Aimpoint makes great red dot sights. Most of their optics are designed for combat. And they’ve brought those same performance standards to the civilian market with a line of optics and sights designed for hunters.
The Aimpoint Micro H-1 is one of these. It it is a scaled back version of the Micro T-1. With a red dot capable of one MOA accuracy at 100 yards, the H-1 is ideal for use in many parts of the country. Where I am, in the south, where almost all hunts happen at ranges less than 200 yards, the H-1 is an ideal way to tool up for white-tail.
The Micro H-1
The Micro H-1 weighs only 3 ounces. It is about an inch tall and 2-inches long. The CR2032 battery provides over five years of continual use. The optic has has multiple mounting methods, including a Picatinny rail mount. It is capable of delivering one MOA accuracy at 100 yards with no magnification.
The Micro H-1 vs. the Micro T-1
The H-1 is fully waterproof, but doesn’t offer any optimistic guarantees about submerging the optic. The T-1, by contrast, can be submerged to 80 feet.
The H-1 has 12 daylight settings. The T-1, which is night vision compatible, offers four night vision settings and eight daylight settings.
The H-1 will work from 20 below to 140 degrees. The T-1, can work in arctic conditions (as low as 50 below). And it adds 20 degrees to the top end.
I’ve put the Micro H-1 on an Arsenal SLR-106 31, which is not a gun I intend to use for hunting. Not that I couldn’t, but I won’t. I’m building an AK. As a tool for sport shooting and potential self defense, the ALR-106 is great. The gun is chambered in .223. It has a folding stock. I’ve changed out the handguard for a Midwest Industries AK-SS handrail, specifically designed for the Aimpoint T-1 and H-1 (as they use the same mount).
Aimpoint’s H-1 is at its best when it aligns with the iron sights. Even hunters need the benefit of co-witnessing. And, in the unlikely situation that the optic fails, it wouldn’t have to be removed for the rifle to function. The H-1 is parallax free and offers unlimited eye relief.
Aimpoint’s H-1 offers incredibly fast target acquisition. With no magnification, and no distortion from the optic’s glass, acquiring the red dot happens instantaneously. It appears right where we typically look for iron sight alignment.
This offers two benefits. The first is the obvious accuracy. The second is the habitual training that makes using the the same rifle without the H-1 (or with a disabled H-1) faster. The dot, when practicing, orients the shooter to points of impact that aren’t obvious when looking at unaligned irons. These habits stick and make better shooters.
The Aimpoint’s controls are very easy to use. The big wheel on the right side is used to dial in the dot. It is large enough to manipulate, even when wearing gloves. The size makes it possible for the dot to be adjusted without looking up from the target.
The smaller dials adjust the dot vertically and horizontally. They are easy to adjust. The caps have small bumps that mate with depressions on the dials. The caps are also very easy to lose. They’re tiny. When you drop one, as I did, in tall grass, it can be really hard to find. When you leave one on the tailgate of your truck, and then close the tailgate (launching the tiny cap into a much larger area of tall grass), you may not find it (I didn’t).
The Aimpoint H-1 sells for under $600. The T-1, with the expanded performance features, sells for $50 to $100 more. In the end, the decision comes down to your needs. I’m not using night vision, which really seems like the only deciding factor for me. I could care less about the top and bottom ranges of temperature extremes. And the H-1 is waterproof, even if it shouldn’t be submerged to a depth of 80 feet.
It is still an investment. But those of us who have shot with them know that Aimpoint’s red dots are well worth the price. They completely change the operational capabilities of the rifle.
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