Aimpoint provided a loaner ACRO P-2 to the author for this review.
Red dot sights simply make shooting a firearm accurately simple.
No need to align a front blade in a rear notch or a post in an aperture.
Compact and durable, the Aimpoint ACRO P-2 excels in reliability, even after being subjected to dirt, water, and impacts. The author tested it rigorously to validate its ruggedness.
Put the dot on target.
Its simple, fast and effective.
What Is the ACRO P-2?
In this review of the Aimpoint ACRO P-2, the author tests the red dot sight on a 9mm semi-automatic Echelon pistol and Victor SAINT 9mm carbine.
Small and lightweight, the ACRO P-2 optic is a closed-emitter sight.
The result is an ultra-reliable and durable design.
However, it never seemed to miss a beat.
At 50 yards, the ACRO P-2 did not obscure the 3″ bullseye. While not as precise as a crosshair reticle, a red dot can get the job done to longer distances than you might imagine.
All I had to do was pick it up and use it.
It worked whether it was dusty or wet, or both.
It is a rugged optic.
The left side of the unit holds the battery. There are also two buttons to adjust the brightness of the dot.
When you draw, the dot is ready for you.
The dot can be turned off by pressing and holding the bottom button of the two control buttons.
When you turn it back on, it will be at level 7 brightness.
Since the ACRO P-2 is a closed dot emitter, it does not use a standard micro red dot mounting pattern. Instead, it clamps onto a mounting plate that is attached to the slide of the Echelon.
Battery life is rated at 50,000 hours on an easy-to-find single CR2032 battery.
This leads to me to the dot itself.
Up close, the 3.5 MOA dot allows for fast and precise shot placement.
To mount the ACRO P-2 on the Picatinny rail of a semi-automatic rifle, a riser mount is required. The author used the Aimpoint QD mount shown here.
I like that dot brightness can be manually adjusted.
The same goes for scenarios in the dark.
Being able to adjust it gives me the control that I like.
The author ran multiple failure drills to get a good feel for the ACRO P-2. He found it provided fast aiming and follow-up shots with precise placement.
For nighttime work, I adjusted the dot in the 5- to 6-level range.
In the brightness of the day, I cranked it up brighter.
The ACRO has 10 total brightness options.
At 25 yards and shooting rapid-fire, the ACRO P-2 enabled the author to make quick hits to a center mass-sized area of the target.
The top button marked + increases brightness and the bottom button marked decreases brightness.
I wore gloves at times and found the buttons easy to operate with both bare or gloved hands.
When I mounted it to the SAINT Victor, I used an Aimpoint ACRO QD mount.
I used the back-up iron sight (BUIS) on the carbine to align the red dot.
I noted that the ACRO co-witnessed perfectly with the BUIS.
The adjustment directions on the windage and elevation dials are clearly marked so there is no guesswork.
you’re gonna wanna use a Torx T10 tip to make these adjustments.
Personally, Id prefer a wide slot to use the rim of a cartridge to adjust the sight.
However, you will likely just adjust the dot once and leave it alone.
Aimpoint and Echelon Pistol in Action
I used Federal American Eagle 115-gr.
FMJ ammunition in both platforms.
I zeroed the ACRO P-2 on the Echelon at 25 yards using a rest and shooting five-shot groups.
My best was 1.3, and my average was 1.5.
The ACRO is parallax free, which means the dot is always parallel to the bore.
The dot does not need to be centered in the optic.
I tortured the optic by racking the slide using the ACRO against the side of the bench.
I also grasped the ACRO like a handle to rack the slide.
It did not faze the ARCO it continued to work exactly as it should.
Now on to the carbine.
[For additional information on this pistol, read Massad AyoobsSpringfield Echelon gun review.]
At 50 yards, the red dot nearly covered the 6 black bullseye.
At 25 yards, I used a D-1 style tombstone target.
Its a plain target with perforations that are difficult to see at distance.
I shot at 10 and 7 yards and slightly adjusted my point of aim.
[Dont miss ourSpringfield SAINT Victor 9mm reviewfor more information about that semi-automatic rifle.]
As a result, the ACRO speeds up your aim.
Its also rugged for those times when things go sideways.
Its a better tool to become faster and more efficient.
And at an MSRP of $599, I think it is a steal.
This is a very durable and capable optic for a very reasonable price.
