On Target
EOTECH’s unrelenting focus on quality and innovation has helped the optics manufacturer stay on target with its end users.
By Slaton L. White
For nearly 30 years, EOTECH has produced high-grade optics for the law-enforcement community, special-operations professionals, and civilian consumers. Best known for its Holographic Weapon Sights (HWS), in 2016 EOTECH expanded its optics line by introducing the Vudu line of premium magnified optics. The manufacturer also has a footprint in night vison and thermal imaging products and recently branched out into LED pistol-sight optics.
An unrelenting focus on product quality, rather than quantity, ensures that EOTECH’s expanding product line meets the exacting standards set by the company’s design and manufacturing teams. As the company likes to say, “When there are zero margins for error, compromise is not an option.”
SHOT Business: EOTECH is the world-leading holographic weapons-sight manufacturer. How did it get to such a pinnacle?
John Bailey: It’s really an interesting story where everything seemed to happen at the right time. Holography has been around for decades, but it took a handful of brilliant individuals and technology working together to advance holography as a firearm optic. The first prototypes were the size of a sewing machine. Unwieldy yes, but it confirmed the concept. At around the same time that laser diodes got smaller and we were able to miniaturize the overall system, the AR-style rifle transformed from a fixed carry-handle type to flat-top models that better accepted an optic such as ours.
At that time, EOTECH wasn’t a brand and had no identity, so we licensed the product to Bushnell as the HOLOsight. With Bushnell’s help, we achieved commercial recognition and the attention of USSOCOM (United States Special Operations Command) We eventually became the standard CQB optic for all U.S. Special Forces, DEA, FBI, and military groups around the world. This credibility, along with the expiration of the assault weapons ban in 2004, quickly grew EOTECH into an optics powerhouse.
SB: EOTECH has long touted the benefits of its Holographic Weapons Systems (HWS) technology over standard red-dot sights, which utilize a LED light source and reflex sight. Just what are the benefits of HWS technology? How does it achieve this?
JB: The EOTECH HWS is often lumped into the category of red dots. It is true that it does have a red dot, but the differences between red-dot technology and holographic technology are many.
Red-dot sights are simple in design. They consist of an LED light positioned at the rear of the sight that is aimed at the front lens. The lens has filters that bounce or reflect the red light back to the user in the form of a dot. One limitation is that the dot needs to be big enough for the user to find quickly and align with the target, but small enough so that it doesn’t obscure the target and reduce accuracy. Holography overcomes this compromise. EOTECH can incorporate any reticle design to include things such as stadia lines, ballistic holds, and range estimation. The most common reticle, known at times as the doughnut of death, is a 68 MOA ring with an 1 MOA aiming dot. Because the HWS is powered by a laser diode and not an LED, the aiming dot is a true point source and offers the smallest dot in the industry. Here, you have a large reference ring to get you on target quickly, but a very precise aiming dot to provide accuracy.
A major limitation for red dots is that the dot is at a different focal plane than the target. This causes the user to shift their focus slightly to focus on the dot and then shift back to the target. An HWS reticle is focused at the target plane so you don’t have to shift your focus. You maintain your target focus and see your reticle clearly.
Another advantage the HWS has is that it is not dependent on the front glass for the reticle. In fact, if the user were to experience a catastrophic incident where the front glass were to break or be damaged, the sight would still work and maintain zero. Further, the back glass, where the reticle is captured, can also be broken and the user will still be able to see and use the reticle in the remaining pieces of glass. Red dots are dependent on their front glass to reflect the dot back to your eye; if damaged or broken, the dot may not be seen or the zero maintained.
HWS also has an advantage over a red dot when using a magnifier. With the HWS, the dot size does not magnify with the target. The user maintains the small 1 MOA aiming dot, but now can see the target 3X to 5X closer. Red dots grow in size consistent with the target when viewed with magnification, so there is no additional gain in accuracy like we find in holography.
Other advantages include the rectangular window for better field-of-view, common battery options, and an integrated mounting base that removes the need for additional mounts. Finally, the HWS is 100-percent made in the USA.
SB: Now that EOTECH is no longer a division of a large defense contractor, is it nimbler and better able to accommodate changing market conditions?
JB: When EOTECH was acquired by L3, it immediately benefited from an infusion of money that helped grow the brand and meet increasing demands. But with that came a lot of corporate bureaucracy, red tape, and multiple levels for decisions. This really slowed us down. On top of that, EOTECH was the only commercial product and company in their portfolio, so we were often misunderstood or overlooked. Now that we are independent again, we have removed the corporate stiffs and have built a team that includes many past EOTECH employees that were key to the company’s initial success. They have been joined with other like-minded, proactive, and eager individuals interested in taking EOTECH to a new level of greatness. Product development, investment, budget, and marketing decisions are now all made inside the building. Areas such as speed to market, clear and consistent communications to our channels, thorough but rapid international licensing, and top-notch customer service are all areas of major focus.
SB: EOTECH likes to call itself a “technology innovator.” Just what does that mean for your customers?
JB: We are innovators in technology. Our holographic technology is still some of the most advanced optical technology for firearms in the last 25 years. For the customer, though, it means products that will improve their performance, whether it’s hunting, competition, home defense, or protecting the community or country. It also means that they can depend on these products. We lead with technology in the way we test and validate our new products under development as well as current products being produced every day. Sophisticated equipment to simulate recoil, thermal shock, water submersion, and more are all included in our process to ensure that the products we build will withstand all conditions and situations of its users.
SB: This year EOTECH introduced its first LED optic. What is that product and what made EOTECH go that route?
JB: We are a holographic company, but it was hard to watch the evolution of optics-ready pistols take place without being involved. We would have loved to introduce a holographic pistol sight, but the ability to scale this technology down that small is still out of reach. The next best thing was to design and develop our own LED-based pistol sight instead. The EFLX Mini Red Dot is a rugged, “full-size” micro red dot that includes features like an aluminum housing, top-loading 2032 battery, and common DeltaPoint Pro footprint. One area that stands us apart from other pistol optics is our clear, transparent glass lens. Most red dots use colored coatings to help reflect the dot, but we were able to achieve a very crisp, visible dot while maintaining a very clear window. In addition, we made the aspect ratio of the window the same as our Holographic Weapon Sight, so the field of view is generous. That, in turn, enhances the user’s ability to quickly find the dot. With an SRP of $389, we feel this will be a very competitive product in the premium pistol-sight market.
SB: Night vision gets a lot of attention these days. How important is that market segment to you?
JB: It’s an extremely important category for us. One of the few benefits we had while under L3 was access to their night-vision and thermal products. We became the “go-to” resource for LE and federal agencies across the country. This year, we partnered with Theon Sensors, a Greek manufacturer of high-quality, military-grade NV/IR devices, to develop an EOTECH-branded line of products. This lineup includes both mono and binocular NV systems and clip-on NV and thermal optics. These products compete head to head with the L3 products in both performance and price while offering some additional features and benefits. We are excited to get these products in the hands of our military and LE agencies.
SB: What was the inspiration for the creation of the new Vudu riflescope line? How has it been received by your customers?
JB: For years, EOTECH has been a leader in the firearms optics industry, but with a very limited line of products. The logical next step was to venture into the magnified optics space by developing premium riflescopes that match the high-quality, high-performance characteristics of our holographic sights. But the riflescope market is extremely crowded, and it’s difficult to stand apart. We went in with the goal of meeting or beating our competition in every way. This includes areas for the consumer such as features and benefits, warranty, clarity, craftsmanship, and price while providing solid margins and customer service and support for our dealers. This strategy helped us develop the Vudu line of riflescopes that include both first- and second-focal plane offerings and a wide variety of magnification ranges from which to choose. We pushed the boundaries of what can be optically achieved, and that is evident in our 1-10X and 5-25X super-short scope. We are very proud of the Vudu line, and it is doing very well. We believe we carved out a nice chunk of the premium scope market, and we will remain dedicated to grow this line and our position.
SB: Many of your employees are veterans. How does their service in the military help EOTECH achieve its goals?
JB: It helps in many ways. First, the military is exceptional at molding individuals into hard-working, respectful, mission-oriented people. These are attributes every company is looking for in an employee. Second, their training and/or combat experience helps us better understand what products are needed, how they must be designed, and how they must perform. In addition, we have many veterans in our sales and marketing departments that have a Rolodex of contacts, and they understand the complex nature of military budgets, solicitations, and future programs. This experience and knowledge carry into international Ministries of Defense and Ministries of Interior and helps us get the right products to the right end users. (eotechinc.com)