Aimpoint Pro Review

[RedNeck Jim]

Before I start my review, lets get something clear. I would prefer no comments saying something like that is too much scope for a $400-$500 plinker with 3 MOA accuracy. First of all, when I add up all the things I have on my 15-22, plus other attachments that occasionally go on, my gun costs way more than $500. Heck, just my suppressor costs over $700, when you include the fee for the stamp. Add CMC trigger, updated stock, grips, etc. and the gun ain't some cheap thing anymore. Secondly, I shoot my 15-22 A LOT! I have a home range specifically set up to shoot my 22s suppressed, so I shoot my 15-22 a couple of times a week where I shoot my AR maybe once a year. Why should my SHTF AR sit locked up with a great optic (Eotech 552) while my most used rifle (15-22) gets the cheap stuff? Lastly, I can afford it. I don't drink, smoke, golf or gamble. My play money goes toward my firearm addiction. Yes, I admit it.

I started with & have used a TRS-25... and really like it. It is a great starting point and for most, all they might ever need on a 15-22. My eyes aren't the best anymore so I later added a Primary Arms 3x magnifier with flip to side mount. This makes my 15-22 much like my AR, with the Eotech & their 3x magnifier on Larue flip mount. Once my home range became operational & I received my suppressor, my shooting increased greatly. At that point I decided to upgrade my optics to something better. After some research, I chose the Aimpoint Pro.

First of all, it matches up perfectly with my Primary Arms magnifier, with no risers or adjustments needed. It also is built like a tank. I have seen video where folks take it off their gun & just throw the thing as far as they can... and put it back on with no issues. I love the mount that it comes with... very beefy & has a super cool tightening knob with built in ratchet. When you get to the proper torque, it will not tighten any more. Battery life is stated to be 3 years, with the sight constantly staying on. Since this is not a duty rifle, I will turn mine off when not in use so maybe that one battery will outlive me. It also comes with built in, flip up covers. What is really cool about this optic is the rear cover is clear & you can clearly see thru it. I'm sure this helps if shooting in a rain but where it mostly helps me is when using the magnifier. With this, I don't have to flip the magnifier to flip open the rear cover... I leave the cover down & sight thru it. I personally get almost no reduction in clarity when sighting thru the cover as opposed to flipping it open.

Another brilliant idea is the retainer strap that goes over your 3 covers... windage, elevation & battery access. You never have to worry about losing one again. Yesterday when sighting it in, I removed the 2 for sight adjustment but they stayed on the optic because the battery compartment cover was still on. Maybe this is a little thing and maybe lots of other optics have it, but I have never seen it before & it really is nice.

I love this optic and for $400 that ain't so bad... especially when you consider it comes with a nice mount. As nice as my Eotech is, I would take this optic over it any day.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Shooting buddy has an Aimpoint pro. Fine optic, but has that same dingy green/gray tint in the glass that is typical of dime store optics like my Primary Arms red dots. Look through your EOTech at something white or light colored. It will be crystal clear. Then jump over to the Aimpoint and take a look.

 

[Culina]

I love the Aimpoint Pro, I put one on my wifes AR, but she is saying the whole package is too heavy so I am thinking I might get her an Aimpoint Micro and swipe the Pro for myself.

I have taken it out to 300 yards and was easily able to outshoot my match M1 Garand.

 

[BT283]

Love my aimpoint pro it's a awesome optic, if I could afford it, I would definitely have one on my 15-22. Only bad part is now you will have to buy another so you can replace that eotech! LOL

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Shooting buddy has an Aimpoint pro. Fine optic, but has that same dingy green/gray tint in the glass that is typical of dime store optics like my Primary Arms red dots. Look through your EOTech at something white or light colored. It will be crystal clear. Then jump over to the Aimpoint and take a look.

Yes, that seems to bother some. It doesn't bother me in the least, maybe due to my piss poor eyesight to begin with. As I said, I have them both & in a few areas the Eotech shines but overall I like the Aimpoint better. I like the Eotech's big sight window & really like the 1MOA dot inside the 65 MOA circle. I don't like the buttons to turn on/off & to change brightness. The battery life sucks plus I just had a AA battery to start leaking & has hurt the unit. It is been sent back for repair. I have learned in hindsight to only use lithium batteries in the future.

They are both great sights but overall I like the Aimpoint better & think it is a much better value at $400. I like the supplied mount much better on the Aimpoint. My Eotech fell off the last time I shot it. Aimpoint seems to be much more rugged too and for me, that is nice as I have a tendency to drop things.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Love my aimpoint pro it's a awesome optic, if I could afford it, I would definitely have one on my 15-22. Only bad part is now you will have to buy another so you can replace that eotech! LOL

When the Eotech comes back from the shop, I plan on keeping it. It is a great sight but lacking in some key areas... at least to me.

You know, I did some thinking about sights for my 15-22. I, like many here, have an AR and it has really nice **** on it. After all, it is my SHTF gun. That is the logic, isn't it? However, how many here shoot their AR more than their 15-22? Not even close for me. So I said to myself, Jim, why not switch things up? Why not put the Eotech on the 15-22, the gun I shoot all the time, and put the TRS-25 on the AR? That way the AR is still plenty usable plus if the S ever does HTF, then surely I would have time to put the Eotech back on the AR & resight. My AR is not my primary home defense weapon, BTW.

So here I go & start swapping sights & find out the Eotech is hurt due to a battery issue... the one main issue most folks ding the Eotech for. So I get mad, do some research, learn a lot... and buy the Aimpoint. Not my original plan but now I will have great optics on both guns and if one goes down, I have the TRS ready to go or can simply switch sights.

The one thing I find lacking in these discussions, dealing with optics, is that I find folks forgetting the very nature of these guns. They are designed to switch attachments easily & quickly. If you are not in a life or death situation & just recreationally shooting targets, what is the big deal with sharing a really nice optic between 2 guns? Doesn't this make sense especially for those that use the 15-22 as a trainer for their AR? Slap it on, spend 5 minutes sighting it in... and enjoy. The Eotech, the Aimpoint and the TRS on the high mount all line up exactly the same on my rails.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

I just had a AA battery to start leaking & has hurt the unit. It is been sent back for repair. I have learned in hindsight to only use lithium batteries in the future.

My next door neighbor had the same problem (quite common with older EOTech). So we're at the range and the EOTech on his AR won't work. We discover battery gunk has leaked all over. So I say to him-- Matt, I've got a BSA RD30 that's I've had for about 20 years that works perfect. I'll let you borrow it. You should have seen the sneer I got.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Phil, my understanding is this issue applies to any Eotech which uses AA batteries... new or old. I like the idea of using a battery that is so available & always can be easily found. Problem is, I didn't know these alkaline batteries have a tendency to leak & ruin electronics. My current research tells me that the lithium AAs do not leak, plus they last 9 times as long.

You live and you learn... then you get old & forget it all.

 

[gotfish]

I am 100% with you on the concept of having your favorite optic on the rifle you shoot the most. I have the PRO on my newer short AR, and I love it. I bought one when I first built my 5.56 about 2 years ago, sold it to buy an Aimpoint Micro T-1, and later went back to the PRO. It's completely reliable, not heavy, and perfectly sized in my opinion. I don't mind the glass coloration (think: sunglasses). I like the standard mount that comes with it, and the batteries last forever. I believe it's the best value in a red dot on the market today.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Aimpoint Pros are coming down in price, PSA has a deal with the pro and a pair or alum mbus for like $400. I own a pro for my mp15 too but it sits in my safe, mp 15-22 runs a vortex strike fire but I totaly understand your point Jim.

 

[REM 3200]

Before I start my review, lets get something clear. I would prefer no comments saying something like that is too much scope for a $400-$500 plinker with 3 MOA accuracy. First of all, when I add up all the things I have on my 15-22, plus other attachments that occasionally go on, my gun costs way more than $500. Heck, just my suppressor costs over $700, when you include the fee for the stamp. Add CMC trigger, updated stock, grips, etc. and the gun ain't some cheap thing anymore. Secondly, I shoot my 15-22 A LOT! I have a home range specifically set up to shoot my 22s suppressed, so I shoot my 15-22 a couple of times a week where I shoot my AR maybe once a year. Why should my SHTF AR sit locked up with a great optic (Eotech 552) while my most used rifle (15-22) gets the cheap stuff? Lastly, I can afford it. I don't drink, smoke, golf or gamble. My play money goes toward my firearm addiction. Yes, I admit it.

I started with & have used a TRS-25... and really like it. It is a great starting point and for most, all they might ever need on a 15-22. My eyes aren't the best anymore so I later added a Primary Arms 3x magnifier with flip to side mount. This makes my 15-22 much like my AR, with the Eotech & their 3x magnifier on Larue flip mount. Once my home range became operational & I received my suppressor, my shooting increased greatly. At that point I decided to upgrade my optics to something better. After some research, I chose the Aimpoint Pro.

First of all, it matches up perfectly with my Primary Arms magnifier, with no risers or adjustments needed. It also is built like a tank. I have seen video where folks take it off their gun & just throw the thing as far as they can... and put it back on with no issues. I love the mount that it comes with... very beefy & has a super cool tightening knob with built in ratchet. When you get to the proper torque, it will not tighten any more. Battery like is stated to be 3 years, with the sight constantly staying on. Since this is not a duty rifle, I will turn mine off when not in use so maybe that one battery will outlive me. It also comes with built in, flip up covers. What is really cool about this optic is the rear cover is clear & you can clearly see thru it. I'm sure this helps if shooting in a rain but where it mostly helps me is when using the magnifier. With this, I don't have to flip the magnifier to flip open the rear cover... I leave the cover down & sight thru it. I personally get almost no reduction in clarity when sighting thru the cover as opposed to flipping it open.

Another brilliant idea is the retainer strap that goes over your 3 covers... windage, elevation & battery access. You never have to worry about losing one again. Yesterday when sighting it in, I removed the 2 for sight adjustment but they stayed on the optic because the battery compartment cover was still on. Maybe this is a little thing and maybe lots of other optics have it, but I have never seen it before & it really is nice.

I love this optic and for $400 that ain't so bad... especially when you consider it comes with a nice mount. As nice as my Eotech is, I would take this optic over it any day.

I concur with your views. Must be a Mississippi thing. I had an Eotech 517 on my M&P 15 OR. I did like the idea of the 1 moa dot and 65 moa circle. But, I never could get used to the very pixalated look of them. so I sold it and put a Aimpoint PRO on it. I love it. I will, down the road , get another PRO for my M&P 15-22.

 

[DelFuego]

You SPENT HOW MUCH on that sight???? Just kidding.

Some people like to eat hamburger...others like filet mignon.

At this stage of my infatuation with guns, I just tell my wife that everything I buy cost $50 or that I couldn't resist the incredible deal that was advertised in/on <insert LGS ad or website> this afternoon!

 

[BT283]

You SPENT HOW MUCH on that sight???? Just kidding.

Some people like to eat hamburger...others like filet mignon.

At this stage of my infatuation with guns, I just tell my wife that everything I buy cost $50 or that I couldn't resist the incredible deal that was advertised in/on <insert LGS ad or website> this afternoon!

Genius!! You mind if I borrow that?

 

[Dream to Dream]

That is a spectacular Noveske pistol. Had to say something, sorry!

 

[RedNeck Jim]

so I sold it and put a Aimpoint PRO on it. I love it. I will, down the road , get another PRO for my M&P 15-22.

So I'm curious why you have the Aimpoint is on the AR? Do you shoot it more than the 15-22? Or maybe are you following the "conventional" wisdom of putting the best gear on the SHTF gun... even if that gun is rarely shot?

 

[CrazyFingers]

I've got Aimpoint PROs on my BCM 5.56 and my Arsenal AK. They are fantastic optics, and tough as nails.

I haven't noticed any discoloration on the glass, it looks crystal clear to me. I did have to replace the battery in the AR's PRO finally, after leaving it on the 2nd to highest brightness setting for a little over two years, it finally ran down. Turns out the 3 year battery life thing is NOT for running it at the highest settings, which makes sense. Still, over two years 24/7 isn't bad.
My 15-22 wears a Bushnell Trophy MP, since it's not my SHTF gun.

 

[RedNeck Jim]

Crazy, of the 3 guns, which do you shoot the most?

 

[REM 3200]

So I'm curious why you have the Aimpoint is on the AR? Do you shoot it more than the 15-22? Or maybe are you following the "conventional" wisdom of putting the best gear on the SHTF gun... even if that gun is rarely shot?

I do like to shoot my 15-22 a lot (Who can find .22LR these days.), however I do shoot the AR more. Also I have a friend who has a fishing camp on the lower Pearl River that has been over run by hogs, so the AR is set up to take to the camp for some night shooting.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Just picked up my 2nd Pro from PSA can't wait.


Regards,
Todd
Sent from my iPhone4 using Tapatalk

 

[RedNeck Jim]

I do like to shoot my 15-22 a lot (Who can find .22LR these days.), however I do shoot the AR more. Also I have a friend who has a fishing camp on the lower Pearl River that has been over run by hogs, so the AR is set up to take to the camp for some night shooting.

We have issues with the feral hogs around us too. My neighbor likes to control them.

Since I shoot suppressed almost exclusively, I need sub-sonic ammo. I really like CCI standard velocity so I have just given up hunting for it & get it from gunbroker.com. I have picked up 8000 rounds in the past month or so... won a bid for a case of 5000 then did a buy now on 3000. I got both for just a bit over .10. When you look at all the extra fees & high shipping from folks like Midway, there just really isn't that much difference in cost... plus I get what I want, when I want it & in the quantity I need.

For example, just this week I got 1000 rounds of Winchester M-22 from Natchez. First of all I was lucky to get it as it went OOS within minutes. Secondly, it started at a pretty good price (.058 each) but ended up at .073 with shipping. Also got 1000 rounds of Remington sub-sonics from Midway, that started at .068 but ended up at .081. These 2000 rounds are for a neighbor who just picked up a 15-22 last week.