I'm thinking about picking up either an EXPS3-0 or a T-2 in a 1.93" mount for passive night vision shooting.

Since the Eotechs are now in line with most other optics in terms of thermal drift, but offer the best paralax and a huge window, I'm kind of torn.

I'm concerned the small window on the T-2 might be slower with a tube on my face.

What does the group say?

Finding the dot with a T 2 is easy but the small diameter optics rob a lot of light. The bigger 30mm Aimpoint are a lot better.

For this app, definitely the EOTech.   I have a Halosun 515, which is basically the same dims as the T2, with an ADM mount, and 1/2" riser.  You can get there, but difficult to see beyond reticle to target.  Just about needs IR illum to really work, which negates the passive objective.

When I was playing with that setup I found that the T2 was surprisingly on par with the large window of the eotech. I already had the T2 and used a friends eotech Exps to experiment. When using it without vision, I found the T2 a little easier to get into. My theory is the smaller window helped since I was not used to it sitting so high and would find myself getting lost with the larger window of the Eotech. This is purely my experience in the short time that I compared the two side by side.

Ah, I did not think about light transmission.

Good point.

Also, based on Sam's post, I'm really leaning towards the HWS.

Plus I like to buy American.

I have that eotech, i wish i went with an aimpoint

Interesting, what makes you want to go in that direction?

The Aimpoint is lighter, smaller, and has better battery life by a long shot. But for a night carbine it's a different ball game.

In addition to having a much larger viewing window and superior light transmission for passive "view through" use, the EOTech also has a "viewing window" that's wider than it is long, which, at least to me, seems to make it easier to aign all the different optical axes--in order to use an RDS through NODs, you need to align your eye with the tube, then the tube with the optic, with a "tube style" or any longer optic, you also need to align your eye and tube to the tube of the optic, versus the "window" of the EOTech. The EOTech's design and technology make it function (at least to me), much more similarly to a HUD than a projected dot...probably because the EOTech essentially uses HUD technology--this of course comes with much higher power consumption, and of course, with a much more complicated technology, there's more room for things to go wrong.

The other feature I like about the EOTech is the "NV" button, meaning a near instantaneous switch between NV and visible sight pictures, rather than having to crank a brightness dial back and forth, and hoping you land on the right setting.

You mentioned it yourself, but I would suggest that this more of a familiarity issue than something that is natural to the two optics.

Not only do you own the Aimpoint (and therefore use it more often), but you were also experimenting with higher positioning, meaning that you have not necessarily developed your NPOA using taller optics. As you mentioned, it sounds like you're indexing off of the optic's housing itself, then looking for the aiming point within it, rather than staying focused on the target, and letting the aiming point simply "appear" in your field of view.

Standard disclaimer:

I continue to own and use both Aimpoint and EOTech, and have always felt that they both have their own pros and cons (big con is that it's a little hard to get an EOTech mounted on a Glock compared to a T1 ), but for this specific application on a long gun, IMHO, the EOTech is superior.

~Augee

One thing I've also thought about and would love to test is with the parallax test info  the gentlemen from green eye tactical put out and how that could relate to or effect using NVG behind the different optics. If I remember correctly the T2 performed well on his test but not as well as the eotech.

Pretty much what youve outlined, also the whole eotech parallax and wandering zero from temp change..

I will tell you ive tried to use it several times with night vision and found it useless.
Tonight i went to use it because vehicles lights seemed to wash out my IR laser..
While seated in a vehicle, using the eotech above its listsed NV setting....it was completely awsome.
Which is nice because ive hated my eotech since their original release.

Even with this new experience with it the aim point is probably the better all around setup..

My eotech had a "new battery" in it but tommarrow night ill try it agai with a new, new battery.