Review: Aimpoint Micro H-2 Red Dot Sight and 3X-C magnifier

The joy of Aimpoint is that it gives you the ability to shoot with both eyes open for intuitive target acquisition, tracking and pointing, rather than specifically aiming. Because the red dot itself is only visible to one eye, dominance is not an issue, and because the sight is small it obscures very little of your field of view.

This Micro H-2 weighs 172g including its quick-release Picatinny mount; other styles are available to suit different guns. It runs on a CR2032 battery and has 12 intensity settings controlled with a knurled dial on the right side. Zeroing is achieved with tiny dials under the windage and elevation caps, for which a tool is supplied. You can also use the flip-up lens caps as a tool.

The objective lens is just 18mm in diameter, but Aimpoint’s patented system uses an internal prism to reflect and project the light source back to your eye for a reliable aim without any parallax error.

All benefits usually come with some compromise, and for red-dot sights, shots beyond about 50m (depending on quarry size) start to become challenging. This is where the 3X-C magnifier comes in. This 316g unit was supplied with a Picatinny Flipmount and fits onto the rail behind the H-2. It has its own locking lever that allows the optical cylinder to remain directly in line to supply a more conventional riflescope image with 3x magnification, or you can flip it over to the right side to return to conventional red dot visibility. The mount is reversible, allowing it to flip left for lefthanded shooters and it also allows the whole 3x tube to be twisted off and left in your pocket if not required.

These sights have a dominant position in the police and military markets for close-quarters combat, yet interestingly they are applicable to hunting. They have a wide range of optional mounts and risers to lift them higher off the gun, because for once in the rifle world you will generally find them to be low, more akin to the ergonomics of iron sights than a typical riflescope.

The 3X-C has 65mm of eye relief and a 6.5mm exit pupil. The 3X-C won’t affect zero, but you can adjust the optical axis so that the dot you see within it is central in the tube for greater comfort. There is a focusing collar to ensure you get the best possible image to suit your eyes.

I found the unit very simple and intuitive to fit and use, broadening the capability of the current H-2 Micro extensively. It’s also worth noting that if you have astigmatism it sharpens the red-dot as well.