First Look: EOTech EXPS2-0 Holographic Weapon Sight

After purchasing my most recent AR15 and going to the range with nothing more than iron sights or the previously reviewed Magpul Back-Up Sights, I decided it was time to take the plunge, and start looking for a red-dot sight.

I happened to purchase the EOTech reviewed here completely by chance.  A close friend acquired the sight in a trade, and although he was quite happy with it, he was willing to sell it for the right price.  My offer must have been the right price.

Regardless, the sight I am reviewing is a used unit, although it looks like new and functions like new, I want it to be absolutely clear that it is not new.

First Impressions:
The sight is well-packaged in a hard plastic case, with the "EOTech" logo embossed on the lid.  The case contains soft foam padding that is cutout for the sight to fit.  The case provides adequate cushioning and holds the sight in place securely enough that I am quite confident it will not suffer any serious damage while it is stored inside.

Upon removing the sight and preparing to mount it, I noticed that it had a quick-release type attachment.  This release is easy to remove, yet secure enough that it will not unintentionally release, sending your several hundred dollar investment to an untimely demise.  The site can be mounted to the common MIL-STD-1913 and 1" wide rails found on most tactical rifles, and the quick detach lever is adjustable, to account for any variances in width.  Mounting the sight is very easy, and once the quick-detach is adjusted properly to the rail upon which it is being mounted, there is virtually no lateral movement.  The mounting system is solid, and some light testing at the range confirms that the sight stays quite accurate, even after removing and re-attaching the sight to the rifle several times, assuming it is mounted in the same position on the rail.

The reticle on this site is great.  The EXPS2-0 has a 65MOA ring and a true 1MOA dot, which is great for both quick target acquisition and accuracy for longer shots.  The standard height of the sight also allows for co-witness with backup iron sights, but it's just a hair too low to comfortably co-witness with the standard A2-style fixed iron sights.

Power is provided courtesy of a single CR-123 battery, which may not seem sufficient, but EOTech claims a full 600 hours of life at the normal brightness setting.  There are a total of 20 brightness settings, and the "normal" setting is #12.  The sight will automatically turn off after 8 hours of continuous use (can be programmed to power down at 4 hours), which provides even greater peace of mind that when you need it, it's going to work.

The battery position and orientation was changed, instead of a longitudinally-mounted battery, which needlessly occupies rail space (and was the cause of a plethora of complaints), EOTech switched to a transverse-mounted battery with a sealed screw-off cap.  The cap can be unscrewed by hand, or if you need it, a quarter is just about perfect for breaking it loose.  The cap is attached to the body of the site with a small wire, so no more dropped battery covers either.

Turning on the sight is as easy as pushing a button, and adjustment is just as easy.  The units' only two buttons are located on the left side, recessed slightly to prevent accidental presses.  To turn off the unit, simply press both buttons simultaneously.

The EOTech has been mounted on my personal AR15 rifle for about 3 months now, it has been to the range a handful of times, and so far, my accuracy has improved greatly.  Sight acquisition is much quicker, shot placement is more consistent, and overall, I'm a better shot when using the EXPS2-0 than I am when using standard iron sights.  That's an easy statement to make, however, since I'm accustomed to shooting exclusively with iron sights, only using optics of any type a handful of times in the past.  Whichever way you choose to look at it, the EXPS2-0 has earned a place on my AR15 rifle, and it will remain there for quite some time.  At least until I decide to drop another $500 on a weapon sight.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures, we will be returning to this post to discuss topics such as real-life battery life, use in competitions, and how well it holds up to the abuse it will be going through.