Real Life Aimpoint battery life

[Greg Bell]

Hey guys,

One of the reasons I have always preferred Aimpoint is because they have amazing advertised battery life. But I just grabbed my rifle with Aimpoint M5s and it was dead as disco. Disturbing since I bought the unit it July. It's been running since then for sure, but it has been on 6 or 7, and certainly not 8 except maybe during a few range sessions. I might chuck it up to a weird battery or maybe it was running before that for some reason, but I remember having a T-2 fail at about the same time a few years back. Is anyone really seeing these 3-5 year battery lives with these things?

[LittleLebowski]

Yup. Out of the H1s, a Pro, and I’ve got three years easy on Primary Arms clones. On the latter, one of them is happily doing duty on a a Beretta 1301. Not a bobble.

[Greg Bell]

Definitely not ditching my irons. I guess I'll order some Energizer lithium batteries and switch from 1 year battery swap to 6 months.

[alamo5000]

I have a T2 and a few others. The T2 was dead within a few months, but I replaced the battery with a new one and it's been fine for a few years already. I'm thinking maybe the factory supplied batteries either suck or they get turned on and tested for a while before being shipped to distributors.

[Greg Bell]

You are probably right and this is definitely the battery that came with it

[Spartan1980]

I have two PROs and frankly I’ve never ran one dead. I just changed both in the last couple of months and both were still running after at least 4 years and probably longer than that.

I bought Celewell batteries last time from Amazon. Don’t remember what I pulled out but probably Sanyo.

I’m of the unlearned opinion that the emitter doesn’t even pull juice to be considered a parasitic draw. They’re amazing.

Not turned up all the way either, I keep them just bright enough to be readily picked up in a “daylight inside the house” condition, so probably two to three clicks down from max.


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[Greg Bell]

That's what I should do. I leave mine way up towards the top.

[Nephrology]

I've had pretty decent battery life out of PROs as well. I'm not actually sure the last time I changed the batteries. I keep spares on the gun in the battery cap.

[Coyotesfan97]

I just changed the battery in the Pro. It’s been on at least 4 years.

[HCM]

Hey guys,

One of the reasons I have always preferred Aimpoint is because they have amazing advertised battery life. But I just grabbed my rifle with Aimpoint M5s and it was dead as disco. Disturbing since I bought the unit it July. It's been running since then for sure, but it has been on 6 or 7, and certainly not 8 except maybe during a few range sessions. I might chuck it up to a weird battery or maybe it was running before that for some reason, but I remember having a T-2 fail at about the same time a few years back. Is anyone really seeing these 3-5 year battery lives with these things?

Yes, on multiple examples including a Comp M, M2, M3, M4, H-1, T-1 and T-2.

We issue the H-1 at work and they last multiple years even living in the trunks/ lock boxes of vehicles in the TX heat. They usually stay on at setting 7 or 8.

What setting was the optic on and what battery were you using ?

Best choice for an M5 would be energizer lithium.

[Greg Bell]

It was a Comp M5S and it was the battery provided in the Box. I ordered some energizer lithium batteries.

[SeriousStudent]

I do a battery change on January 1 as an SOP.

Optics, weapon lights, flashlights, clocks, smoke detectors, CO2 detectors.

Battery Junction puts batteries on sale for Black Friday, and then about a month later, they get installed. Easy peasy.

[TWR]

My wife is a diabetic and wears an insulin pump. You can’t believe the inconsistencies in battery life nor would you believe how many dead or nearly dead batteries come out of a package. They used to require Duracell but have since switched to Energizer lithium’s and they last much longer.

I’ve had an Energizer in my PRO now since last August when I bought it and have left it on 8 instead of the recommended setting of 7. If I can get a year out of it, I’ll change the battery on my birthday, August 25th and keep it on 8. My H2 is bright enough on the recommended setting so I’ll leave it there. I’ve owned several Aimpoints and have not had any issues with battery life or anything else.

[Nephrology]

For what it's worth, I'll also report being pleasantly surprised by the life of my ACRO. Currently it is using the original battery that came with the optic which arrived in the mail sometime in late Octobor 2020 and it's still going strong. Barring maybe a total of 24 hours during which it was turned off, it's lived at 6 or 7 at least, usually turned up to 8 when shooting outdoors in bright daylight. I understand my use of the brightness setting is pretty conservative and that I'd probably drain this faster if I was actively carrying the dot, but the thing has been on for 5 months now and still gets up to top brightness no problem.

I'm going to let it drain and see how it does. I'd buy more ACROs down the line, but shortly wont h ave much time for shooting and thus not ready to fully hop over to the pistol dot quite yet. It's the obvious next step for me however, just a matter of time.

[HCM]

My wife is a diabetic and wears an insulin pump. You can’t believe the inconsistencies in battery life nor would you believe how many dead or nearly dead batteries come out of a package. They used to require Duracell but have since switched to Energizer lithium’s and they last much longer.

I’ve had an Energizer in my PRO now since last August when I bought it and have left it on 8 instead of the recommended setting of 7. If I can get a year out of it, I’ll change the battery on my birthday, August 25th and keep it on 8. My H2 is bright enough on the recommended setting so I’ll leave it there. I’ve owned several Aimpoints and have not had any issues with battery life or anything else.

If y'all don't already have one, a battery tester is a worthwhile investment.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPLD6KB?psc=1&pf_rd_p=b1b2cdd9-ef85-4777-865c-8f92d7d6878a&pf_rd_r=93R9PBEGH4P1YK78ERF2&pd_rd_wg=XxhA8&pd_rd_i=B07DPLD6KB&pd_rd_w=dKvlS&pd_rd_r=0040b550-04b4-4531-860d-4a24e8f11c88&ref_=pd_luc_rh_rtpb_02_04_t_img_lh

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tester-Universal-Checker-Batteries/dp/B082DX8Y36/ref=asc_df_B082DX8Y36/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416886378438&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14569855630165954603&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028098&hvtargid=pla-871312056643&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=94306393152&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416886378438&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14569855630165954603&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028098&hvtargid=pla-871312056643

[Trooper224]

Used a Comp M4 for twelve years, never had a battery last more than three months. I reported it, got a shrug, so I formed the habit of replacing the battery every two months.

[HCM]

Used a Comp M4 for twelve years, never had a battery last more than three months. I reported it, got a shrug, so I formed the habit of replacing the battery every two months.

What brand of batteries ? If your supply people were anything like mine they are buying the cheapest, no name brand with no consideration of quality.

[Trooper224]

What brand of batteries ? If your supply people were anything like mine they are buying the cheapest, no name brand with no consideration of quality.

You know, I retired two years ago and I've slept a time or two since them, but I believe they were Eveready.

[HCM]

You know, I retired two years ago and I've slept a time or two since them, but I believe they were Eveready.

That may be part of it. I gave up and started buying my own lithium AAs when we had EOTechs. Big difference. Riding in the car in heat/cold made a difference too. Duty gun would barely make it 3 months but the safe queen AR with EO Tech seemed to last twice as long between battery changes.

[Trooper224]

That may be part of it. I gave up and started buying my own lithium AAs when we had EOTechs. Big difference. Riding in the car in heat/cold made a difference too. Duty gun would barely make it 3 months but the safe queen AR with EO Tech seemed to last twice as long between battery changes.

I remember when we first adopted them. It went dark after two months and we'd been told the battery life was around five years or some such thing. I went to supply and asked for a new battery, expecting some kind of high tech thing. When I was handed a standard AA battery I drew a clue from the clue bag. I did start carrying a pack of spares in the car after that.

[EVP]

I use lithium in my comp m4. An Aimpoint rep said a lithium will last around 8 or 10 years(I forgot which it was).

I replace them at 2 years and use the batteries for other non essential stuff. They are still like new. I forget how many setting there is but I leave it on we’re I can still see the dot with a WML activated at night.

[TCinVA]

Hey guys,

One of the reasons I have always preferred Aimpoint is because they have amazing advertised battery life. But I just grabbed my rifle with Aimpoint M5s and it was dead as disco. Disturbing since I bought the unit it July. It's been running since then for sure, but it has been on 6 or 7, and certainly not 8 except maybe during a few range sessions. I might chuck it up to a weird battery or maybe it was running before that for some reason, but I remember having a T-2 fail at about the same time a few years back. Is anyone really seeing these 3-5 year battery lives with these things?

Most likely an individual battery having a problem. Maybe even a production lot of batteries having problems...that happens sometimes.

It's worth remembering that battery life numbers are usually based on unreality. Often the advertised battery life figures on an optic are at a setting that is one above essentially a night vision setting. Usually so low that it isn't useable in many/most circumstances.

Each higher setting represents an exponentially higher draw from the battery than the previous level. So the reduction in battery life becomes exponential as well. The battery's size becomes the determining factor in how long it will last. Bigger batteries have more electricity in them. C'est La Vie.

In reality, batteries are sufficiently cheap that there's no reason to actually keep them in an optic for as long as some of the marketing claims. We just want to know they won't be dead if we reach for the gun and it's been a while since the battery was addressed.

[Phaedrus]

My PRO goes about five years constantly on, a smidge over the medium setting. I haven't had my COMP M5 long enough to really say yet.

[BWT]

My PRO goes about five years constantly on, a smidge over the medium setting. I haven't had my COMP M5 long enough to really say yet.

That is honestly why I’m not considering the ACRO in my Pistol RDS stuff. I know aimpoint is quality, they’re durable, and very reputable.

But this is not a competitive battery life to other RDS. I think Aimpoint will right the ship but, this has steered me to looking at Trijicon, etc. I’m surprised this one made it out of R&D, and I own aimpoint products I passed on EOTechs for rifles partially because of battery life of aimpoints.

Beating a dead horse here I know.

[Phaedrus]

By all accounts the battery life of the ACRO is poor, but my Comp M5 has already greatly surpassed ho long an ACRO will run. I'm thinking of a Holosun for a handgun.

[Ben34]

Lithium is the b est battery have ever used, It very strong and reliable.