EOTech EXPS3HD and EFLX CE: An All-Aluminum Holographic Sight and a Closed-Emitter Pistol Optic

Red dots, reflex sights and holographic sights are all unmagnified optics that shooters love because they make you shoot better. EOTech has been in that world a long time, and it has two new optics: the all-aluminum EXPS3HD holographic sight and the closed-emitter EFLX CE pistol optic. Then Chris Cerino took the EFLX CE to the range and found a reticle he did not expect to like.

The EXPS3HD: All Aluminum

John Bailey of EOTech, known as JB, joined Ryan Gresham in the studio to show off the new EXPS3HD. The big difference is the housing. EOTech’s current line uses a high-tech glass resin body, which is why those sights need a hood to protect them. The EXPS3HD is all aluminum, so it does not need the hood.

The aluminum body also let EOTech add a rotary dial on the left side. JB said it gives you a true off position, along with night vision and daytime settings and an auto-bright setting that adapts to any situation. EOTech lists four night vision settings and seven daytime settings. The sight also has shake awake and programmable sleep modes, which JB said means battery savings. The reticle is EOTech’s 1-Dot Speed Ring, a 68 MOA ring with a 1 MOA dot, and it runs on a single CR123 battery.

The EFLX CE: Closed Emitter

EOTech jumped into the red dot world with the EFLX handgun sight, and now there is the EFLX CE. JB said that when the EFLX came out, the first question was when EOTech would build a closed emitter, and he thinks law enforcement drove that. It is now a common type of optic. With two windows, the LED is protected from damage and debris.

The EFLX CE is also a smart system. It has shake awake technology and programmable sleep modes, and you can disable sleep if you want the optic on all the time. It has a machined-in rear iron sight and mounts on the Leupold DeltaPoint Pro or Shield RMSc footprint. The theme with both optics is ruggedization. As JB put it, EOTech tests and beats up everything, and durability helps you shoot better, whether it is holographic or red dot.

On the Range: The Circle Changes Things

One thing JB did not mention in the studio is that the EFLX CE has three reticles. You get EOTech’s traditional circle-dot, with a 42 MOA circle (the standard EOTech holographic uses a 68), or you can run just the dot or just the circle. The circle is large, but not so large that you cannot see through the window.

Chris admitted he wondered why anyone would run just the circle. Then he started looking at targets and realized he would not be tempted to over-confirm the dot, which always slows him down. With a circle, you know the bullet is going to go somewhere in the center, and as long as the circle is around the target, you send it. He said he thinks he can shoot a plate rack faster than he ever has because of it. After a few quick presentations (“that’s fast for me, at least”), he moved to smaller plates with one miss, which he blamed on the trigger.

Then came a challenge: a rack with a tiny hole in one plate. Shooting through the hole resets the rack. Without a dot, how would he do it? After a couple of tries, and with a zero he was not sure about, the shot went right through the hole. “EOTech EFLX CE for the win. I think it’s really cool.”

Final Thoughts

Between the aluminum EXPS3HD and the closed-emitter EFLX CE, EOTech is building optics aimed at durability, battery life and flexibility. The reticle options on the EFLX CE are worth a look if you tend to chase the dot. Try the circle and see how it changes your speed.

Watch the full episode on Shooting Sports Life at shootingsportslife.com.