EOTech Vudu: CQB to Midrange Versatility

When the name EOTECH is heard, holographic weapon sight (HWS) immediately comes to mind. An incredibly fast, close-quarter battle sight successfully employed by varsity-level special operations elements fighting room to room, house to house, all around the globe. While the EOTECH HWS is well known by practitioners of CQB, what many folks don’t know is that the company also makes top-tier, variable power, magnified optics as part of its EOTech Vudu line.

The EOTech Vudu line launched about five years ago with four select optics. Thanks to a warm reception and strong sales, the line has continued to diversify, growing into a full suite of premium optics. 

One of my favorites is the 1-6x24mm. The 1-6x uses a 30mm main tube and was originally envisioned as more of a 3-gun optic but was quickly picked up for duty use within various agencies for obvious reasons. At 20 ounces, it’s lightweight, and at 10 inches, it’s compact. But what really sets it apart are extremely useable, and might I say, familiar reticle options.

EOTECH found it challenging to develop a useable reticle in a first focal plane, low power variable optic that works equally well at 1x and 6x. I would say they succeeded with the creation of its SR-series of reticles, known as SR-1, SR-2, and SR-3. All three pay tribute to the famed A65 reticle popularized by the company’s HWS and work extremely well in an LPVO. 

The entire Vudu line features etched reticles, meaning that each is laser-engraved on the lens that carries it. Etched reticles are more detailed and precise than older wire reticles and are far more durable. There’s no wire to break, nor is there any way for the reticle to shake loose from its lens. 

As one would expect from the masters of CQB and low light performance, all of the Vudu 1-6x reticles are illuminated. The illumination system EOTECH uses is called “etched fill.” This unique system uses a reflective fill that sits within the etched reticle. Red LED light gets projected across the reticle lens and bathes everything in red light. The light that hits the reflective fill gets bounced back to the user’s eye and illuminates everything that has that reflective material on it. The advantage of the etched fill system that is used in the Vudu 1-6x is that the reticles can be sophisticated, and it’s still possible to illuminate them. 

My preferred reticle, the SR-1, as an example, features a small Mil-based crosshair in the center that is clearly visible at 6x, but becomes a tiny little cross at 1x. Surrounding the center crosshair is a large circle, very similar to the A65 reticle commonly found in the company’s holographic sights. At 6x the circle isn’t visible, but at 1x it surrounds the center of the reticle and is unmistakable. The etched fill illumination system means that both the center crosshair and the large aiming circle that surrounds it illuminate when the feature is activated. This is all possible thanks to the etched fill system. 

The downside of this method of illumination is that it’s challenging to make it daylight visible in bright lighting conditions. With all the red light that gets projected onto the reticle lens, only about 20 percent of it reflects back to the user’s eye. To make it truly daylight bright takes a lot of power. While EOTECH doesn’t claim its illuminated reticles are necessarily red-dot bright, they are clearly visible in all lighting conditions, just not as bright as their HWS. But in practical use, they don’t really need to be. Thanks to well-designed reticles like the SR-1 that are both eye-catching and extremely fast, the illumination acts as more of an enhancement.   

As a nod to its holographic weapon sight roots, the EOTech Vudu utilizes cleverly placed push buttons to control illumination versus a more traditional rheostat. EOTECH found that push buttons lasted longer in their destructive testing, so they were standardized across the entire line. There are 10 illumination settings and when the optic is turned on, it will remember its last setting.

The battery life of most LPVOs leaves something to be desired. EOTECH nearly matched the battery life of its HWS sights, which is about 500 hours, all from an industry-standard CR2032 lithium battery. The Vudu also features an auto power-down mode, that lets the optic go to sleep after two hours of inactivity to greatly increase battery longevity.

SEEING IS BELIEVING

The EOTech Vudu’s spectacular optical performance can be attributed to the XC High-Density glass and longer focal length used. The XC HD glass is definitely worth the price of admission and is so much more than marketing hype and provides a warm image, even during twilight hours. 

TURRETS

The EOTech Vudu 1-6x features exposed 0.2 MRAD turrets for easy dialing, and while the turrets don’t feature a zero stop, they are resettable to zero. The process is pretty simple. Use a cartridge case rim to loosen the center screw that holds the turret cap in place. Pull up to remove the turret, then locate the “0.” Push the turret back into place ensuring the “0” is properly indexed, tighten the top screw, and you’re ready to go.  

The eyepiece and magnification ring are one single piece that allows the user to grab a handful and twist to quickly adjust magnification, even while wearing gloves, thanks to an aggressively knurled exterior. EOTECH took it one step further and equipped the Vudu with a thread-in throw lever for even faster magnification adjustments. Why throw levers haven’t become industry standard is simply beyond me, as they make adjusting magnification almost effortless. 

The Vudu 1-6x continues EOTECH’s tradition of providing feature-rich combat optics that provide exceptional glass, highly functional reticles, and the durability you’d expect from a product of its lineage. Drop the EOTech Vudu into a 1.93 height cantilever mount and you’ll have a versatile package optimized for stand-up fighting with near-HWS fast target acquisition and midrange precision. 

EOTech Vudu 1-6x

Tube Diameter: 30mm
Objective Lens: 28mm
Battery Type: CR2032
Weight: 20.1 ounces
MSRP: $1,400
URL: eotechinc.com

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• EOTech Magnifier: Force Multiplier. 
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