From what I’ve heard (nothing official, just dudes talking), the blue tent of the RMR lets it take less energy to have the dot appear bright, so there’s less strain on the battery. With Aimpoint trying real hard to keep the glass really clear, they’re having to use more power for the dot to be as bright at the higher settings.
I was completely sold on the idea of an Acro for a duty gun because of the closed emitter, despite only shooting one mag through one, but I think the battery issue makes it unacceptable for patrol work. Unless there’s something I’m missing, any reliability advantage is seemingly negated by the likelihood that my battery will crap the bed if I forgot to change it that week....
As noted, the RMR uses a far larger battery, and also has lens coatings that help conserve battery life, while also imparting the undesirable blue tint, and it still doesn't make a full month.Originally Posted by Trijicon
I'm honestly kinda surprised that everyone felt blindsided by the short battery life; I had always assumed that I was going to have to do monthly battery changes once I had learned that they were using a CR1225. Should I need to bump it up to every two weeks, I would be disappointed, but not particularly shocked.
I've had my ACRO on since late April without issue, but I generally leave it on setting 6 (1 down from wakeup brightness) since it's on my bedside gun and I shoot almost exclusively indoors. Setting 8 seems to be about what's necessary for outdoor use; I think that if one gets into a habit of replacing the battery every 3 weeks it should work out decently well. At about $1 per battery, it's certainly financially viable for me, though I can understand why people might be pissed based on the previous battery life of the Micro series.
Anyone have data on how long it makes it on setting 8? If it can get past 21 days (or ideally, a month) without shutoff, that's about as good a data point as I can ask for.
I bought the P-1 because I wanted a low maintenance and worry-free optic for carry, or at least more so than the other current offerings. The Aimpoint name, closed emitter, cross-bolt mounting, and my experience with AP products sold me on the Acro. Frankly, it's the only reason I bought a 45 MOS and jumped into the the red dot on a pistol game. I figured with the advertised battery life of 1.5 years, I'd change the battery on my birthday each year and call it good. Having to change a battery bi-weekly or even monthly is far from worry-free. I won't be babysitting an optic on my carry gun.
I have an infrared laser thermometer, and will have a direct-milled ACRO on a G45 on the 28th. I got my sight on Monday, and inserted the factory battery.
I will be happy to do some testing regarding slide temps, etc. Since it will be Texas on a late June weekend whilst shooting on an asphalt-paved range, I do not predict Arctic readings.
I'm not a worry-wart, and trust them dudes with a Swedish accent.
Me, too. They're on the right track here with the enclosed emitter. But right now they're a victim of their own reputation.
It really wasn't that long ago that the EO Tech had something like a 72 hour battery life. People shut them off when not actively in use and nobody made too big a fuss about it. Nobody really liked it but it was the cost of doing business. Then along comes Aimpoint and we now expect a year's worth of runtime on a usable setting.
For a beat cop or soldier I can see, and understand, the concerns over battery life. For the hobbyist, home defender or competitive shooter it shouldn't really that big a deal. Do you leave your bedside pistol at home during the day? Turn the dot off. Carry it to and from the grocery store? Turn it off when back home. Turn it back on when you get into bed and plug your cell phone in. Same goes for the weekend shooter. Put the gun in the safe with the dot turned off and don't worry about it until you take the gun out for your weekend match or range session.
With all the above said, Aimpoint might want to look into some type of motion sensor if they are handcuffed to the little battery and/or reduced life.