Which Eotech?

I sold my Oly 22-17 upper so I can get an Eotech for my 5.56 11.5" pistol.

I have about $400 to play with...so which model should I be looking at? 512,516,517?

I can find 512's all day under $400 and 516's and 517's can be had. anything else has to be beat to a pulp to fall in that price zone.

I have a bid in on a 516...but that's not a definite win.

The 512 and 517 take AA batteries and the 516 takes cr-123 batteries. The 516 and 517 sit about 3/8" higher. These all have the "NV" versions as well...like the 552's, 556's and 557's....for about $200 more.

EoTech I would probably just go with the plain old 512. You may also want to check out the Aimpoint PRO for $400.00

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I had an Aimpoint...didn't really like it and my brother ended up with it. I really want to stay away from the "pill" type batteries if I can help it.

Try cheaper than dirt, they show having the 512 in stock for $379.62 in warehouse B, C, and D for the same price. While warehouse A is listed as $409.??

I sold my 512 but kept the 552 and 556.

The 512 is just fine, especially for what you want to put it on. Personally I'd stay with any reddot that uses AA batteries because they are cheap and easy to find, especially in a SHTF situation. However, this does make them longer sights.

I wouldn't worry about NV as the likely hood you'll ever have get to chance to use it is very slim.

Other pros on why I'd get an EOTech over other units is the 1 MOA dot vs 4+ MOA and the ability to co-witness with your BUIS.

or maybe something cheaper?

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I have the 512, bought it off xbones, sold it to RemMan then bought it back from RemMan and now have it on the Beowulf. I love the 512. As XbonesX points out, AA are easy to get, less expensive than the other brands. I love the fact that anywhere I go, I can get AA from any gas station, convient store, or retail store no problem. Here is a tip for the 512, this may also be for the others, another firearms owner, local, has the 512, left the batteries in it and it exploded. Eotech had told him that you should never leave the batteries in as there is no room for them to "breath". Vapor builds up and then you will have to have it rebuilt. I never leave my batteries in, even before I heard that. I feared the battery would drain on their own.

For what it's worth, that is my stand point. I am now in the process of saving up for a magnifier for out to 100 yards and beyond. Yea, it is longer than the other, I kinda like the look of the longer one, makes it look like you have something on your rifle lol.

Well,...I have an Eotech 516 on the way. It's just a tad shorter than the 512 and sits about 3/8" higher( the say 7mm riser base, but the specs are closer to 1/2" total hight higher) ...so no need for a riser rail to co-witness with the irons. Buttons are on the side for ease of use with a magnifier. It's not like I ignored your suggestions...I was going to get a 512...but I couldn't pass this deal up for only $340.

Thanks for the warning on the battery cover...Makes sense, after all it is water tight. So if stuff can't get in, stuff can't get out,LOL

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Now the real question,LOL

The upper has removable same-plane sights on it now...they might end up on the ol' Bushy 450.

gonna have to look into some flip-ups down the road. Sucks too, I gave my brother a nice YHM rail mounted flip-up front sight because I didn't need it at the time.

Any recommendations on matching sets? They have to be same-plane type....meaning the front sight mounts on the rail or a gas block that is the same height as the rail handguard and receiver.

Magpul BUIS from aimsurplus.com

XbonesX wrote:Magpul BUIS from aimsurplus.com

I would go Magpul's as well. Don't forget you cannot put them on a gas block as it will damage them.

Congrats on the purchase. I am sure you will not be disapointed at all. If I could afford it, I would have an Eotech on all mine, well, except for my long range rifle for hunting.

I received the 516 today. it looks and works great...so much easier to get on target quickly.

I like the buttons on the side...I don't like that they are so close together it is hard to press both at the same time to turn it off and on...it must have been designed for people with skinny "girly" finger tips.

I hope to get it to the range soon for a live fire session. It already passed the drop test...woops.

A little more info...

Button problem solved

You only have to push one button to activate the sight....and I just flip open the battery compartment to deactivate it and this also allows the batteries to vent when not in use( as mentioned above)

I left the standard removable sights on it for the time being and zeroed the Eotech.
Kinda neat really, with the higher sight base on the 516, the iron sights occupy the lower third of the optics window.
When looking down the sights the reticle is barely visible and lines up directly on top of the front sight post, but when looking through the eotech, the reticle is above the front sight post and clearly visible with really no obstruction from the sights at all.

So in all reality, flip-up sights are really not a necessity...but would still be a nice feature and a must if running a magnifier.

I could get some pics of what I'm describing and rewrite some of this and add it to the review section if anyone is interested.

I for one would be very interested in such a write up!!!!