generation optic. It is shorter, lighter, and more compatible than the previous models.

EOtech Magnifier Tech Specs

Let’s take a look at some of the technical specifications of the G33:

• Magnification – 3x (fixed)
• Dimensions – L 3.9 x W 2.2 x H 3.3 inches
• Weight – 11.2 oz.
• Eye Relief – 2.2 inches
• Compatible with all EOTech holographic weapon sights (HWS)
• Submersible to 33 feet depth
• Mounts to any MIL-STD-1913 (picatinny) rail or 1-inch weaver rail
• Fog-resistant lens coating

The first generation of EOTech magnifiers were sold in 3x and 4x configurations. Since then, the company made some changes, and it now sells only 3x magnifiers. A nice little bonus is that the third-generation mount is ambidextrous. You can fit it for left- and right-handed flippers alike.

The G33 is primarily meant to be used behind an existing EOTech HWS. It is designed to be mounted directly behind the sight, and with models which feature a side button interface, the shooter can easily operate and adjust the sight as needed, without moving the magnifier out of the way. For those with models which have buttons on the back of the sight, it will probably be necessary to flip the magnifier aside. Either way, once you break the magnifier in a little bit, slapping it back and forth becomes second nature, and it helps a great deal with transitioning between close-range targets and longer-range ones.

The magnifier allows the shooter to engage targets with a great amount of confidence, be it in a close-quarter battle (CQB) scenario, or even at distances out to 2000 feet away.

There is a reason why the military was immediately interested in this product. Not only is it HWS compatible (many duty rifles have EOTech HWSs on them), but it is made of very high grade materials. Only a product which is durable, robust, versatile, and accurate would have passed the military’s demanding tests and trials.

There is a 7mm riser which is included with the sight, though there are some shooters who will not need it. The 7mm riser may be required to align the magnifier with the sight. The HWS models which require use of the 7mm are those with side buttons or a quick-release lever. All other HWS models do not necessitate the use of a riser, and shooters should not attempt to install it where it isn’t needed. Unless, of course, your goal is to throw off your aim completely.

Magnifier Retail Price

The manufacturer suggested retail price for the G33 magnifier is $589. On Amazon, EOTech is selling them for under $550, but the prices will not be too much lower than that, even elsewhere. Why does it cost so much? Because it is a quality product. It is that simple. You get what you pay for, and this thing has a solid build. It is designed to take a beating – nay, many beatings! – and just keep on truckin’. It will take a lot of punishment for this unit to become damaged beyond use. This thing is tough.

EOTech decided to give this magnifier a 3x power of magnification, which was a smart move. 3x is one of the best magnifications for a fixed optic, because it suits many different scenarios and conditions. While it does magnify everything times three, this magnifier allows the user to maintain control of the surrounding areas. To be situationally aware. You can make some really nice long shots with the G33, and still have a wide field of view to work with. Nothing is cut short or compromised.

Speaking of compromising, what is great about this magnifier is that it can stand up to the best of them. This magnifier is meant, first and foremost, for those who have an EOTech HWS and are interested in expanding their sight’s horizons. Instead of investing close to (or over) $1000 on something like the Trijicon ACOG, invest less in something which will give you the results that you need. What you end up with is a fine-looking 3x scope which is in line with a 65 minute of angle (MOA) reticle, and a 1 MOA dot.

Like I said, this third-generation magnifier is one which really outshines the former two generations of the past. That is my opinion, anyway. And, just to be clear, I have nothing against the ACOG. I have only tons of respect for Trijicon, and their amazing line of products.

The ease with which this magnifier can be flipped or slapped aside is great. In the blink of an eye, you are staring through your holographic sight, waiting to engage anyone and anything which may come at you from a short distance.

So, bottom line: if you are looking for a high-quality scope, and don’t have that much money to spend, but on the other hand you are not willing to compromise your safety and the safety of your loved ones – go with an EOTech magnifier. It has so many important features, and operating it truly is an easy concept to grasp. This device can be released quickly, pushed aside for momentary short-range action, and be returned to its place just as easily.

And it is compatible with a lot more than EOTech’s sights. To find out if your rifle is compatible with the G33, visit EOTech’s website or get in touch with their customer service.

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