There are hundreds of companies, both big and small, producing red dot sights in all sizes and shapes. A few companies have entered the holographic optics market, but none have come close to unseating EOTECH as the king of holographic optics. Their optics have changed in shape and size over time and have improved under NVGs, but not much. Until now, with the EOTECH EXPS3 HD.
As far as I am concerned, there was nothing particularly wrong with EOTECH’s optics. They have always worked for me and excelled in their category. In a world where small changes have big impacts, EOTECH has decided to make several small changes to produce the next generation of holographic optics.
The most notable change is that the optic is now made entirely of metal. The hood is gone, and instead, you have an all-aluminum, ruggedized design. This “Heavy Duty” model allows EOTECH to eliminate the aluminum hood entirely, providing an enhanced field of view. The new ruggedized design did not pack on the pounds either; at 11.6 ounces, it is roughly the same weight as the standard EXPS3.
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The EXPS3 HD did get rid of the classic EOTECH buttons. They have switched to a left-side rotary rheostat design that dials between the various settings. This was an ask from their military customers, with the benefit being less battery trickle. In standard optics, the system is always waiting for a button press, creating a slight parasitic drain. The switch to a rheostat improves battery life by a very slight amount.
The rheostat is well-designed. From the off position, you rotate upwards to get to the night vision settings. You rotate down one position to get the auto setting, and any further downward settings activate the daylight-bright settings. You have seven daylight-bright settings, four night-vision settings, and the auto setting.
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The Auto Setting
The auto setting is interesting. A light tube built into the optic captures light from in front of the optic and the gun. The benefit of this design is that if you are in a dark environment looking into a bright one, the optic reads the bright environment and adjusts to be useful in it.
There will be limits, primarily regarding how deep into the dark you are, but for common tasks, like going from complete darkness to using a weapon light, the reticle can adjust instantly. Many auto-brightness settings do not take that into account and place the sensor at the top of the optic.
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This results in the reticle being washed out when using a weapon light. That is not an issue with the EXPS3 HD.
Speaking of automatic features, the EXPS3 HD now has a feature consumers have been demanding for years: shake-awake. The user can program the shake-awake to shut off the optic between 10 minutes and 12 hours.
Downrange With the EXPS3 HD
A quick view through the optic delivers the same clear and crisp EOTECH reticle we all know and love. It is clear, easy to see, and the EXPS3 HD’s field of view is wide and clear. The reticle gets extremely bright, and even in this sunlit valley in Wyoming, it did not need to top out at the highest setting.
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Hitting targets, fast transfers, and excellent situational awareness are all features we love about EOTECHs, and that has not changed with the EXPS3 HD. Sure, a lot has changed, but the core benefits of EOTECH holographic optics remain.
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