EOTECH 512.A65 Tactical Holographic Weapon Sight Review

On the higher end of the scopes list is this holographic sight from EOTech, a high end and high priced item aimed for intermediate and up levels. The holographic sight is set for close-in combat effectiveness, as users can use laser light to illuminate a holographic red reticle on any target plane.

Improves a range of shooting tactics and habits like target acquisition, accuracy levels, and overall control of the weapon. Equipment is very durable with its aluminum hood assembly and knobbed, tool-free mounting bolt. This leaves little room for error and allows the shooter to concentrate on the target rather than the particulars. Less parts also means a lower chance of it being sent back for repairs.

The EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic is built to last, and with 2 AA batteries will be ready to go out of the box for up to 70 hours. For mounting it supports 1 inch Picatinny or Weaver rails. Twenty brightness levels are guaranteed to help the user find the most comfortable setting regardless of current light.

The onboard chip is so advanced that it has an automatic battery checker, brightness scrolling and programmable auto shutdown. Electronically the equipment is protected by a shock absorbing resin compound, and the device itself is waterproof and fogproof. This is one of the more popular holographic weapon sights on the market, and will definitely be worth its money.

Accuracy

Accuracy is a no brainer with this one, and as soon as the 2 AA are put in users can start testing immediately. The sighting system used is based on advanced holographic technology, meaning the bulk of the work is done by the equipment itself with the user only need to point and pull the trigger.

Minor adjustments go a long way, but if properly setup the first time, they barely need to be touched. On the heads-up display window the laser light illuminates a holographic pattern and embeds it in the window. Through this virtual red image of a reticle that projects itself on the target plane, a shooter is able to effortlessly hit their mark 100% of the time.

As far as 100 yards out a shooter can easily hit their target with minimal adjustment. The source of error in taking a shot has always been on the users end mostly, but with the EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic it literally becomes a game of follow the light. Once the initial sighting is done it is off to the ranges or wherever the user needs it to go, and it will not fail.

This is one of the best red dot sights on the market, and many swear by the design. There is an upgraded model that some may be interested in, that in time may end up being the same price as this current model. Strangely enough, accuracy remains the same with both models but features are improved.

Features

The holographic sight on this scope is hard to challenge, even by the big companies and their releases. This is one of the best short range laser lights money can buy, with one of the more advanced microprocessors in an electronic scope. An automatic battery check indicator will help the shooter to know when the batteries are going to need changing, and on startup users can see a flashing reticle if batteries are below 20%.

It’s often hard to deal with difficult light settings even when a multitude of brightness settings are at hand. The ease of scrolling up and down the 20 brightness levels is a breath of fresh air that not only uncomplicated things, but speeds the process up for the shooter so they can concentrate on the target.

The entire unit is shockproof, fogproof, and waterproof to an acceptable level and will handle the worst conditions. It is built so that the electronics in the system are well protected from the elements, and if they fail, it would definitely be on the last list of things. MOA click is 0.5 at 100 yards while the heads-up display window optical surfaces are anti-glare and scratch resistant for the short and long term of things.

The window material is shatterproof laminate with a field view of 100 yards with unlimited eye relief. Different settings allow the batteries to last longer than normal, and if properly used 2 AA’s can last up to 70 hours.

The auto shutdown feature is great as it allows the shooter to save juice and decide if they would rather the display shut down between 4-8 hours, significantly saving battery life. This is a nice and heavy scope at 10.9 ounces, but worth the trouble to the well informed user.

Several guides have popped up online detailing some of the more intricate features of the scope and how to maximize them to their potential. Included with the guides are videos that compares this sight to other red dot sights, and the EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic blows them out of the water.

Disadvantages of EOTech 512.A65 Tactical Holographic

As one of the best red dot scopes on the market, this is very much meant for 100 yards in. It is not meant for long range shooting, and can be quite useless in that considering it only has 1x magnification. It’s only waterproof up to 10 ft. mostly due to the electronics on board so it is understandable.

Something to keep in mind is that 10 ft. of water is not a lot, and a heavy storm or rain should be factored into that equation when measuring how much water it can take when in use. The 1 inch mounting is actually pretty generous, but co-witnessing or even certain models of guns may have a problem matching up with the equipment.

If this is the first time a user has installed a red dot scope, there is definitely a small learning curve in setting it up. One of the things that may be a big pain in comparison to these hunting issues is that resetting to zero MOA can be a bit of a pain for the user that likes to change a lot of settings. And as awesome as the hardware is it pretty much ends there, as it is not compatible with night vision.

This is a real shame, as the EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic coupled with night vision would be incredible. It’s possible it will happen in a future updated version, but not likely. The weight is a minor issue, but should be expected with equipment of this type and function.

Battery life is exceptional, but depending on whether the shooter gets lithium or alkaline batteries, with that choice alone it could actually double the battery life. This is not always clear and should really be brought to the forefront when choosing AA batteries, as many will opt for rechargeable.

There are bootleg versions of this particular scope out on the market due to its popularity, so it is very important that the buyer only purchases from reputable sellers and to check the name and product description. There is a reason knock offs of this model are being created-it really is that good of a scope.

Summary

For the few good red dot scopes available that can do half of what the EOTech 512.A65 Tactical HOLOgraphic can do and at half the price, they pale in comparison to the real thing. This is not only an awesome long term investment, but it proves that even with missing major night vision compatibility it is still a viable choice for serious gun owners.

The features will without a doubt stump beginners, but intermediate and up shooters will have no time figuring out the myriad of functions available with this scope. Once mounted and sighted, it will become a natural member of the shooters everyday set. Once again, when firing from 100 and under yards, this is as close to perfect as you can get.

When looking at the price it will scare away some users, and it is definitely up there. But the combo of the right rifle and this scope can be a scary combination for whatever is on the other end. With the built in shock absorption it can be used on heavy artillery with major recoil and still maintain a good shot. On short range test, when comparing this to non-electronic scopes it really pays for itself. This is a great purchase that down the road might look even better as it ages.